2024 Season Academy Climax

Akihito Suzuki, Academy Manager

Last winter, the youth team won the “Prince Takamori Cup JFA U-18 Football Premier League 2024 Playoffs” to secure promotion to the Premier League, while Kashima JY won the “Prince Takamori Cup JFA 35th All Japan U-15 Football Championship.” This winter, battles for the title of “Japan’s best” will unfold across all age groups. Academy Manager Akihito Suzuki reflects on each team’s performance during the 2024 season while sharing his expectations for the teams competing on the national stage and his vision for the future of the Antlers Academy.

 

Junior Tsukuba J
JFA 48th All Japan U-12 Football Championship Dec. 26 (Thu)–29 (Sun): Kagoshima Prefecture

Individual ability is especially important at the junior level

On Sunday, November 17, a fierce battle for a ticket to the “JFA 48th All Japan U-12 Football Championship” took place at the Ibudenai-go Athletic Park in Kashima City, adjacent to the Prefectural Kashima Soccer Stadium. In the Ibaraki Prefecture tournament semifinals, Tsukuba Junior faced Norte Junior, with Tsukuba Junior winning 1-0. In the final that followed, they defeated FC COLORZ (Tsukuba City), who had advanced after a 1-2 win over Kashima Junior in the third round, 1-0 to secure their spot at the national tournament.

“Tsukuba Junior finished third nationally at the Summer Junior Olympics, and I got the impression that they had improved even further since then. In particular, ace striker Hayato Munakata and goalkeeper Tatsuya Suga have considerable potential and will likely attract attention at the national tournament. I was also pleased to see the sense of unity within the team, centered around them. I believe the players also felt Manager Masahiro Nasukawa’s passion, and the team was worthy of winning the prefectural tournament.”

This is the first time in two years that Antlers teams will compete in the tournament commonly known as “Zen-sho,” which determines Japan’s best elementary school-age team. Last year, all three teams were eliminated before the prefectural tournament finals, so not only Tsukuba Junior but also Kashima Junior and Norte Junior approached this tournament with extraordinary determination.

“Kashima Junior had some injuries and periods when things weren’t going well. Although they ultimately lost to the team that finished as runners-up in this tournament, I believe they fought with everything they had. Going forward, I believe we need to continue developing outstanding individuals from even younger age groups. Norte Junior, on the other hand, had beaten Tsukuba Junior in official matches before. Under Manager Kenji Ogasawara, they displayed a fast-paced style of play, and I felt that every player had grown significantly. However, in this tournament, Tsukuba Junior’s individual ability seemed to give them the edge, which led to the result. Once again, I was reminded that individual ability is especially important at the junior level.”

Tsukuba Junior will compete in Kagoshima Prefecture starting December 26, representing Kashima Junior, Norte Junior, and all elementary school-age teams in Ibaraki Prefecture.

“I want Tsukuba Junior to play well and value both the quality of their play and the results, and I hope the players will aim for victory while enjoying football. I hope they work hard so they can see a “great view” on the final day.”

Tsukuba J won the prefectural tournament and secured a spot in the JFA 48th All Japan U-12 Football Championship. As an Antlers team, they will aim for their second national title since Kashima J, which featured Daiki Yamada, in 2013.

 

Junior Youth Kashima JY
Prince Takamori Cup JFA 36th All Japan U-15 Football Championship Dec. 14 (Sat)–27 (Fri): Osaka Prefecture, Tokyo, and others

Growing into “adults” after the summer

One year after their glorious finale, Kashima JY will once again challenge the “Prince Takamori Cup JFA 36th All Japan U-15 Football Championship.” Captain midfielder Aoi Ogasawara, along with defenders Takumi Kurahashi, midfielder Sora Iwato, forward Shusei Takizawa, and forward Eito Takagi, were all in the starting lineup during the previous tournament’s final against Omiya JY. Now in their final year, they finished near the top of the Kanto League Division 1 and earned a seeded spot in this tournament. They will aim to become the fourth team in history to defend the title.

“Everyone already knows about their individual abilities and the high quality of their football. However, up until the summer, there were still instances where the team lacked cohesion. Whenever something went slightly wrong, the team would tend to head in the wrong direction as a whole. Since then, everyone has grown up, and as this will be Kashima JY’s final tournament in the Prince Takamori Cup, their determination to defend the title has grown. I hope they will show an even more aggressive, attacking style of football than the team that won last year and achieve a repeat victory.”

As Academy Manager Suzuki pointed out, the team was unable to fully demonstrate its strength at the “39th Japan Club Youth Football Championship (U-15)” in the summer, where they were eliminated in the round of 16, and there were matches in which they shed bitter tears of regret. What turned the players into “adults” since then was their experience in Brazil.

“During the summer tour of Brazil, they realized that their current living environment is by no means a given, and they saw firsthand how Brazilians approach football while living there. Kashima JY’s Ogasawara, Kurahashi, Iwato, Takizawa, and Takagi, along with Tsukuba JY goalkeeper Yukinari Oshita, were selected for the age-group national team and gained experience playing in various countries, including France and Croatia. They must have also experienced firsthand that they need to grow even further as people. The third-year players at Kashima JY are now communicating very well, and I believe that kind of experience is working in their favor.”

It wasn’t only the third-year players at Kashima JY who became stronger in both mind and body after the summer. The players at Norte JY and Tsukuba JY also made tremendous strides. In the “Prince Takamori Cup JFA All Japan U-15 Football Championship Kanto Tournament,” which served as the qualifiers for the national tournament, Norte JY lost 1-2 to Tsukuba JY in the semifinals, while Tsukuba JY, which advanced to the final, narrowly lost 0-1 to Urawa JY after extra time. Although neither team qualified for the national tournament, Academy Manager Suzuki saw clear evidence of the teams’ growth.

“Tsukuba JY has grown into a wonderful team, with third-year players like midfielder Yuto Kumasawa, who will promote to the youth team in 2025, and the younger players uniting around goalkeeper Oshita. Although they ultimately lost to Urawa JY, I feel they gave everything they had. As for Norte JY, they were in the relegation zone during the first half of the Kanto League Division 2, but after training camp in Kashima and the tour of Brazil, they bounced back to a mid-table finish with almost no losses in the second half. They have grown tremendously over the past six months. They also showed a wonderful performance against Tsukuba JY in the Prince Takamori Cup Kanto Tournament. I hope the third-year players from both teams do not forget this bitter feeling and continue to excel on the next stage.”

Kashima JY will make its Prince Takamori Cup debut in Osaka Prefecture on December 14. And the elite players selected from three teams, including Norte JY and Tsukuba JY, will become members of the youth team starting in 2025.

“Next year, only players from Kashima JY, Norte JY, and Tsukuba JY will join the youth team. Just like this year’s first-year player Minato Yoshida, who came from FC Tama (Tokyo), no players who belonged to a team other than the Antlers Academy during junior high school will be joining the youth team. In other words, this is proof that wonderful players are being developed at the Antlers Academy, so I hope you will have high expectations for the players promoting to the youth team in the 2025 season.”

Kashima JY is training for the “Prince Takamori Cup JFA 36th All Japan U-15 Football Championship.” The third-year players from Norte JY and Tsukuba JY, who unfortunately were eliminated in the Kanto Tournament, will also move on to a new stage.

 

Youth Kashima Youth
Prince Takamori Cup JFA U-18 Football Prince League 2025 Kanto Division 2 Promotion Playoff Dec. 14 (Sat)–18 (Wed): Chiba Prefecture

Moving up to another level

During their first season back in the Prince Takamori Cup Premier League EAST, they competed for the top spots until the final stretch. Although they ultimately fell short of the championship and finished in second place, they showed a commanding performance centered around captain defender Umihiro Sato, while high school seniors forward Takumi Tokuda and defender Haruto Matsumoto accompanied the top team, leaving a strong impression of the team’s depth.

“First of all, the coaching staff, led by Manager Atsushi Yanagisawa, is outstanding, so I knew without a doubt that they would guide the players in the right direction. However, the results they achieved exceeded my expectations. Following the Antlers Academy’s theme of “producing the top team’s main players,” we repeatedly said, “Let’s develop players who can decide matches individually and bring titles to the team,” and we worked together to make that a reality. That has borne fruit, and wonderful players are being developed.”

Academy Manager Suzuki praises the results of the youth team, which can be considered the “culmination” of the academy, in such terms. However, the reason is not only that they finished second in their first year back in the Prince Takamori Cup Premier League EAST. He also looks satisfied with the individual growth of the players over the past year.

“I am extremely satisfied that we are winning while developing individuals. Of course, we are the Antlers, so we have to become champions of Japan. To that end, if we develop good players at this age group, they will be called up to the top team, just like Tokuda and Matsumoto. Some will also be selected for the age-group national team. When that happens, it becomes difficult to field a full roster for every match. I really felt that this year while competing in the Premier League. That is precisely why building from the bottom up was important, and I am proud that we not only had many good players but also gave them plenty of opportunities to compete. For example, during the second-half match against FC Tokyo, defender Umihiro Sato and defender Yugo Okawa were absent because they had been selected for the age-group national team, and forward Minato Yoshida was also out due to injury, so we could not field our best lineup. Even so, third-year defender Ryunosuke Tsuchihashi and first-year defender Masato Udenba played active roles in both offense and defense. Personally, I felt that this was a match in which the team grew tremendously.”

The performance of the younger players, who played a role in strengthening the team’s foundation, should not be overlooked. Second-year defender Okawa, midfielder Aoi Nakagawa, and forward Hayate Nagahisa led the team as regular starters, while first-year defender Masato Udenba, midfielder Rui Onuki, midfielder Daigo Hirajima, midfielder Yuwa Fukuoka, and forward Yoshida also earned chances to start by overcoming fierce competition. Academy Manager Suzuki emphasizes that the presence of third-year players such as goalkeeper Eita Kishino, defender Umihiro Sato, defender Aimon Tamaki, and midfielder Seima Ogasawara is what supports the performance of these younger players.

“More than half of the regular starters, including those on the bench, are first- and second-year players. However, the reason they can play freely is also because the third-year players have strengthened themselves. When I was coaching at university, there were times when the increased awareness of the fourth-year students, the highest grade, led to players making significant strides. At the youth level, both the coaching staff and I know that the growth of the third-year players is a key factor every year. At the top team, just as Gaku Shibasaki grew alongside Mitsuo Ogasawara in the past, everyone knows that having veterans who support the team allows young players to play freely. That is how the Antlers have won titles. Since this summer, the third-year players have also been a great help in building a solid foundation for these first- and second-year players to compete. I believe that the third-year players, including goalkeeper Kishino, providing solid support from the back was the biggest factor in finishing in this position. Although the first- and second-year players are excelling, the hard work of the third-year players has been a tremendous help, and the coaching staff has managed that well.”

Not only the A teams competing in the Prince Takamori Cup Premier League EAST, but the performance of the B teams competing in the Ibaraki Prefecture IFA League Division 1 should also be noted. This year, the B teams won the league tournament, which brought together strong teams from within the prefecture, including Meishuu Gakuen Hitachi High School and Mito Youth. After defeating Seibo Gakuen (Saitama Prefecture) in the opening match of the “Prince Takamori Cup JFA U-18 Football Prince League 2024 Kanto Prince League Kanto Division 2 Promotion Playoff,” which begins on Saturday, December 14, and if they win the representative tournament on Monday the 16th, they will compete in the Prince League Kanto Division 2 in the 2025 season. It can be said that another opportunity awaits the B teams to compete at one level higher.

“The B teams are mainly led by Technical Advisor Mitsuo Ogasawara. I get the impression that he carefully observes the players who worked hard in that week’s training and selects them for matches, allowing players with the right mentality to work hard in training to excel here and move up to the A team. I think this is an excellent way to develop individuals, and players who have grown stronger here have gone on to win in both the IFA League and the Premier League. As a result, they were able to win the IFA League, and they will compete in the Prince League Kanto Division 2 Promotion Playoff starting December 14. I hope they will work hard to move up to one level higher, not only to win with an individual-focused style of play but also to make the players tougher next year.”

The junior teams operating at three locations in Ibaraki Prefecture—Kashima, Norte, and Tsukuba—and the youth team, where selected players from those teams gather. All teams work together at an even higher level for the growth of each player—that is the Antlers Academy. In the coming 2025 season, promising players gathered from inside and outside Ibaraki Prefecture will also face fierce competition in their respective teams.

“I believe the Antlers Academy is currently moving in a good direction. How many players will move up to the top team from here, and how many will be able to excel? To increase that number, we coaching staff want to work even harder. Players who want to play football for the Antlers will join Kashima Junior Youth from all over Japan. Kashima JY has become a development organization that attracts promising players and is chosen by players who are excelling at other teams. I believe the competition between players who grew up in the academy’s schools and junior teams and those recruited from other teams will become even more intense. I would be grateful if the fans and supporters would continue to support the activities of the Antlers Academy.”

Aiming to become the main players of the Antlers top team—with the traditional emblem emblazoned on their chests, these players will continue to chase the ball here today, aiming to grow as players who will win Japan’s title in the winter of 2024 and beyond.

The youth team, which serves as the culmination of the academy, works up a sweat on the pitch next to the top team’s training ground. First, the junior and junior youth players will continue to compete to reach this place.