Kaishi Kokusai defeated Niigata Kokusai in a penalty shootout (5-4) that started 1-1, and advanced to the final four for the first time in two tournaments. In the 14th minute of the first half, forward Suzuki Kotaro (3rd year) took the lead with a long throw. They were caught up in the second half and were unable to finish the game in extra time, and in the penalty shootout, goalkeeper Togashi Hanamichi (3rd year) saved the opponent's fifth kick, and also invited the sixth to make a mistake, bringing in victory. Teikyo Nagaoka, who was third in the national championship last year and is aiming for a fourth consecutive victory in the prefectural championship, defeated Kaishi Gakuen JSC 2-1 with two goals from Ueda Toki (3rd year), who started as a forward. The semi-finals on June 1st were decided to be Teikyo Nagaoka – Kaishi International and Niigata Meikun – Hokuetsu.
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Kaishi Kokusai, who has been in business for 10 years, has made it to the quarterfinals thanks to the efforts of both offensive and defensive players. In the penalty shootout, 1-1, goalkeeper Togashi jumped left and saved the fifth Niigata Kogyo kicked the first shot. He also responded to the sixth shot that entered the sudden death, causing a mistake, bringing in a 5-4 victory.
The guardian, who also stopped three times in penalty shootouts in the Shimoetsu district final against Kaishi Gakuen JSC, was the key player in his first victory in the district, and said, “The team has won the victory. I want to advance to the finals that our seniors two years ago couldn't achieve.” I was not pleased with the dramatic victory.
They took the lead with a good start in the 14th minute of the first half. Suzuki throws a mountain that reaches the far side, a low trajectory and a straight ball. Midfielder Iio Izumi (3rd year) pushed the loose ball into the ball. Suzuki said, “Even though he is wary, the points he scored were good points.” He was exhausted from the consecutive games and pitching in consecutive games up until this point, but he laughed, saying, “I've been winning, so it's a great fatigue.”
An incident occurred before the match began. The tires of the team bus carrying the cheering squad got flat on the highway. The cheering seats were empty during the warm-up stage, but after the repairs were completed, they managed to slip in before the match began, and cheered loudly. Togashi and Suzuki said, “I'm glad there were no accidents. That support was reassuring during the tough times.” I was grateful for the united voices.
In the semi-finals, where the team will be competing together, they will match up against champion Teikyo Nagaoka, who is aiming for a fourth consecutive prefectural all-out championship. Togashi, who supported the defense from the back, was determined to say, “If I don't score, I won't lose,” and Suzuki, the source of the goal, also challenged him, saying, “I'll do it.”[Kobayashi Tadashi]
