(9.7 Kanto ROOKIE LEAGUE B/C League Replacement Match Kiryu Ichi High School 0-1 Seiri Gakuen High School Tokinosu Susono D Grand)
On the 7th, a relegation match between the B and C Leagues of the 2025 Kanto ROOKIE LEAGUE was held, and Seiriku Gakuen High School (Tokyo), second-placed in the C League, was selected for the first time in the B League. Seiriku Gakuen faced Kiryu Ichi High School (Gunma), ranked 9th in the B League, and forward Honda Ryusei scored the final score in the third minute of the second half. He won 1-0 and was promoted to the B League in his first appearance in Kanto ROOKIE LEAGUE.
Seiritsu Gakuen finished third in the second division of Spolab Rookie two years ago, and was promoted to the first division. Last year he won the first division and won the Kanto Rookie League, Spolab Rookie League replacement match, winning against Mito Commercial High School (Ibaraki) for the first time.
This year he finished second in the Kanto ROOKIE LEAGUE C League, his first year in the match, with seven wins and one draw until the 8th round. On September 6th, they faced Kokushikan High School (Tokyo), the leader, one goal behind the team, with the same points, and they drew 2-2. The winning team was promoted to the B League and was given the right to advance to the playoffs of the “MIZUNO CHAMPIONSHIP” U-16 National Tournament, but Naritari Gakuen finished second in the league. The players were said to be disappointed.
Still, there is still a chance of promotion. The players struggled in the 90 minutes with the powerful Kiryuichi that took place the next day. Midfielder Izawa Kanosho, a midfielder with a fighting and coaching as his weapon, recalls, “We all had the same intention of switching out yesterday's meeting, like, “Let's win tomorrow, we'll definitely win,” and “Let's put everything in tomorrow's play.”
Midfielder Izawa Kanosho is conscious of “to not let the opponent have freedom, so that they can take it in front of them.”
In the previous day's match against Kokushikan, there were some parts where the opponent's long balls and set pieces were disrupted. That's why, “Today, we were all more involved than usual and were more aware of the set-piece, and at the beginning we were able to do the second ball and ball-wise so that we didn't get into the flow, and we were conscious of doing that in front of us so that we could not let the opponent get free, and that we could take it in front of us.” (Izawa)
The final goal in the second half was born from the rigor of midfielder Mizuno Hayato, who specializes in dribbling vertically and mid-rangely from the left side. Honda pushed the shot from Mizuno's cut-in to the goal to get the first goal. Honda, who played with forward Hayashi Takanosuke, put his heart into action and played with all his spirits.
FW Honda Ryusei scores the final goal with a stake in the 1000 yen mark.
Regulations that cannot be promoted in a draw. However, players including Mizuno and Izawa, who are active in the top team, Nishimura Hinata, as well as midfielder Sekiguchi Koshiro and midfielder Tsuji Kairi, showed their strength in the midst of a back-and-forth situation, winning 1-0.
Defender Nishimura Hinata supported the final line
Mizuno proudly said, “I think we could have done it by all the people until the end, and I think we were definitely more frustrated than the other party (which would have missed the championship by a goal difference), so I think we definitely surpassed that kind of place.”
Coach Momiyama Tomosuke highly praised the players who switched from the frustrating draws in the league and fought. “Yesterday, everyone was crying because they were really frustrated, but they managed to change their mindset and try to give the first-year students next year a good experience in the league at least once in a high league, so they all worked hard together from the first close-up. It was a difficult match, but even during the tough times, everyone was able to connect with each other, including the bench members,” he said, squinting.
The players are usually divided into categories. “There may have been some things that didn't fit in easily, but everyone has already done it with strong will,” Coach Momiyama. From here on, we'll continue to work harder. Mizuno said with determination, “What we are aiming for (in the top team) is the triple crown of league matches, championships, and Inter-High School Championships. Our goal is to get into the national team and get into the Prince (league) and win well.”
Mizuno and Izawa have improved their challenges and declared that they will grow together as individuals and “will be able to lead the team.” He is not satisfied with the results he has achieved with the first-year team, and spends his days with high goals.
Midfielder Mizuno Hayato pulls the team behind
(Interview and text by Yoshida Taro)
