Sports

Kokoku Wins in Penalty Shootout for Second Osaka Title in Six Years

OSAKA, Nov 02 (News On Japan) - The Osaka final of the 104th All Japan High School Soccer Championship, which drew entries from around 200 schools in one of the country’s toughest qualifying blocks, was held on November 1st, with Kokoku defeating Riseisha on penalties to book their place at the national tournament for the first time in six years.

Kokoku, chasing their first Osaka crown since 2019, faced Riseisha, who were appearing in the Osaka final for the sixth straight year. The match was tight from the start, with both sides pressing high and trying to avoid conceding the opening goal that so often decides knockout ties at this level.

The deadlock was broken in the 61st minute. Kokoku, wearing pink shirts, won a long throw on the right, and Ryota Sato reacted quickest in front of goal, forcing the ball over the line to give Kokoku the lead. Trailing by one, Riseisha stepped up the pressure in the closing stages, pushing numbers forward down the left. In the 84th minute, Haruto Toriyama received a pass on the left flank, took a touch inside, and unleashed a mid-range shot that flew past the goalkeeper, drawing Riseisha level just before the final whistle.

Neither side could find a winner in extra time, and the match went to penalties. With Kokoku holding the advantage going into Riseisha’s fourth kick, goalkeeper Hayate Iwase produced a superb save, pushing away the shot that would have kept Riseisha alive. That stop decided the contest, and Kokoku, who endured a fierce battle against a perennial finalist, were confirmed as Osaka champions for the second time and for the first time in six years, securing their ticket to the national championship.

Source: YOMIURI

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