Korea Loses Youth Soccer Game to Japan

The first Daiichisankyo Cup friendly youth soccer match, hosted by Dong-A Ilbo and Asahi Shimbun, between Korea and Japan yesterday ended in a Japanese victory.

Shimizu FC beat Seoul’s Daedong Elementary School, 2-0 in the tourney’s final match.

There are about 15,000 active youth soccer clubs in Japan, and a total of 256 of these teams compete with each other in Shimizu, Shizuoka every year to determine the top youth soccer club in Japan.

The competition celebrated its 19th anniversary last year, and Shimizu FC took the crown for the 13th time.

Compared to Japan, Korea has close to 285 soccer clubs nationally. The champion and the runner-up in Korea’s Chilshiplee Cup, Songjeong Elementary School and Daedong Elementary School, competed in the competition; but the Japanese clubs proved themselves to be superior in many areas.

Korea Football Association president Chung Mong-Jun, vice president Jo Jung-yeon, elementary school union president Kim Hui, Asahi Shimbun’s sales director Kiyota Haruhito, Daiichisankyo public relations director Kato Naoya, and Dong-A Ilbo’s Yim Yeon-cheol were present at the opening of the competition on March 25.

The consolation match held on the same day ended a Friendly SC 3-1 victory over Songjeonngseo Elementary School after a penalty shootout. Japan’s Hara Yuma (Shimizu FC) and Korea’s Yu Seung-min (Daedong Elementary) were chosen as tourney MVPs.

Jong-Koo Yang yjongk@donga.com