Saitama Representative – Shohei High School【104th All Japan High School Soccer Championship Preview】

Saitama representatives Shohei High School combine momentum with intensity, and will take on the national stage with an outstanding defensive structure and sharp forward thrust. At this 104th edition of the tournament, despite having two players with confirmed professional contracts, they have stuck to a team-first, well-balanced style of play, edging tight games to win the Saitama prefectural qualifiers.

The coordinated defending from the front enables ball-winning in the middle third and immediately feeds into vertical, direct attacking play. Their realistic attacking approach, which does not obsess over long spells of possession, increases repeatability in a knockout format and gives them enough quality to realistically aim for a deep run at this year’s championship.

Shohei High School｜Results at the All Japan High School Soccer Championship (last 5 tournaments)

* In recent years they have increased their appearances at the national tournament and boast a best-eight finish at the 102nd edition.

Key players｜Core talents led by two pro-bound midfielders

山口 豪太（MF／3rd year）｜Agreed move to Shonan Bellmare
A key midfielder who has secured a move to Shonan Bellmare from next season. He combines ball-winning with powerful forward runs, standing out especially in transition phases. He is one of the players who best embody Shohei’s “high-speed attacking” style.

長 璃喜（MF／3rd year）｜Agreed move to Kawasaki Frontale
A midfielder with a confirmed transfer to Kawasaki Frontale. His passing sense and tactical awareness allow him to control the tempo of the game. Even in high-intensity situations he maintains technical precision, playing a crucial role in keeping the team’s overall balance.

Shohei High School’s football｜Seizing the initiative through intensity and verticality

Shohei’s style is built on breaking down the opposition’s build-up play with coordinated pressing from the front and creating numerical superiority in midfield. Their pressing intensity in the middle third is high, denying opponents time and space and, once they regain possession, rapidly increasing attacking speed to drive towards goal.

In attack, they do not insist on keeping the ball at all costs; instead, they adapt to the situation and place emphasis on vertical progression when the opportunity arises. In games where they score first, they tend to prioritise maintaining defensive intensity, controlling the flow of the match and reasserting their dominance.

Keys to success at the national tournament

• Can they seize the momentum with defending from the front?
• Can they carry the ball into the final third within just a few passes after winning it back?
• Can their pro-bound players change games in key moments?

If these three elements click, a deep run into the latter stages is a very realistic target.

Summary

This is a team that possesses not only momentum, but also a clear blueprint and the intensity required to keep winning. Shohei High School are an “awkward opponent” who can prevent their rivals from taking control and drag matches into battles of physicality and tempo. As Saitama’s representatives at this year’s tournament, all eyes will be on whether they can once again make a major impact on the national stage by weaponising their intensity and forward thrust.

National tournament – First match schedule (Saitama representative Shohei High School)

Ticket information

Official ticket information – All Japan High School Soccer Championship (JFA)

Nippon TV – High School Soccer ticket information

Stadium information

NACK5 Stadium Omiya (official site)

NACK5 Stadium Omiya – Access information

List of tournament venues and access (JFA)