NEWS News

[Early Morning: A Baptism in Thailand? A Breakfast Incident] 

Since today’s kickoff was early in the morning, we woke up at 5:45 a.m. and had breakfast.45 minutes.
Once again, it was a bento-style meal with rice rich in vegetables, soup, and fruit. The players seem to have gotten quite used to Thai food.
While some players are struggling a bit with the vegetable-heavy menu, a voice from afar made us question our ears... 

 "There’s a twig in my rice...!" 

 When the surprised staff went to check, what was inside was star anise (a spice). Unfamiliar ingredients and tastes never experienced before—everything in this first overseas expedition is a valuable experience. 

[JSE INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL FESTIVAL Kickoff!] 

Starting today, the JSE INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL FESTIVAL is finally underway.
All nine teams have gathered, and after two days of league matches, a final tournament will be held on the third day.
U-15 Fukagawa is in a group of five teams, so they will face a demanding schedule of four matches over two days. 

[First Match: vs TS SOCCER SCHOOL]

As it was the first match, the players showed signs of nervousness toward the unfamiliar environment.
Also, since the opposing team was in a higher grade, I believe they felt pressure from the height and physical differences.
In Japan, matches are often played on artificial turf, but this time, playing on unfamiliar natural grass prevented them from performing as usual, and they were unable to launch aggressive attacks, leading to a tough game.
At the 26th minute of the first half, they conceded a free kick to the opponent from a somewhat distant position on the side. We expected the opponent to connect with a cross ball, but instead, they kicked a shot directly aiming for the goal. The goalkeeper tried desperately to punch it away, but unfortunately, the ball crossed the goal line, and the half ended 0-1.

Here, there was an event that made us feel the team's growth.

During halftime, just as Coach Ota was about to begin the meeting, the players voluntarily formed a circle and began discussing the current issues and how to approach the second half.
When the team was formed at the end of March, they were also seen having discussions, but sometimes these would end with them merely voicing complaints to one another.
However, this time, while still making demands of each other, they engaged in constructive discussions on "how to succeed." Although it has only been a short time since the team was formed, we could see definite changes and growth, which made us very happy and confident. 

In the second half, they were unable to break through the opponent's thorough defense, resulting in a narrow 0-1 defeat.
The players themselves deeply realized the importance of addressing technical issues and pursuing the "quality" of each individual play in this match. 

[Match2: vs BUMBLE BEE AC]

The players, who felt various shortcomings such as flow, technique, and communication volume in the first match, gathered in one room before the second match and held a meeting by themselves. They exchanged opinions and seemed to discuss "what kind of growth they can achieve in the next game." This time, the staff deliberately did not intervene and decided to leave it to the players and watch over them. 

Kickoff.
Reflecting on the many long balls in the first match, the players seemed to encourage each other with "Let's build up carefully." However, perhaps due to lingering nerves, technical roughness appeared, and at 2 minutes into the first half, a misaligned pass was intercepted, resulting in a conceded goal.  

Although we were caught off guard at the start, the players kept showing a fighting spirit without looking down!
They never stopped their fearless attempts to win the ball against the opponent's build-up. 

Then, in the 26th minute of the first half, a corner kick opportunity arose. The ball kicked by player Zenji Wada was initially deflected, but Ryoma Watanabe headed it in to score the equalizer! The first half ended tied at 1-1.
During halftime, positive encouragement was exchanged, such as, "We are getting close to scoring, so let's keep it up!" and "Let's not stop our aggressive defense!" 

In the second half, aggressive defending and careful play began to come together brilliantly.
In the 8th minute of the second half, following a careful build-up, Kota Yokokawa carried the ball through midfield and played a through ball to Keito Kogure, who had broken behind the defense on the right. Although Kogure was caught up once, he brilliantly shook off his opponent with a turn and sent a fast cross into the center! Madoka Murakami received it, took a superb touch, and calmly finished to complete the comeback!2-1, putting the team ahead.
This goal gave the team complete momentum, and in the 15th minute of the second half, Murakami scored, followed by Wada in the 18th minute of the second half, and Yokokawa in the 30th minute of the second half, as they found the net in quick succession and ultimately earned a convincing 5-1 victory. 

Reflecting on the first match, which did not go well, the players communicated among themselves, made excellent adjustments, and gained a valuable experience of success—one of the biggest takeaways from this trip.
Everyone ate dinner together in the cafeteria, returned to the accommodation for a brief meeting, and then went to bed.
The current group league standings are extremely tight: first place has 4 points, while second, third, and fourth place—including FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa—are all tied on 3 points.
The next day, if we can secure two wins, we have a good chance of advancing to the final tournament.
We will fight with all our might! 

[Match Result]
1st Match vs TS SOCCER SCHOOL
●0-1 (0-1, 0-0)

2nd Match vs BUMBLE BEE AC
Win5-1 (1-1,4-0)
[Scorers]
Ryoma Watanabe, Madoka Murakami ×2, Zenji Wada,Kota Yokokawa 

[Player Comments]
Koshi Hattori

"The Thailand expedition is progressing, and while there are many differences from Japan in terms of daily life, I think we have been able to communicate within the team and manage our lives despite being in an unfamiliar environment.
Today's matches ended with one win and one loss, and there were moments when we felt stressed because the results were not as we hoped. Through this expedition, we want to develop the team's competitive strength. Personally, I want to contribute to the team through build-up play and set pieces, and during this summer vacation, I want us to become "the team that grows the most in the world"! "

◇[U-15 Fukagawa] Thailand Expedition Departure – Day 1
◇[U-15 Fukagawa] Thailand Expedition Day 2