July 16 Training
On the third day of the Hokkaido Shiraoi camp, training was held behind closed doors. On this day, a meeting was held before practice, and on the pitch, defense and set plays were reviewed.
Also, after practice at the lodging, a rules seminar was held for each club in collaboration between the Japan Football Association Referee Committee and the J.League. They learned about the changes accompanying the 2026/27 season rule revisions through videos and engaged in discussions. While reviewing the foul standards for the new season by watching actual play footage, when a scene showed player Keito SATO pressing back and winning the ball with a legitimate charge and then quickly getting up, the players cheered. Additionally, FC Tokyo alumnus Yuhei TOKUNAGA participated in the seminar as a Match Quality Assessor, reconnecting with familiar players and staff including Masato MORISHIGE.
The next day, a training match against Montedio Yamagata, the first of this camp, is also scheduled at Shiraoi Sakuragaoka Park Athletic Stadium. The Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League ended with an overall 4th place finish, bringing many challenges and achievements. This will be a great opportunity to show what kind of growth curve the team aims to draw based on that.
CAMP VOICE vol.3 Kashif BANGNAGANDE Player
Q: You have been playing energetically from the first day of the camp until now.
A, It's been a while since I was able to join from the very beginning of the camp, so it's enjoyable.
Q: This is your first summer camp, right? I imagine there are various differences.
A: Until now, the camp was held in Okinawa, but this time it’s in Hokkaido, so there are differences between the north and south. The pitch conditions are also really good, and I like this kind of environment. In that setting, building the team feels like a fresh start, and I’m enjoying playing.
Q. What kind of play do you want to show in the new season?
A: First and foremost, my top priority is to fully return to the lineup, and from there, I want to think about how much I can contribute to the team's victories. To do that, I believe it depends on how much I can restore my condition during this camp. Although my playing time in practice matches is still limited, my main goal is to be able to finish the training matches at the end of the camp without any restrictions. As a team, I think we will solidify the basics of new tactics and how to attack and defend. We want to continue the good aspects from the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League while improving the areas that need enhancement. Since I had few opportunities to play in the special tournament, I want to leverage my strengths to bring an extra edge to the team.
Q: We want to energize the side attacks and make the team's offense more diverse, right?
A: Increasing the success rate of crosses from the sides and the goals scored from those crosses is exactly my strength. I believe that if I perform well, these aspects will naturally improve. When I get the chance to play in matches, I want to showcase those abilities.
FOCUS ON – Photo of the Day –
'FOCUS ON' selects one photo taken by the official photographer. Today, we have chosen this shot that shines with the dazzling smiles of Alexander SCHOLZ and Kashif BANGNAGANDE. The day was blessed with clear skies without a single cloud, and many players traveled by bicycle from the lodging to the training venue.
Scholz's home country, Denmark, is one of the world's leading cycling nations alongside the Netherlands, with dedicated bicycle lanes completely separated from both roadways and sidewalks. In particular, the capital city Copenhagen is known as an advanced example of a bicycle-friendly city.
