The AFC U17 Asia Cup Thailand 2023, which kicked off on June 15th. A heated battle was fought for the qualification for the U-17 World Cup, which will take place four months later. In this tournament, three players from Tokyo, Ryunosuke SATO, Wataru GOTO, and Shuto NAGANO, who belong to FC Tokyo U-18, were selected and won the Asia Cup.
Ryunosuke SATO, wearing the number 10 for Japan, scored a direct free kick in the semifinal match against Iran and demonstrated his strengths in the midfield, making a significant contribution to Japan's advancement to the final. Wataru GOTO, playing in the backline, tightened the team's defense and received the tournament's Best Goalkeeper award. In the single-elimination tournament where one loss would mean the end, he repeatedly prevented dangerous situations with his shot-stopping abilities. Shuto NAGANO, a defender, showed his high level of contribution to the attack with accurate long passes that led to goals in the semifinal match against Australia. These three players, who played to their strengths and brought Japan to victory, returned to Japan on July 4 and joined FC Tokyo U-18's training on July 6. After the tournament, the three players who returned to the Kodaira Ground sent comments to the fans and supporters who cheered for them.
<Ryunosuke SATO Player Comment>
"It was a hard schedule to play a total of 6 games in 2 days, but thanks to the support of all 23 players and staff, I was able to spend about a month in good condition. And above all, I am grateful for the wonderful experience of ending with a great result of winning. I want to work hard in practice from today so that I can return this experience to the upcoming game this weekend. Thank you again for all your support. This tournament was also broadcasted on DAZN, and I think many people were able to watch the game. It was also connected to my motivation and I played with the feeling of wanting to show good play to as many people as possible. I will continue to do my best to play on a stage where everyone can watch. Thank you for your support."
＜Comment from Wataru GOTO＞
"I am relieved to have finished this tournament with a victory, but personally, I had a lot of plays that were supported by the defense, and I found many areas for improvement. Playing in the next World Cup is of course one of my goals, but first, I want to contribute to the victory of the U-18 team and continue to work hard on what I need to do. Also, I received a lot of supportive comments. I think it shows that people were paying attention to the U-17 Japan national team. I want to continue to grow as a player who can receive your support. Thank you for your support."
<Shuto NAGANO Player Comment>
"My goal was to conquer Asia, so I trained in Japan and then went to Thailand. As an individual, there were some tough games and we even had a draw, but we were able to win and grab the championship. Winning was a huge achievement for me. In this tournament, I found many areas where I was able to succeed, as well as areas where I need to improve. I will organize my experiences and challenges and continue to grow as a member of Tokyo. I received many messages of support from various people and was encouraged by everyone's support during the tournament. I was able to truly feel like a member of the U-17 Japan national team. From now on, I will continue to work hard to achieve results in the Premier League and be able to compete with the world as a member of the World Cup team."
FC Tokyo U-18 Match Schedule here
