Day 4 of France Expedition
Today also started with a morning walk.
I spent a pleasant morning watching the river and churches passing by in front of me.
In the morning, we moved our bodies at the same Oksel Academy ground as yesterday, in preparation for the afternoon game.
After training in the same place for two days, the academy players became friendly with each other and heartwarming scenes were seen, such as running together during downtime.
We had lunch at the same academy cafeteria as yesterday and then departed by bus for the Sansu where the tournament will be held. Before departing, we heard that the top team had won against Hiroshima and took the lead, which further boosted the team's spirits.
I left my luggage at the police academy dormitory, which serves as a lodging for Sansu, and took the tournament shuttle to head to the venue.
The first opponent is Grand Senonais.
This is the selected team of Sansu where the tournament is held.
Before the game, coach Miyazawa commented, "As representatives of FC Tokyo, let's work hard and win," which raised our spirits as we approached the game.
The first match of the tournament kicks off as many spectators watch under clear skies.
The game continued to progress in our favor, but we struggled to convert our chances and faced a difficult time.
In the meantime, in the 15th minute, Watanabe scored a header from a free kick taken by Miyazaki from the right side, taking the long-awaited lead.
19 minutes, Watanabe sent a ball from the left side to the opponent's back, and Brian broke through and added a direct shot.
The first half ended with a score of 2-0.
In the second half, we continued to attack with the same momentum as the first half. In the 28th minute, Watanabe dribbled past the right side and crossed it to Sata, who headed it in with great force, making it 3-0.
However, after scoring a goal in the 29th minute, we were caught off guard and conceded a goal. The score became 3-1.
At the point where the atmosphere was starting to turn sour, Bryan dribbled through the center from the right side and skillfully evaded two opponents, smashing the ball into the left corner of the goal to make it 4-1 at the 30-minute mark.
In addition, in the 35th minute just before the end, Miyagawa pushed in a loose ball from a free kick from Miyazaki's right side, making it 5-1.
Okada, Tegawa, Tosa, and Miyagawa, who entered the game in the middle, also got into the flow of the game and played well, resulting in a well-deserved victory for the entire team.
After the match, coach Miyazawa also said, "It was a good game where everyone fought with their bodies and put their hearts into both offense and defense. We will continue to face stronger teams starting tomorrow, but let's work hard to improve our performance and achieve results."
The result of winning the important first game was achieved through the team's unity.
We will continue to face even more difficult matches starting tomorrow, but we will do our best to achieve good results and turn them into valuable experiences.
