5th Day of France Expedition
Today is the second day of the tournament.
The results of today's two qualifying league matches will determine whether we will advance to the top league or be relegated to the lower league.
In the midst of that, the opponent for the first match that will determine advancement to the top league is Monaco.
A tense and exciting development.
The first half ended in a 0-0 tie, and in the second half, the game continued with both teams making steady progress until the 25th minute.
Despite being shot by the opponent's breakthrough, Saito made a great save. However, the loose ball was pushed in and resulted in a goal.
Afterwards, we aggressively attacked to score points and create chances, but we were unable to finish and the game ended. It was a frustrating defeat.
The opponent for the second match is Lyon. They are one of the strongest teams in this tournament.
With these results, the players understood that they could advance to the top league if they won, and they entered the game with determination.
The second game was also a tightly contested match, with intense battles for possession on both sides.
The first half ended in a 0-0 tie. In the second half, the intense play continued and both teams made substitutions. In the middle of the second half, substitute player Miyazaki made a big impact.
35 minutes, Brian competed for a pass from Sakaguchi on the right side, and Miyazaki picked up the loose ball and swung his left foot to score the long-awaited opening goal.
After that, we endured the opponent's fierce attack and advanced to the qualifying league, and even secured first place in the process.
As Coach Miyazawa said, "We grabbed first place in the group stage with the strength of everyone. We will continue to face stronger teams, but let's advance through the tournament with a united effort." The group stage advancement while playing with everyone as starters was not just a result, but a valuable experience.
Without any rest, the third match is the first match of the top league. It is a match against Monaco, who we lost to in the qualifying league.
The top league has a regulation where 2 out of 3 teams advance to the final tournament, increasing the weight of each game.
All members were fired up for revenge and entered the game, determined to win this time, as we have lost to Monaco once before.
However, the fatigue from the third game today could not be wiped away, and we conceded a goal in the early 3 minutes.
After that, we recovered and created chances, but the issue of finishing was exposed in this match as well.
Despite continuing to attack in the second half, we were unable to score due to the opponent's DF consistently blocking us, and in the 39th minute, we conceded a second goal from a counter attack, sealing our defeat.
It was a very frustrating result to lose twice to the same opponent on the same day.
After the match, coach Miyazawa said, "This is where the real battle begins. Let's fight for the team and do our best together," and everyone is looking forward to tomorrow with their heads held high.
The joy of advancing through the qualifying league and the frustration of losing to the same opponent afterwards. I have experienced both in one day, and it was a good experience.
I want to win tomorrow's second round of the top league and advance to the final tournament.
