5th day of Spain expedition. Today is the 2nd day of the tournament.
In the morning, a training match with the local team La Cultural Leonesa.
The opponent is a U-16 team that is 2 years older.
Tokyo took the lead with Kenji Nakamura's goal, moving the ball at a good pace without being intimidated by their physically larger opponents. However, they conceded a goal due to a mistake and ended the first half tied 1-1.
Although there were some mistakes, it was a first half where we could see active challenges.
However, in the second half, it turned into a situation where we were constantly under pressure from the opponent's strong attacks. We couldn't bounce back and ended up conceding points. Although we managed to score one point with Yoshida's goal, we ultimately lost 2-6. It was a game where our strengths and weaknesses were clearly visible.
After lunch, relax.
Take a walk around Leon with everyone.
And finally, the second match that will determine whether we advance to the group stage. Our opponent is Real Betis.
The match kicked off at 8:00 PM local time.
Tokyo, which needs a 3-point victory to advance to the group stage. From the beginning, they aggressively press to steal the ball in a typical Tokyo style. They showed their strength in the ball battles and quick transitions, playing with their own style. In the 17th minute, they took the lead with Izumi's goal. Just two minutes later, Yoshida broke through and scored from a coordinated passing play. They end the first half with a 2-0 lead.
In the second half, Real Betis will also step up their gear and launch speedy attacks.
Still, the defense centered around GK Nakamura Keisuke does not allow the opponent to score. However, they conceded a goal from a set piece in the 15th minute. In the 18th and 23rd minutes, they conceded two more goals, resulting in a 2-3 score.
The game ended with a continuous attack without giving up until the end. Finished the group league in third place.
There were many challenges, but it was a game where we could see the hard work that is typical of Tokyo.
Tomorrow is the 5th place playoff.
We will continue to work hard and fight tomorrow as the culmination of our expedition.
