Fifth day of the Spain expedition. Today marks the second 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 a goal from Futoshi NAKAMURA, moving the ball smoothly despite the size of their opponents. They then conceded a goal due to a mistake, ending the first half at 1-1.
Despite some mistakes, it was a first half where proactive challenges were visible.
However, in the second half, we ended up being on the receiving end of the opponent's aggressive attacks throughout. We couldn't bounce back from the momentum and conceded a goal. Although Yoshida scored to bring us back to 1 point, in the end, we lost 2-6. It was a match that clearly highlighted our strong points and weak points.
Relax after lunch.
Let's take a walk around Leon's town together.
And finally, the second match to break through the group stage. The opponent is Real Betis.
The match kicked off at 8 PM local time.
Tokyo needs a victory by a margin of three goals to advance from the group stage. Right from the start, they apply pressure with their characteristic intensity to win the ball. The strength in duels and quick transitions showcased their true style from the beginning. In the 17th minute, they take the lead with Izumi's goal. Just two minutes later, Yoshida breaks free from a coordinated passing play to score. They head into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
In the second half, Real Betis will also step up the pace and launch fast attacks.
Nevertheless, the defense led by goalkeeper Keisuke Nakamura did not allow the opponent to score. However, they conceded a goal from a set piece in the 15th minute. They also conceded goals in the 18th and 23rd minutes, making it 2-3.
Despite continuing to attack without giving up until the end, the match ended as is. Finished the group stage in 3rd place.
Many issues were found, but it was a match where the hard work characteristic of Tokyo was evident.
Tomorrow is the 5th place playoff.
As a culmination of the expedition, we will continue to work hard and fight tomorrow.
