Day 5 of the France Expedition
On April 7th (Friday), we toured the streets of Sance in the morning.
With the guidance of the guide, I was able to have a valuable experience by touching on historical buildings said to have been built hundreds of years ago, as well as local religions and cultures such as churches.
And in the afternoon, the main tournament will begin.
The first match of the qualifiers was against Toulouse FC, which belongs to the top team in France's Ligue 1. Local residents and participating teams from other countries came to watch the match, and the opening game was held in a wonderful atmosphere.
At the start of the first half, there were times when we couldn't play as we wanted due to the opponent's high physical ability and compact, intense defense.
However, gradually we began to win one-on-one situations and create scenes where we approached the goal on counterattacks, but we couldn't break the deadlock, and the first half ended 0-0.
In the second half, there are more scenes of entering the area in front of the goal compared to the first half. Although chances are created by receiving fouls and shooting from free kicks, the match progresses without scoring. In the 8th minute of the second half, a chance in front of the opponent's goal is missed, and from a counterattack, the side is broken through, leading to a cross and a goal conceded.
The match ended 0-1.
The first match of the qualifiers started with a loss.
After the match, tears of regret were seen in the players' eyes. By fighting against teams from around the world, each individual will utilize what they felt in the second and third qualifying matches on the second day of the tournament, aiming first for the top league.
Day 6 of the France Expedition
On April 8th (Saturday), we faced the second and third matches of the group stage.
The second match was against OGC Nice from France at 9:00 local time.
In the 13th minute of the first half, although we deflected the opponent's cross, we allowed the opening goal as they scored with a bicycle kick from the rebound.
The high level of skill of foreign players was showcased.
In the 10th minute of the second half, Riku NAKASHIMA scored to equalize from a free kick received on the right side of the opponent's territory.
After that, there were back-and-forth attacks, but in stoppage time, a pass was intercepted in our own half, leading to a goal conceded from behind. We lost the second match 1-2.
Although we had already lost 2 matches, considering the possibility of moving up to the upper league even in 3rd place due to the wildcard rule, we faced the match against Stade Brestois 29 with a kickoff at 13:20 local time for the 3rd game.
To advance to the upper league, winning is an absolute requirement, which may have caused some stiffness, and we were unable to play the match as we had hoped in the first half.
In the 9th minute of the first half, a mistake in build-up play in our own half led to a goal conceded. We allowed the first goal again in this match and went into halftime trailing 0-1.
In the 5th minute of the second half, due to a miscommunication on a long ball from the opponent, we allowed them to break through and score an additional goal.
However, during this expedition, we continued to encourage players like Louis ONONUJU, Maki KITAHARA, and Shuntaro SANO, who are unable to play due to injuries, and helped lift the team's spirits.
In the 7th minute of the second half, Shuto JO capitalized on a rebound from a shot taken by a teammate to raise the banner for a counterattack. Then, in the 14th minute of the second half, he broke through the left side after a switch of play, and once again, Shuto JO scored to equalize at 2-2.
After several attempts to score, the match ended in a 2-2 draw without any goals being scored.
The qualifying group finished in 3rd place with 1 win and 2 losses, but unfortunately, we could not advance to the upper league compared to the 3rd place teams from other groups.
And it was discovered that there is a first match of the ranking decision league at 18:50 on the day. Without any time to rest, we hurriedly prepare for the third match.
The first match of the ranking decision league is against AJ Auxerre. We approached this match focusing on players who have often been substituted until now.
Until now, we had been in a series of matches where we lost by just one point, but naturally, the players' desire to "absolutely want to win" was reflected in their play and the atmosphere. The determination, fighting spirit, and unity that the players showed were the best of this expedition.
In the second half's added time, Shuto JO broke through behind the defense and was fouled by an opponent, earning a free kick in front of the goal. Hisato MATSUMOTO's shot from that free kick was initially deflected by the opposing goalkeeper, but Shuto JO followed up on the rebound and scored. We were able to achieve victory in a very dramatic turn of events just after that, as the match ended.
There are only 2 days left until the match on the expedition to France.
I will do my best to express what I felt while watching the play during the matches with overseas teams over the next two days.
