We will deliver a report on the 7th day of the Spain and Portugal expedition scheduled from Apr 3 (Mon) to Apr 12 (Wed).

On the 9th (Sunday), the 7th day of the expedition, we started with a walk and stretching.
On the second day of the 37th Real Sociedad U-17 International Tournament, matches were held on the first day between teams of the same rank in each group, and the second-place FC Tokyo U-18 played against Morocco's Mohammed VI Football Academy.

The Muhammad VI Football Academy was established in 2009 with the aim of enhancing youth development, backed fully by the government, and has significantly contributed to the Moroccan national team's advancement to the World Cup semifinals, becoming the first African team to do so in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

The match, which kicked off at 10:00 on the same "Zubieta" ground as the first day of the tournament, continued with high-intensity play from the start, just like yesterday. FC Tokyo fell behind with two goals but managed to pull one back with a goal from Divine OTANI after a beautiful build-up. Despite continuing to play aggressively in search of more goals, they were unable to score again and lost 1-2. In the unique tournament rule, a penalty shootout awards 0.5 points for a win, and GK SHINBORI made two saves, matching yesterday's performance by KITAGAWA, allowing them to earn the penalty shootout points with a score of 4-3.

In the match yesterday, Takefusa KUBO scored a goal that set a new record for the most goals by a Japanese player in the league against Getafe in La Liga, right in front of the FC Tokyo U-18 players. He took time before his training to come and watch the FC Tokyo U-18 match, and he joined the bench to observe the plays of his juniors.

Additionally, this day was a training day for the Real Sociedad top team, which is usually not open for public viewing. However, due to it being Easter Sunday, they welcomed general spectators, and many fans and supporters came to watch. After the training, thanks to Kubo's arrangements, there was a time for interaction with the FC Tokyo U-18 players. He shared his impressions and advice after watching their play, and he kindly accommodated requests for photos and autographs. We were also able to see Kubo attentively responding to each request from fans and supporters, including small children, allowing the players to spend a special moment.

In the afternoon, I explored the city of San Sebastián, enjoyed the beautiful scenery, and bought souvenirs. After that, I returned to the accommodation to prepare for the final match of the third day of the tournament against the world-renowned club, Real Madrid.

◇For information about the tournament, please check here.
https://twitter.com/RealSociedad_JP

◇Official Tournament Website
https://www.realsociedad.eus/es/noticias/detalle/vuelve-el-torneo-internacional-1