We will deliver the report of the 8th day of the Spain and Portugal expedition that was conducted from Apr 3 (Mon) to Apr 12 (Wed).
On the 10th (Monday), the 8th day of the expedition, we started with a walk and stretching.
On the 3rd day of the 37th Real Sociedad U-17 International Tournament, matches will be held based on the points and matchups so far, and FC Tokyo U-18 will play against the U-17 team of the world-renowned big club, Real Madrid.
The match venue is a natural grass field located at a high position within Real Sociedad's facility "Zubieta", which also includes spectator stands and locker rooms, creating an atmosphere filled with history.
After finishing the warm-up and taking a group photo with both teams, the kickoff will be at 10:00. We will apply what we have experienced throughout this expedition in the final match of the tour.
Madrid will launch organized attacking plays similar to Celta and Sociedad, whom they faced in this tournament. FC Tokyo U-18 will apply pressure from a high position depending on the situation in defense, while in attack, they will connect the ball from a low position while avoiding the opponent's press to look for scoring opportunities.
Although they defended well against the opponent's chances, they conceded a goal due to a gap near the goal, ending the first half at 0-1. In the second half, they challenged head-on and aimed to score, but due to the opponent's high finishing ability, the score became 0-2. After that, they induced mistakes from the opponent with intense pressing from the front line, and Kio TANAKA scored a goal making it 1-2. They created several more chances, but conceded another goal, ending the match at 1-3.
We lost the final penalty shootout 3-4 and finished the tournament in 5th place.
In the final match, we challenged ourselves against world-class competitors without fear. It became clear what each player excelled at and what areas need improvement, resulting in many valuable lessons learned from the match.
After the match, I watched the U-17 Final Round between Real Sociedad and Muhammad VI Football Academy, and witnessed Real Sociedad's victory.
After the match, we also participated in the closing ceremony, and in front of many spectators, Real Sociedad's top team coach Imanol and the players also joined in, concluding the tournament in a warm atmosphere.
◇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
