On the fourth day of the expedition, on the 17th (Wednesday), we started with a morning walk and exercises. After having breakfast, we took a short break and then went for a longer walk to prepare for the match kicking off at 17:00. We stopped by churches and markets to enjoy Italian culture with all our senses.
And in the afternoon, the '29° edition of Abano Football Trophy' will finally kick off. This tournament features 16 teams, and the preliminary league will be held in 30-minute halves with 4 teams. Aiming for the upper tournament where the top 2 teams can advance, we are looking forward to the first preliminary match against Bologna FC.
Although we aggressively tried to take control from the start of the match, the opponent did not allow it, and a back-and-forth battle continued. Gradually, we increased the time spent pushing into the opponent's territory, but we struggled to create good shooting opportunities. Then, we faced a crisis with corner kicks that utilized height and attacks from the sides, but we did not concede a goal, and the first half ended at 0-0.
In the second half, both teams increased their offensive and defensive actions in front of the goal, leading to a tense situation. There were two decisive moments of danger, but goalkeeper Soki SATO made a super save to prevent a goal.
They created chances with crosses from the side, but they couldn't hit the target and did not score.
Continuing to fight tenaciously, in the 28th minute of the second half, Ruka KASAHARA picked up the ball in midfield and delivered a soft cross while drifting to the right side. Kaisei ITO jumped in and scored the long-awaited opening goal with a header.
Just when it seemed the match would end as is during the additional time, we were caught off guard and conceded a goal from a counterattack, bringing the score to a tie. With little time remaining, we continued to fight aggressively aiming for victory, but we couldn't score and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
An opening ceremony was held after the match ended.
After that, we traveled by bus while interacting with the players of Bologna FC.
After that, we returned to the hotel, finished dinner, and prepared for tomorrow's match against Inter, which kicks off at 20:45.
