Day 2
The matches of the 6th Vietnam Japan International Youth Cup U-13 tournament will finally begin today.
Last night, I went to bed at 21:30 and got enough sleep. This morning, I had a delicious breakfast at the hotel buffet and prepared for the first game.
The opponent for the first match of the group stage is Shimizu S-Pulse, who is also participating from Japan.
During the pre-match meeting, Coach Hirono YAMAGUCHI discussed the tournament regulations, the purpose of the expedition, and confirmed the theme. He also mentioned, "Let's play in a way that will excite the people watching the passionate Tokyo. In order to do so, let's focus on the essence of soccer and fight towards the goal."
In the first half, due to the tension of the first game, the ball was held but there were few dynamic plays towards the goal as mentioned by Coach Yamaguchi, and the half ended with no points. In the 3rd minute of the second half, the opponent's corner kick was broken and although it was defended once, they were pushed in and conceded a goal in the second attack. However, in the 4th minute right after, player Robert received a pass from player PREMIST and scored a powerful middle shot, quickly equalizing the score. After that, there were more aggressive plays towards the goal and they took control of the game, creating several chances but unable to score, ending the game in a draw. The bench members also felt the frustration of not being able to do what they were supposed to do and use their full potential, but they will switch their mindset and prepare for the second game in the afternoon.
The second match of the group stage will be against the local Vietnamese team, Ansan FC.
We will use the lessons learned from the first match and approach the opponent's goal with an aggressive and dynamic attack from the beginning. The bench members will also unite with the pitch and shout loudly from the bench, and in the 10th minute of the first half, player Taira SHIGE scores the first goal with a skillful flick shot, followed by player Takashi MURAKAMI's goal in the 11th minute. Furthermore, player MURAKAMI scores another consecutive goal in the 15th minute, and although we concede a goal afterwards, player Ippei ADACHI scores the long-awaited first goal of this tournament in the 22nd minute, ending the first half with a 4-1 lead. In the second half, we continue to attack the opponent's goal without letting up, and players Yuta WATANABE, Rikuto HARA, and Riku SADO score, resulting in a 7-1 victory. We were able to earn a crucial 3 points towards advancing to the top tournament.
The first match tomorrow will be the final match of the group stage, against Vietnam's Naviburn Ho Chi Minh City FC. We want to win and advance to the top tournament by playing a game that both our team and the viewers can get excited about, with all members working together towards victory.
In the evening, a very glamorous exchange party was held with all participating teams, and the players actively challenged themselves to communicate with players from other countries.
-Day 3-
On the third day of the tournament, the final match of the group stage is against the local team, Navibank Saigon FC from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
In the pre-match meeting, we will confirm the current team situation (winning this match is essential for advancing to the top tournament).
We have reaffirmed the importance of "the essence of soccer" and "unity", which are the themes of this tournament. It's about time when the fatigue of the expedition begins to show, but during the warm-up, we will raise the traditional deep river's battle cry as usual and raise the tension together.
From the start, the opponent did not come out too far and firmly blocked the center of the goal, but in the 8th minute, Taka Murakami dribbled into the box and earned a PK, which was initially saved by the opponent's GK. However, Ippei Adachi quickly reacted and pushed it in, scoring the first goal. In the 16th minute, Adachi added another goal and the first half ended with a score of 2-0.
At halftime, Coach Yamaguchi said, "Everyone is only playing the plays they want to do. We need to do what we should do as individuals and as a team. We need to play while keeping an eye on our teammates and opponents. We need to switch quickly and not allow the opponent to counter." The players, who had refocused their minds, scored four more goals (by players Sakusuke Uchida, Kyotaro Ono, Rikuto Hara, and Yumsei Hirai, including substitutions), and won with a total score of 6-0.
The top spot was secured with 2 wins and 1 draw in the group stage, earning 7 points. This means they have advanced to the final tournament with the top 4 teams in the afternoon.
The opponent in the semifinal round is Hanoi FC from Vietnam. They are a strong enemy who has passed through the group stage with a perfect record by defeating Vegalta Sendai and Yokohama FC Tsurumi from Japan. As Coach Yamaguchi said in the meeting, "They are on a different level from our previous opponents. They are a technical and systematic team, and we need to pressure them and work hard as a team to win." As expected, the game is a back-and-forth battle from the beginning.
In the 12th minute of the first half, player Taira SHIGE broke through the right side and calmly slid the ball into the left corner of the goal, taking the lead with a narrow angle. The first half ends with a score of 1-0. In the second half, a similar situation continues and in the 19th minute, substitute player Rikuto HARA scores an additional point. However, immediately after in the 20th minute, a goal is conceded. Despite facing a powerful power play from the opponent, the team maintains their concentration until the end and secures a 2-1 victory, advancing to the final round.
The final round will be held tomorrow, and it will be a match against Vegamix Binzun FC, the host team of this tournament. It is expected to be a complete away game, but we will continue to prioritize "the essence of soccer" and "unity" and fight with all our energy as a team to aim for victory.
