*Additional photos have been added.
 

Today marks the 5th day of the U-18 Germany expedition. The players seem to be gradually accumulating fatigue. In the morning, they took a light walk around the hotel and did some stretching
◈ to adjust and rest their bodies in preparation for the match against VfL Bochum.
It takes about 2 hours by bus from the hotel, and today's venue is the training ground of VfL Bochum Academy. The third match of the Germany tour, VS Bochum U-19, kicked off at 18:30 local time amidst a cold drizzle that started in the evening.
◈

In the first 3 minutes, despite creating a critical pinch from our own mistake, GK Kohei Yamaguchi and DF Takuya Watanabe's tenacious defense prevents the goal from being broken.
After that, they seized the rhythm with a proactive and aggressive style of play typical of Tokyo. FW Daisuke Minami, who started today, created several scoring opportunities with dynamic movements, but was unable to score due to the opposing GK's defense.
In the 19th minute, the ball was taken away in midfield, and a powerful header shot was scored by the opponent's FW from a cross from the right side.
Coach Sato is fired up about conceding a goal due to a momentary lapse during the expedition to Germany.
Tokyo will not be discouraged from there and will actively push forward even more.
The result of that attitude came in the 26th minute, when they won the ball in midfield and a precise pass connected from Shuto ABE to Ryo SATO, who broke through behind the defensive line.
Sato evaded the opposing GK and calmly scored a goal despite a difficult position, bringing the score level.
Furthermore, in the 29th minute, Kenta OKUMA scored with a header from a corner kick, successfully turning the game around! They lead 2-1 at halftime.

In the second half, both teams made several substitutions, and the back-and-forth battle continued.
In the 72nd minute, a quick restart in midfield led to a goal conceded in front of the net. The score is now tied.
After that, the midfield defense became lax, leading to a situation where we were pushed back. While responding patiently and fighting together with the goal of victory until the end, the match ended in a 2-2 draw.

Although we had more clear chances than our opponents, the result was a draw. I have been keenly aware of the German team's high finishing ability, their tenacity in not missing opportunities, and their strength in ball contests during this expedition with each match we play. We have gained another valuable experience. I want to actively challenge again tomorrow.

FW Daisuke MINAMI's comment
"I missed several scoring opportunities and couldn't contribute to the team. I want to value the final quality and momentary decisions."
DF Takahiro YANAGI's comment
"The reason we can't win against German teams is that we are still weak. I want to make us a team that can win decisively."