On the 7th day of the U-18 Germany expedition, the opponent for the final training match is Schalke 04 U-17. It is a battle between peers, and we absolutely cannot lose!
Kick-off at 12:00 at the stadium located about 15 minutes by bus from Schalke Arena, which I visited the other day.
As a summary of this expedition, I want to have a match without any regrets.

At the start, I struggled with the heavy and slippery grass, which hindered my movement, and had difficulty with the opponent's aggressive approach to the ball that utilized their physical abilities. However, I gradually got used to it and began to take control of the pace.
In the 8th minute, moving the ball quickly from the midfield, Daisuke Minami received a one-touch pass from Kenta OKUMA and struck with his left foot in one motion, piercing the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal to take the lead!
After that, midfielder Shuto ABE and Yoshitake SUZUKI built the attack, while forwards Okuma, Minami, and Ryo SATO aggressively aimed for the goal, leading the match favorably into halftime.

In the 48th minute, just after the start of the second half, a free kick was awarded in front of our goal, and a sharp ball was headed in to equalize the score.
However, we will continue to play football that is characteristic of Tokyo without getting discouraged.
In the 55th minute, after a scramble in front of the opponent's goal, Okuma pushed it in to regain the lead.
Despite creating several chances afterwards, they were unable to break through Schalke's solid defense.
Still, while being careful of the counter, we continued to attack boldly until the end, finishing with a score of 2-1.
Crowned the final match of the Germany expedition with a victory.

During this expedition, I experienced the high level of football in Germany firsthand and was made to confront the essence of football, which is to "score goals and defend goals," allowing me to reaffirm its importance. I want to connect this experience to the future growth of the team and each individual player.
After the match, we moved by bus to Ajax's home ground, Amsterdam Arena, to watch the European Championship qualifier match "Netherlands vs Turkey." The players were captivated by the best venue and atmosphere, watching intently as the two countries battled for national pride, including supporters from both nations.

MF Aihara Katsuya's comment
"I felt that there were more plays that worked well than those that didn't when playing against players with better physiques than mine. I want to make the most of this experience when I return to Japan."
MF Takuya KOYAMA's comment
"I think I was able to effectively use both passing and dribbling to execute the plays I envisioned. I was also able to contribute to scoring, which was great. After returning home, I want to prepare well for the PREMIST."