NEWSNews

2017.4.16[Academy]

[U-15 Musashi] 5th Day of Netherlands Expedition

On the morning of the 5th day of the Netherlands expedition, we were each taken from our homestay to the venue where we were staying.
The players were excitedly talking about the hospitality they received at each household last night.

We will hold a meeting to confirm the purpose of this tournament and prepare ourselves for it, as it begins today.
This tournament has 10 participating teams. It is composed of two groups, A and B, each with 5 teams, and the top 3 teams can advance to the top league.
First, four qualifying league matches (15 minutes x 2) will be held.

The first match will be against the host team, SV Ape.
It may take some time to get used to the pitch conditions and the opponent's pressure, but gradually we will create a rhythm and end the first half with a 2-0 lead.
In the second half, we continue to attack with our own rhythm while holding onto the ball, but we are struggling to score.
The team made a player substitution in an attempt to score another goal, but the new player was unable to change the flow of the game and the match ended 2-0.
Coach Sato emphasized, "In order to advance in this tournament, we need the strength of every single member. The strength of the members who came in during the middle of the game or were unable to play will be the key."
◈, and urged for even more effort.
The second match will be against Celtic, who have tall defenders.
Utilizing the experience from the first game, we will aggressively apply pressure from the start and move the ball at a fast pace.
However, despite dominating the game, we were unable to take a shot due to the opposing DF's long legs stretching out at the last moment.
The game seemed to end in a stalemate with a score of 0-0, but then came the last play.
If you give the opponent a free kick, they will take advantage of the height and score at the end of the game.
It was a very frustrating defeat as we were able to play the game at our own pace.
An accident occurred where we were supposed to switch our feelings while having lunch and prepare for the third match, but the lunch was not ready.
It will be a difficult situation to face as we finish our lunch 20 minutes before the start of the game.
The opponent is Ajax, a strong team from the Netherlands and a candidate for the championship in this tournament.
However, the players accepted everything and approached the game with their emotions.
However, we were unable to play as we had hoped and ended up playing in an uncharacteristic manner.
In addition, they were overwhelmed by the opponent's speed and quick decision-making, as well as their strength in winning the ball, and conceded one goal in the first half.
Conceded 2 more goals in the second half and suffered a complete defeat with a score of 0-3.
The fourth match will be against FC Twente.
At this point, the points, goal difference, and total number of goals were all tied, making it a very important match for both teams as the winner would advance to the higher league.
Although they showed a passionate play from the beginning, they allowed the first goal due to a lack of coordination.
Furthermore, in the second half, they were scored a goal from a corner kick and fell behind by two points.
Still, without giving up, everyone increases their physical activity, puts their body on the line in the ball game, and even from the bench, the team will unite and aim for the goal.
In the 14th minute of the second half just before the end of the match, Sanohara scores a goal to bring the score to 1-1.
In addition, when the game restarts with the opponent's kickoff, Iwane puts pressure on and steals the ball, and then connects with Oshima and Osako, flashing his left foot.
The ball pierced into the top right corner of the goal with a beautiful trajectory, resulting in a dramatic turn of events as the team managed to equalize from a 2-point deficit in the final minute of the game.
GK Yamada stopped two shots from the opponent and won as the game moved to a penalty shootout due to the final round not being decided.
Promotion to the top league has been decided.

It was only because we all continued to fight with all our might without giving up that we were able to barely open the door to advancing to the top league, which had once been closed off.
We will continue to fight as a team against tough opponents tomorrow.