NEWSNews

2017.4.17[Academy]

[U-15 Musashi] 6th day of Netherlands expedition

On the 6th day of the Netherlands expedition, we were also taken from our homestay to the venue and gathered together.
By accepting everything in each household and actively communicating, the distance between the host family and the student has been further shortened.
 

The top league that Musashi advanced to has two groups (3 teams each), and the final ranking will be determined by a ranking match between the teams with the same ranking in each league.
Thanks to yesterday's dramatic victory, we still have a chance to win the championship, and the players are naturally fired up.


Celtic, who suffered a disappointing defeat yesterday, played their first match.
The height-utilizing set plays to be wary of, as well as the individual skills of Dembele, who has already made his debut at -20 for Celtic.
Confirmed to actively challenge without running away from height, and to compete against multiple individuals for individual skills.
It was a close start, but we conceded a goal from a corner kick, just like yesterday, due to the height advantage.
However, no one looked down.
The second half also saw little change in the flow of the game, but when substitute Tanaka put his body on the line and became the starting point of the attack, he pulled the game's momentum towards his team.
◈As a result, Takahashi, who was waiting on the far side, skillfully headed in the cross from Osako who broke through the left side, equalizing the score.
Unable to score despite launching a fierce attack in pursuit of an additional goal, resulting in a draw.

The second match will be against RSC Anderlecht, a prestigious Belgian club that has produced many famous players from its youth academy.
The opponent will come at us using their physical strength.
Despite conceding in the first half, in the second half we desperately fought against the opponent's physical strength and started to steal the ball with multiple players.
Created numerous chances, but fell short with a 0-1 defeat.
As a result, they will advance to the 5th place playoff.

The opponent for the 5th place playoff will be FC Copenhagen, a strong team from Denmark.
Small players are numerous, but they have high skills and good positioning, so they can pass the ball quickly.
At halftime, the players will discuss and confirm their strategy to put pressure on the front line.
Coach Sato said, "If we continue like this, nothing will happen and we will end up with a draw. Let's make sure to win this game and prove that we have grown during this expedition." The players entered the second half with even more passion.
Aggressively taking the ball from a high position on defense, repeatedly threatening the goal.
However, we are unable to score and time just passes by.
◈As a result, they get a FK in front of the PA just before the end of the game. However, Sanbara's direct shot is blocked by the GK.
Tosaka quickly reacts to this loose ball and scores the long-awaited final goal.
Finished the tournament in 5th place.

Afterwards, we watched the final round that took place after the 5th place final round with everyone.
The teams that advanced to the final round were Ajax and Celtic, who faced each other in the qualifying league.
Celtic won 1-2 in the best atmosphere, with the court filled with spectators.
I felt the difference between us and also felt that we had a good chance of winning.

We were able to gain valuable experience both on and off the pitch during this expedition.
There were times when we were confused, but by "accepting everything," each player and the team as a whole were able to grow.
At the venue, we received many words of encouragement such as "good job!" and "good team!" from the audience and staff of participating teams.
I want to take back the confidence and challenges gained from this expedition and use them to contribute to future success.

Today, I will stay overnight in a bungalow and return home tomorrow.
We will return to Tokyo without letting our guard down until the end.