The opponent for the last match of the Germany expedition is SV Werder Bremen U17
It became a battle that we absolutely cannot lose against an opponent with players of the same age.
The match kicked off at 16:30 at the training ground located a few hundred meters from the home of SV Werder Bremen, the Weserstadion.
I want to express the game as a culmination of the expedition.
Tokyo is struggling to gain the initiative in both attack and defense against opponents who are trying to move the ball wide in the familiar 4-3-3 formation during this expedition.
Additionally, in the midst of sudden severe weather with rain and wind, we conceded the opening goal from a long ball.
As time passed, we gradually became accustomed to the opponent's build-up, and when we stole the ball high up the pitch, Kan scored with a mid-range shot, ending the first half at 1-1.
At halftime, Coach Sato motivated the team by saying, "While there are characteristics of foreign players, such as long legs, if you can play while observing your opponents, your world will expand even more." as they head into the second half.
Inspired by these words, they showed aggressive attacks early in the second half, and Kubo scored a goal to turn the game around to 2-1.
However, immediately after taking the lead, they conceded two goals in quick succession due to mistakes, allowing the score to become 2-3 again.
After that, they created several chances with aggressive defense, but were unable to convert them, and instead were overwhelmed by the opponent's individual speed and strength, conceding another goal to make it 2-5.
Still, Tokyo, led by Yachida and Haga, launched a positive attack, and just before the end of the match, they managed to close the gap with goals from Nakaya and Kubo, but fell short by a step.
It ended in a defeat of 4-5.
It was clear that experiencing the refined high level of soccer in Germany during this expedition highlighted the need for both the team and individuals to further build upon their skills.
After the match, the team enjoyed the traditional German dish 'Schweinshaxe' together, as it was the final night in Germany.
