NEWS News

[Day 2 of the Korea Expedition]

The second day started with a morning walk at 7 AM.
In the pitch dark outside, I did some light exercise at a park near the lodging to wake up my body.

Since today's match is in the afternoon, we will relax at the lodging in the morning and then have lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Then, players discover they forgot something at the lodging and run back to get it. Personal growth off the field is also one of the highlights of overseas expeditions.

Today's opponent is Sokugwan Middle School, and the match will be held from 14:00 with three 30-minute periods. The opponents are U-15 players.

The match was played under rainy, cold, and slippery pitch conditions.

The opponents in the first half were U-15 players, many of whom had high physical abilities such as physique and speed.
Although we faced many dangerous situations, we defended tenaciously centered around goalkeeper Okada. Taking advantage of the few chances, Nakajima scored a goal from a sharp vertical pass to the front by Namai, but it was ruled offside. Neither team scored, and the first half ended 0-0.

In the second half, the opponent brought on U-14 players. At the 8th minute of the second half, while passing the ball around in our own half, a fresh opponent pressed from the front line, stole the ball, and we conceded a goal. After that, we couldn't find our rhythm and conceded another goal at the 11th minute from a cross that was headed in.

The second half ended 0-2. The third match was against a mixed team of U-15 and U-14 players.
In the 18th minute, the opponent advanced into the penalty area through a dribble from their left side half, resulting in a goal from a cross. Trying to respond somehow, in the 27th minute, from passing in the midfield, player Nakamine faced forward and passed to player Yonemoto in front of the goal. With a brilliant ball touch, a left-footed shot was placed in the corner of the goal, making it 1-1.
The match ended as it was, resulting in a 1-3 loss overall.

Return to the lodging after the match and head to the dinner venue!

Today, we had a luxurious dinner with bibimbap and chijimi.
It was a day full of reflections on mistakes such as time management and forgetting things in private life, as well as challenges during the match.

・Ikuta Tsunashima
Today was the second day of the Korea expedition.
It was a match played in the rain, but I felt that experiencing such conditions is something you must go through to become a professional soccer player, so it was a valuable experience.
During this expedition, enhance 'independence' and 'challenge spirit,' and cherish each day to grow as an individual.
Although it will be an away game, we still need to improve our preparations, so we want to raise our level together as a team.

◇The first day of the Korea expedition is here