Day 3 of the expedition to the Netherlands, and the tournament finally begins. The day started with a morning walk, followed by breakfast, and then off to the match venue.
First up was a grand opening ceremony. Each team's name was called out, and the players marched in through the flags. There were also greetings from sponsors and others.
Matches are played in two 15-minute halves. In every match, players enter with the referee from near the corner flag. Matches start simultaneously on four pitches. There is no additional time whatsoever, and both halves end simultaneously on all four pitches.
The first opponent was ADO Den Haag from the Netherlands. Tsukuba Junior started a bit stiff, but gradually got used to the pitch and their opponents. Then, in the 9th minute, a superb build-up from the backline moved the ball to the wing, and Shogo Kakita, who received Ryo Takano's early cross in the center, slotted it in for the opening goal. Two minutes into the second half, Kakita scored an additional goal by dribbling through the center, and immediately after, assisted Sota Yajima's goal. Then, in the 6th minute of the second half, Kakita scored a hat-trick goal, and Tsukuba Junior won a convincing 4-0 victory.
The second match was against FC Zwolle from the Netherlands. Tsukuba Junior scored an early goal right after kickoff in the first half. Kakita scored after receiving a through pass from Yuta Suzuki in the center, and then added two more goals in the 5th and 10th minutes, ending the first half 3-0. In the second half, Ren Gocho converted a penalty kick he earned himself, and then Mizuki Takada also scored after receiving Suzuki's cross from the left wing in the center, securing a 5-0 victory.
The third match was against Borussia Dortmund from Germany. Both teams applied early pressure, resulting in a tense game with intricate passing. Tsukuba Junior scored first. In the 10th minute of the first half, Hinata Fukuhara powerfully struck a free kick from about 30 meters in front of the goal. Fukuhara, who has been a central figure in defense, scored the opening goal, and the first half ended 1-0. In the second half, the opponent gained momentum and took several shots, but goalkeeper Kaito Sasaki's saves and the tenacious defense led by defenders Ryoma Yamaguchi and Fukuhara prevented any goals. Tsukuba Junior won 1-0, securing their third consecutive clean sheet victory.
Players in the locker room
Tomorrow, we will face FC Utrecht from the Netherlands in the quarterfinals, with a spot in the top 4 at stake.