Kashima Youth played in the 3rd place play-off match from 9:00 AM. It was a rematch against Wolfsburg (Germany), who were in the same group in the preliminary league. The final day was also played in scorching heat.
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Weifang Cup U19 2016 Third Place Play-off vs Wolfsburg 0-2
Starting XI: Oki, Nishimoto, Nakamura, Matsuura, Yuki, Arima, Imura, Idetsu, Maeda, Otsuka, Shinozaki
Substitutions: Onuma, Sudo, Makita, Arakawa, Sadamitsu, Masuzaki
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In the second half, we looked for chances by making substitutions, but in the 12th minute, Yuki was called for a handball from a cross from the left side, resulting in a penalty. Wolfsburg scored from the penalty, taking the lead. After that, we didn't collapse and prevented further goals, thanks to good saves from goalkeeper Oki. However, in the 34th minute, Nishimoto's block of an opponent's shot inside the penalty area was again judged as a handball, resulting in another penalty. This additional goal was very painful. After that, we continued to push for a goal without giving up, but we couldn't score, and the match ended. We lost 0-2, finishing in 4th place in this tournament.
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"In this match, if we had scored first, the game would have unfolded differently, but unfortunately, we conceded from a penalty, which gave the opponent momentum. This is the difficult part of football, and I believe we must become a team that can always control the game and win. In this tournament, it was tough to get through the preliminary league, but with a bit of luck, we managed to win three consecutive matches and advance to the semifinals. It would have been better if we could have finished in the top three, but I think the players performed well in this tournament. This year, through overseas expeditions to Spain, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and this time, I feel that we have grown significantly. In Japan, we don't realize our own position or how to fight without information, but overseas, we are directly exposed to situations where we have no choice but to feel and act. We received stimulation that we wouldn't have experienced just playing with the same members in the same environment in Japan. I am grateful to all the tournament organizers for allowing us to participate in such a wonderful tournament, and I will continue to work hard after returning to Japan to show our achievements."
In the other ranking matches held from 9:00 AM, Benfica beat Shangdong 4-0, and Real Madrid beat Fort Lauderdale 2-1. The final match was held at the Olympic Stadium from 4:00 PM, and we watched it. In the final, Desportivo Brasil dominated the China U19 national team from the first half, winning 4-0 and claiming their first championship.
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