This is a 7-a-side football competition, played on a field 90m long and 55m wide. Each team can register 10 players, with 3 substitutions allowed. Matches consist of two 7-minute halves with a 1-minute break. In the knockout stage, matches will be 10 minutes - 2 minutes - 10 minutes, while in the lower bracket, matches will follow the same 7-minute - 1-minute - 7-minute format as the qualifiers. (In case of a tie, a 4-a-side extra time will be played for 4 minutes under a golden goal rule. If still tied, the winner will be decided by a penalty shootout.)
The Antlers Youth team's first match was the opening game of the MAIN tournament. They played against the Wellington team and lost 0-1, failing to show good form. In their second match, against Leicester City, they unfortunately suffered a comprehensive 0-2 defeat. The third match saw them fighting to keep their qualification hopes alive, but it ended in a 1-1 draw.
Their performance in the qualifying rounds was one draw and two losses, earning 1 point, placing them at the bottom of Group B. Tomorrow, they will compete in the lower bracket.
The first opponent in the lower bracket will be a Hong Kong amateur team, Yau Yee League Select, with kick-off at 9:54 AM. If they win, they will advance to the semi-finals and final of the lower bracket.
Match against Wellington Phoenix, kick-off 9:35 AM
Starting XI: GK: Matsuzaki, FP: Nemoto, Fujii, Takahashi, Kurimata, Ujihara, Yagi
Despite thorough preparation during the warm-up, once the game started, it seemed like they were overwhelmed by the atmosphere. They failed to display any aggressive play and were dominated by the opponent. They went into halftime down 0-1. In the second half, Tokoyoda was brought on for Fujii, but the momentum didn't change at all. There were two chances in the second half, a shot by Ujihara and a shot by Kurimata, but they couldn't score, resulting in a 0-1 loss.
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Starting XI: GK: Matsuzaki, FP: Fujii, Nemoto, Ujihara, Kurimata, Takahashi, Tamaki
The opposing team was primarily young players, but they had a few key members who were involved with the first team.
Our team showed determination, holding their own against opponents superior in speed and power, and demonstrating an aggressive playing style. Unfortunately, they conceded two goals, one in the first half (0-1) and one in the second half (0-1). However, their spirit picked up, and the quality of their play was slightly better than in the first match. Nakagawa was substituted in for Kurimata in the second half. There were many players who could break through situations with their individual skills.
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Starting XI: GK: Matsuzaki, FP: Nemoto, Fujii, Nakagawa, Takahashi, Yagi, Tokoyoda
The third match was against a local Hong Kong club team. Although it depended on other results, there was still a possibility of qualifying for the next round based on goal difference.
From the first half, we focused on aggressive defense, employing a high press to prevent the opponent from playing to their strengths, and the half ended 0-0.
In the second half, Tamaki replaced Fujii, which allowed us to hold the ball a bit more upfront and create more chances. The opening goal came from Tokoyoda, who scored after cutting off a pass from the goalkeeper. This was Antlers' first goal of the tournament. To maintain momentum, we made substitutions to change our strategy. In the 3rd minute of the second half, Kurimata replaced Yagi. Immediately after the substitution, in the 4th minute of the second half, Kurimata missed a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper, failing to extend the lead. Conversely, the opponent scored from an individual effort, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Unfortunately, we couldn't secure a single win and finished the group stage.
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Around 100 children, from kindergarteners to junior high school students, participated. The youth players also actively took part, enjoying a bit of a change of pace. Finally, everyone took a commemorative photo together.
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