The members of this expedition were composed of 4th and 5th graders from the Kashima area school's advanced course.
This was our third year on the Kumamoto expedition. The artificial turf ground inside the Aso no Tsukasavilla Park Hotel, where we stayed last year, has been repaired after the earthquake, and the tournament was held there.
We gathered at Narita Airport before 6 AM and departed for Kumamoto.
Most of the participants were visiting Kumamoto for the first time, and it was also their first time flying on an airplane.
Immediately after arriving, we had lunch for the match and then took a bus to the venue.
We arrived at the venue just before kick-off. It was a good experience unique to an expedition, "fighting" amidst the hustle and bustle.
The tournament divided 12 participating teams into two groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the final tournament.
All five preliminary group league matches were played on the first day.
Preliminary Group League Results Below:
Preliminary Match 1 vs. Alara Kagoshima (Kagoshima) 0-0 △
Preliminary Match 2 vs. Azzurrino Kumamoto (Kumamoto) 0-0 △
Preliminary Match 3 vs. Camille R (Kumamoto) 6-0 ○
Preliminary Match 4 vs. FC Central (Fukuoka) 1-0 ○
Preliminary Match 5 vs. Primera (Fukuoka) 5-1 ○
*As a result of the above, we advanced to the final tournament as the 2nd place team in the preliminary group.
On the second day of the tournament, we played the semi-finals and final.
Semi-final vs Hizen FC (Saga) 6-0 ○
Final vs Alara Kagoshima (Kagoshima) 2-1 ○
In the final match, we had a rematch against Alara Kagoshima, whom we had drawn with in the first preliminary match, and we won the championship.
The award ceremony was held in the hotel hall, and 5th grader Dan Mizoguchi was selected as the tournament MVP.
After the award ceremony, we returned to the field and played a total of seven training matches.
vs Estrella (Fukuoka) 12min
vs FC LAVITA (Kumamoto) 15min
vs Camille W (Kumamoto) 15min
vs FC Legatte (Oita) 15min
vs Primera (Fukuoka) 15min
vs FC Central (Fukuoka) 15min
vs Aso Chuo High School Support High School Students (Kumamoto) 20min
After the practice matches, we refreshed ourselves in the hotel pool!?
On the last day of the Kumamoto expedition, after checking out of the hotel and saying our goodbyes, we went sightseeing near the crater.
Due to ongoing volcanic activity, there were restrictions near the crater, but the children ran around energetically.
After lunch near the airport, our flight was slightly delayed due to bad weather over Kumamoto Airport, but everyone returned safely to Narita Airport. After arriving, we greeted the guardians who came to pick us up, and this year's Kumamoto expedition came to an end.
I hope that the children will be able to utilize the various experiences gained during this expedition in the future: traveling to far-off Kyushu, competing in soccer with children from Kyushu, the difficulty of playing matches on a tight schedule, living in a group under rules, eating, resting, and playing.
We would also like to thank the many people in Kyushu who helped us with this tournament.