Woke up at 7 AM and did exercises at a nearby park.
Many people in the park were doing various exercises such as running, strength training, and Tai Chi. The park was bustling in a way you wouldn't expect for a morning. The youth players also joined in and got themselves in the right frame of mind.
Meals are a hotel buffet. There is a very wide variety.
A group photo session for the captains of the invited teams was held, and Arima-senshu attended.
Many media outlets gathered, and after the photo shoot, an event was held where the tournament name was written in Kanji as a calligraphic performance.
Practice started at 3 PM in the afternoon.
After ball passing, formation drills, and shooting practice, we played a friendly match against Portimonense SC, who were practicing next to us.
It was our first inter-team match, and we could see the players gradually getting a feel for it.
vs Portimonense SC 1-1 (1-0, 0-1)
Starting players:
Takahashi Kaede, Okita Sora, Kiuchi Tatsuya, Funahashi Yu, Takema Towa, Yanagimachi Kaiyo, Arima Kotaro
Substitute players:
Koda Soushi, Kobayashi Kanta, Kikuchi Kai
Portimonense had Japanese players Ohori (Hiroshima Youth) and Nagashima (Imabari) playing for them.
Comment from Coach Yanagisawa:
"We had practiced several times in Japan, but today's match allowed us to further grasp the feel of both offense and defense. The high humidity and short match time made strategy difficult, and I think we'll improve further once we get better at it."
After practice, a soccer school was held on the adjacent pitch. With Coach Isozaki at the center, all the players and staff conducted activities for approximately 40 children aged 6 to 12 from RTS Soccer School, including "tag," 1-on-1 ball stealing, step work, shooting practice, and mini-games.
All the players, including Arima-senshu, actively interacted with the children. In the mini-game, Coach Yanagisawa also chased the ball with full effort, making for an exciting match.
At 8 PM, the SPORTSMAN7S DINNER was held, with all participating teams in attendance. It was a wonderful reception where we could watch past tournament videos and footage of famous players who have competed in this tournament.
