【Day 2 of Tournament, League Match 3 (Morning) VS Zhongnan Kadiyuan Football Club (China)】
First Half: 0-3
Second Half: 0-0
Total: 0-3
Starting Lineup
GK: Kurosawa
DF: Goto, Kato, Okawa, Masuda
MF: Miyamoto, Inaba, Ando, Taira
FW: Takagi, Miura
The match got off to a difficult start, conceding two goals in the 1st and 4th minutes. There were many instances where we felt rushed by the pressure from the opponent's defense, losing the ball near our own goal area and conceding goals, which was very wasteful. We then conceded a third goal in the 16th minute, ending the first half. During halftime, Coach Ogasawara instructed the players to have confidence in their own play.
In the second half, Antlers completely dominated the attack. We repeatedly pushed close to the goal, breaking through the opponent's pressure with quick passes, but we couldn't score due to a lack of creativity in the final moments and accuracy in our shots, and the match ended as it was. Looking only at the second half, either team could have won, which made the passive play at the start of the match even more regrettable.
【Player Comment: Takuya Goto】
In this match, I was able to observe my surroundings well and provide coaching. However, I wasn't able to mark effectively. I couldn't keep an eye on the opponent's players, which led to many instances where I was beaten in one-on-one situations. I want to use the experience from this match to make adjustments in the next game. 【Player Comment: Shona Kurosawa】
In this tournament, I've already conceded 4 goals, which is more than my target, and I'm frustrated. In the midst of this, I've been blaming others for my mistakes, so from the next game onwards, I want to stop blaming others and think carefully about why I made mistakes. There are 5 matches left, and I want to do my best to win them all. After the morning match, we returned to our accommodation for lunch, took a short break, and then headed to the venue for the afternoon match.
In the afternoon, it was cloudy, and the heat subsided, allowing us to play in very good conditions. 【Day 2 of Tournament, League Match 4 (Afternoon) VS Korea Youth Football Federation (Korea)】
First Half: 0-0
Second Half: 6-0
Total: 6-0
Starting Lineup
GK: Kurosawa
DF: Matsumoto, Kato, Goto, Masuda
MF: Taira, Inaba, Morioka, Kaihara
FW: Miura, Urushihara
The opponent's team had a fast forward player who was nearly 180cm tall, which made it difficult for us to respond, but our defensive line handled it calmly and kept a clean sheet. In terms of offense, we built up play carefully from the back and often got close to the goal, but we couldn't get a shot off, and the first half ended scoreless. At the start of the second half, Takagi replaced Matsumoto, which increased our midfield play and allowed us to hold the ball more effectively up front, leading to a relentless attack. Then, in the 11th minute, Miura took a direct free kick, which Ando had earned during our offensive surge. It hit the wall, changed direction, and went straight into the goal, giving us the long-awaited opening goal. Subsequently, in the 14th minute, Takagi scored with an individual effort, and in the 16th minute, Goto scored the third goal by tapping in a rebound after the opponent's goalkeeper parried Miura's free kick. Antlers completely took control, scoring the fourth goal in the 23rd minute when Ando struck a powerful volley from outside the penalty area after a loose ball. In the 24th minute, Takagi scored his second goal of the day, and in additional time, Miyamoto dribbled through the opponent's defenders on the right wing to score the decisive sixth goal, bringing the match to an end. After 4 matches, we finished the second day with 2 wins and 2 losses (1 PK loss), earning 7 points.
【Player Comment: Ikuto Inaba】
The opponent's forward in this match was big, strong, and fast, which made my marking unclear and allowed them to create many chances. As captain, I wasn't able to coach effectively on how we could defend. In the future, even when I'm not captain, I want to communicate well with my teammates while playing. 【Player Comment: Haruto Miura】
In the second match, the opponent had a big and fast player, but I was able to play calmly and break through many one-on-one situations. I want to continue to play calmly and score many goals in the upcoming matches. As a team, we lost the first match, but we were able to score many goals in the second match, so I want to cooperate with everyone to win the remaining matches, even though there's not much time left. Tomorrow is a rest day, so there will be no matches. We will make sure to recover our energy and prepare to fight with all our strength in the remaining matches.