The players actively chased the ball and ran around, regardless of the ground conditions. Between matches, there were also moments of players taking photos in puddles.
The players battled fiercely on the pitch and enjoyed themselves with smiles off the pitch. This tournament lasted two days, and the final day, unlike the first, was blessed with good weather. Many players were seen playing freely on the natural grass.
Even though it was a tournament for third graders, the Antlers Red, mainly composed of second graders, bravely challenged in various situations, not losing to the third graders. Although they did not achieve a result, it was a tournament where significant growth was observed.
Meanwhile, Antlers White played in the semi-final for a spot in the final. It was a heated match, but they regrettably lost 2-3 and finished the tournament in 3rd place.
The winner of that match, Violeta FC (Saitama), faced FC Nakahara (Kanagawa), who had won all their preliminary matches. Violeta was down by two goals in the first half but scored one back early in the second half, bringing the atmosphere to a peak. However, it was FC Nakahara who sealed the victory, overwhelming with their brilliant passing and individual skills, winning all 11 matches to become champions.
After the matches, there was the customary lottery drawing for luxurious prizes. Once again, players eagerly hoped to win, facing prizes such as the official Levain Cup ball used last year, signed spikes from Uchida and Kwoun Sun-Tae, a signed pen case from Academy Advisor Mitsuo Ogasawara, and player-worn apparel. Both players who won prizes and those who didn't were very happy.
For many of the second graders from the Kashima team and children from other teams, this tournament was their first away trip. Although the staff sometimes faced challenging situations, everyone returned home with smiles after the tournament.
