Coaches preparing for practice on a chilly morning.
Morning practice began with stretching in pairs.
Ogasawara smiles. His stretching partner is Nakamura.
After warm-ups, pass practice was conducted. In a drill where players passed the ball to avoid being caught by the "oni" (tagger), Coach Oiwa advised, "Preparation is important! If you prepare well, good balls will come!" Coach Cerezo instructed, "If the opponent is aggressive on the ball, switch the play to the opposite side!"
Doi was making accurate passes.
After that, a half-court game was held again, similar to yesterday. Unlike yesterday, there was no restriction on the number of ball touches, making it closer to a real match. In the midst of intense battles for the ball, Nakamura broke free on the left side and scored a difficult-angle shot, making a strong impression. Akasaki also scored with a brilliant trap and shot.
Nakamura reacted to Akasaki's through pass. He dribbled on and scored a goal.
Hwang Seok-ho, showing stable play as a center-back.
After the half-court game, the center-backs began a separate heading practice with Coach Oiwa. Yamamura, Aoki, Hwang Seok-ho, and youth player Machida participated.
Center-back players practicing headers.
Players in other positions practiced switching sides and shooting from crosses. Ogasawara made accurate long passes, and the coaches shouted, "Nice ball!" The goalkeepers also put up a good fight with excellent saves. Sogahata parried a shot with a diving save, earning praise from Coach Furukawa.
Ryuga Suzuki kicking a cross into the goal area.
Endo unleashed a powerful shot with his strong left foot.
The morning practice concluded with a "finish-up" shooting drill, just like yesterday. Yuma Suzuki blasted a powerful shot into the top right corner of the goal. The players chasing the shots were all smiles, seemingly enjoying the back-and-forth of who would be the last one left. Morning practice ended around 11:30 AM.
Just like yesterday, the players were all smiles waiting for their turn to shoot.
Afternoon practice started about 30 minutes later than scheduled. Players arrived on the field around 4 PM, warmed up with running, and then tackled physical training using resistance bands and balls. Physical coach Mario encouraged them, saying, "Physical strength is crucial for demonstrating high technique and individual skills."
Resistance bands and balls laid out on the field.
The first drill involved passing the ball with their feet while being pulled back by a resistance band. They worked in groups of three, taking turns pulling the band and passing the ball. Next, they performed sprint runs, stepping first and then dashing at full speed. Even this put considerable strain on the players, but the training continued.
Continuing in groups of three, as before, they were assigned a grueling drill of running from one end of the pitch to the other. Players advanced while being pulled backward by resistance bands, passing the ball with their feet and heads. They switched roles in sequence for about 30 minutes, relentlessly pushing their bodies to the limit. They could be seen shouting and encouraging each other, and when the training ended, a sense of liberation filled the field.
Players collapsed on the field after being told training was over.
This concludes the sixth day of training. The camp is now in its second half. At the dining hall today, players enjoyed a pork dish provided by Showa Sangyo, one of the club's official sponsors, eating it with great relish.
Sugimoto: "This season, I'm focusing on going 'forward.' I want to increase plays that lead to goals."
Yamamura: "I want to work hard to play in matches and get results for a full year."
■Video report is here (YouTube)
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