The Dutch expedition reached its fourth day, with quarter-final matches and beyond being played. Tsukuba Junior, who achieved three consecutive clean sheet victories the previous day, faced FC Utrecht of the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
It was a stalemate until the 13th minute of the first half when Yajima Sota broke free from a crowded central area and scored the opening goal. In the second half, Kawaumi Kanta received a pass from Suzuki Yudai in the center on the right flank and slotted it into the goal net on the left flank, adding another goal. Tsukuba Junior won convincingly 2-0, advancing to the semi-finals.
The semi-final match was played on pitch 1, and the cheers from the stands grew even louder. Tsukuba Junior's opponent was Hammarby IF of Sweden. Tsukuba Junior dominated possession from the start and controlled the game, but failed to score. Then, just before the end of the second half, a free kick awarded to the opponent went over the goalkeeper's head, resulting in a goal conceded. Having conceded the first goal, the match ended 0-1, and they were unable to advance to the final. It was a very disappointing loss for the players and staff, especially since they had controlled the game.
Unable to fully recover from the semi-final loss, Tsukuba Junior faced Borussia Dortmund of Germany in the third-place play-off. Tsukuba Junior conceded a long-range goal in the second minute. Despite the efforts of players who had less playing time in the tournament, they lost 0-1. Ultimately, they finished the tournament in 4th place.
The final match was between 1. FC Köln of Germany and Hammarby IF. In a match that began with the referee and match ball being delivered by helicopter, Hammarby IF equalized in the dying moments of the game and, carried by their momentum, won in a penalty shootout, becoming champions.
Player Suzuki Yudai being interviewed by a local TV station during a match break
At the closing ceremony, Tsukuba Junior's captain, Suzuki, who was awarded 4th place, gave a speech in English expressing his gratitude, saying, "Thank you for inviting us to this tournament. We would like to participate again next year."
Afterwards, various teams continued to interact on the pitch, and the Tsukuba Junior players were popular, being asked for photos and autographs in Kanji.
While the players and staff are not at all satisfied with the 4th place result, they are very grateful for the hospitality of the tournament organizers and feel happy to have participated in this tournament.
Tsukuba Junior will return home tomorrow.