Academy Report

The second preliminary league match of the Weifang Cup 2016 U19 was held on the 25th. Kashima Youth played against Wolfsburg (Germany). Wolfsburg won 5-2 against Fort Lauderdale (USA) yesterday, so both teams wanted to win to secure their spot in the final tournament. Today's match also started at 9:00 AM in scorching heat, but the wind was strong, making conditions slightly better than yesterday. There was a meeting room on the same floor as our hotel rooms, so we held a meeting there before heading to the match venue.

Weifang Cup U19 2016
Group B vs Wolfsburg 1-0
Scorer: Shinozaki
Starting players: Oki, Nishimoto, Nakamura, Matsuura, Sadamitsu, Arima, Imura, Makita, Maeda, Otsuka, Shinozaki
Substitutes: Onuma, Idetsu, Arakawa, Yuki, Suto, MasuzakiIn the first half, we were kept on the defensive for a long time from the start, as the opponents kept possession of the ball. However, not only the defenders but the entire team maintained their focus on defense.
Kashima Youth tried to score from set pieces but couldn't create any decisive chances, and the first half ended 0-0.
In the eighth minute of the second half, Arima, a first-year player who came on as a substitute yesterday and was making his first start today, reacted to a ball behind the opponent's defense. He dribbled past an opponent's defender in the penalty area and made a final pass to Shinozaki, who was beside him. Shinozaki scored beautifully, giving us the lead. After that, Wolfsburg attacked relentlessly, creating many decisive chances, but we defended fiercely and didn't concede a goal, securing our second consecutive victory with a score of 1-0.Due to the intense heat, the referee allowed slightly longer water breaks in both halves. width="633" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> Coach Kumagai's comments
"Both teams won yesterday, so we went into this game knowing its importance. We prepared expecting that the individual skill level of their players would be higher than yesterday and that they would control the game. We had to respond effectively to their characteristic attacks from the wings. Despite that, we managed to score from limited chances and get a result, which showed the team's growth. The fact that we won with new players also gives us momentum for the next match." width="633" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> The other Group B match between Shandong and Fort Lauderdale was held at Shoubuang Stadium. The match was broadcast live on TV, and the players watched it in their rooms.
Shandong won 1-0, and Kashima Youth secured their spot in the semifinals!


 
 


Today's match results
Group A
China 0-2 Desportivo Brasil
Benfica 1-3 Real Madrid
Group B
Shandong 1-0 Fort Lauderdale