The routine of waking up, taking a walk, and doing exercises remained the same. There was a bus stop on our usual walking route, where local club players were waiting for the bus with their parents. At their request, we took a commemorative photo.
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The ranking match on the final day of the tournament was scheduled for 3:15 PM, so we left the hotel at 2:00 PM.
Starting lineup: GK: Sasaki, DF: Sasahara, Chiba, Nagatsuka, Matsuda, MF: Oyama, Takezawa, Suzuki, Sato, Ebihara, FW: Ueda
The ranking match consisted of two 15-minute halves.
Today, we started the match poorly, and our movements were heavy, leading to a lack of defensive coordination. We were slow to mark and our pressing was soft, allowing the opponent to score the first goal with a mid-range shot. We couldn't make any adjustments in the first half, which ended that way.
At halftime, Coach Kimura gave harsh critiques and instructions, urging the players to rally.
In the second half, we tried to build up attacks with passes, but we couldn't create effective plays to break down the opponent's defense, making it difficult to get shots on goal. We also lacked sharpness in several set pieces. Since player substitutions could be made freely, we actively introduced Maruyama, Ogura, Ouchi, and Ishimoto, but we couldn't change the rhythm. The second half also ended without a goal, and we lost 0-1.
As a result, we finished the tournament in 10th place.
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After the match, the tournament organizers interviewed the coach and players for TV.
After the match, we returned to the hotel, had a light meal, and then headed to the stadium. We watched the 3rd place playoff between AC Milan and Torino, and the championship match between Inter and Atalanta. The stadium was packed. Both matches were incredibly intense and spirited, with players possessing speed and technique that belied their 12 years of age. Torino won the 3rd place playoff after a penalty shootout. The final went into extra time, with Inter winning 2-1.
At the closing ceremony, everyone went up to the podium and received awards. We presented an Antlers jersey to the organizers as a souvenir.
We stayed at the same hotel as Inter, but due to the upcoming matches, it was difficult for the players to communicate with each other. However, at the closing ceremony, they actively approached each other, took photos, shook hands, and greeted each other. Ogura was particularly popular, with many people asking for his photo.
