Academy Report

Today, the 8th day of our expedition to Spain, was blessed with clear skies again, but it was a bit windy and felt chilly.
Today marks the end of Mundialito 2017 and its closing ceremony. After breakfast at 8:00, we headed to the Cambrils venue by bus.Various club uniforms are displayed at the exhibition hall in Cambrils, and among them, the Kashima Antlers uniform was also on display.At the venue, we received commemorative T-shirts and souvenirs for our participation.At the match venue, we watched the Mundialito 2017 final for an age group one year older than ours.
The match was between Valencia CF (Spain) and Atletico Madrid (Spain).
Valencia CF scored an early goal. After that, it became a tense match with neither side giving an inch.
At one point, an Atletico Madrid player was injured and transported by ambulance, causing a temporary suspension, but Valencia CF held on to their one-goal lead until the end and won the championship.
The technical skills, physicality, and speed seemed to be considerably different compared to players of the same age in Japan.

We returned to the hotel for lunch, had a short nap, and then headed back to the Cambrils venue.
This time, we watched the final match for our age group. Many people, including the parents of the participating players, came to watch, and the atmosphere was wonderful.
The match was between FC Internazionale (Italy) and Levante UD (Spain).
Both teams displayed excellent technical skills and physicality that were hard to believe for their age group, playing with great spirit.
Levante UD scored two early goals, but FC Internazionale made a comeback and won 5-3.
The players were able to watch valuable matches and understand the difference in skill level.Also, at the venue, we met Felipe Gabriel, a former Antlers player, and he shook hands with each and every one of us.
Meeting people through soccer, I was once again reminded of the appeal of this sport.

We had a light meal on the bus and then headed to Barcelona.

We watched an FC Barcelona home game at Camp Nou. This was a surprise for the players, and they watched with sparkling eyes.Tomorrow, we will move to a hotel in Barcelona and plan to go shopping.