After arriving at the venue, the team held a meeting in the locker room before heading to the pitch.
First preliminary league match vs Brighton & Hove Albion
1-0
Goal: Kaiyo Yanagimachi
Players: Kaede Takahashi, Sora Okita, Tatsuya Kiuchi, Ewa Takema, Kaiyo Yanagimachi, Kotaro Arima, Kai Kikuchi
The kickoff started with our ball, and we maintained possession for about 2 minutes while observing the opponent's movements. However, the supporting movements became monotonous, and no effective vertical passes were made, resulting in a slow start with difficulty advancing.
The opponent made well-timed vertical passes and easily penetrated near the penalty area, but we managed to defend well while maintaining a good distance beyond that, ending the half without conceding a goal.
The opponent came out almost man-to-man from the start, but their marking gradually became disjointed. Early in the second half, Yanagimachi received a return pass from Arima on the left wing, dribbled inside, and shot. He scored the opening goal into the bottom right corner.
After that, everyone repeatedly challenged and covered, and slid, and in front of the goal, they physically blocked shots, preventing the opponent from scoring and winning 1-0.
Coach Yanagisawa's comment:
"We saw some stiffness in the first match, but we were able to do what we needed to do, such as switching between offense and defense and showing a fighting spirit. It was a difficult match, but it was a good match where we persevered and seized one chance."
Second preliminary league match vs Newcastle United
0-1
Starting players:
Kaede Takahashi, Sora Okita, Tatsuya Kiuchi, Yu Funahashi, Ewa Takema, Kaiyo Yanagimachi, Kotaro Arima
Substitute:
Soshi Kofuda
In this match, children who participated in the soccer school joined as escort kids and entered the pitch together.
Newcastle had 7 players from last year's championship team participating again, showing that they were well-versed in their playing style.
The opponent used a 1-3-3 formation, moving the ball at a good tempo, with good timing for vertical passes and quick support when the ball went in, making them very difficult to catch. Also, their counter-attacks after winning the ball were very fast and accurate, and there were scenes where they easily brought the ball to the front of the goal.
In the 5th minute of the first half, a marking error was created on the right flank, and we couldn't close down the opponent who dribbled inside. A through pass was then made, followed by a cross and a shot. The rebound was tapped in, resulting in a goal conceded. We ended up not being able to show our strengths.
Coach Yanagisawa's comment:
"It was a match where we felt the difference in strength between us and the opponent. Unlike last year, they played offensively. In defense, we physically prevented the opponent's decisive chances, but we couldn't hold on and conceded a goal. In attack, we couldn't show our good points."
Third preliminary league match vs Kerry Yau Yee League Select
1-2
Goal: Kotaro Arima
Red card: Tatsuya Kiuchi
Starting players:
Kaede Takahashi, Soshi Kofuda, Kanta Kobayashi, Tatsuya Kiuchi, Yu Funahashi, Kotaro Arima, Kai Kikuchi
Substitutes:
Kaiyo Yanagimachi, Sora Okita, Ewa Takema
From the start, we showed an aggressive attitude in defense. Following that momentum, linked movements began to appear in offense, and in the 3rd minute of the first half, Kikuchi laid off a through pass from Funahashi, and Arima, who had started to move as the third player, pushed it in to open the scoring. After that, the opponent held possession, but we solidified the center and patiently endured. However, in the 7th minute, a ball was played behind the defense who became ball-watchers, and a shot was taken from there, resulting in a goal conceded. In the 4th minute of the second half, we had our first player sent off since participating in the tournament, leading to a difficult match with 6 players. In the 6th minute, a momentary gap was exploited from a short corner, and we conceded a逆転 goal, losing 1-2.
Coach Yanagisawa's comment:
"The players entered the match with strong feelings, knowing that a win would secure a spot in the upper bracket, and they managed to score first. The newly starting players also played well. However, conceding a goal right before halftime and then having a player sent off in the second half hurt us, and the opponent scored the winning goal. It was a very disappointing match."
Group C Tie-breaker match vs Kerry Yau Yee League Select
0-1
Players:
Sora Okita, Ewa Takema, Kaiyo Yanagimachi, Kotaro Arima (GK)
After all the matches in the group were finished, the 3rd and 4th placed teams were tied with 3 points, a goal difference of -1, and 2 goals scored, so a 4-minute extra time (golden goal) was played with 4 players.
We gained the initiative from the drop ball and wanted to score with the first attack, but the shot went straight to the goalkeeper. The opponent then attacked, and in the end, the goalkeeper scored, leading to our defeat.
Coach Yanagisawa's comment:
"We were able to win the first drop ball and maintain possession, heading towards the opponent's goal, but we couldn't score. It was a disappointing loss, but we want to reset and prepare for tomorrow's Plate tournament."
Tomorrow, we will participate in the Plate tournament, which starts at 9:06 AM.