In the morning, we gathered at 7:15, went for a walk, did some exercises, and then had breakfast. It was a clear and pleasant morning.
For the 11:00 AM kickoff, we had a meeting at the hotel, then took the scheduled bus to the same venue as yesterday.
Unlike yesterday, there was no wind, and the match was played in hot conditions. Hydration timing was crucial for the game's progress.
Preliminary League Match 2 vs S.C. Gigi Riva Cagliari (Italy)
First Half 1-0
Second Half 2-0
Total 3-0 Goal scorers: Shiba (PK), Katagiri, Tsuchihashi
<Preliminary Match 2 Starting Lineup>
GK: Eita Kishino, FP: Shuto Tanaka, Daiki Katagiri, Amon Tamaki, Hiroto Sunao, Eita Oikawa, Aoto Shiba, Ryunosuke Arakawa, Hidetoshi Masuko, Kiri Kawamura, Yuki Toyoshima
(Substitutes: Ryunosuke Tsuchihashi, Haruki Kosuge, Junpei Uno, Homare Tokuda, Shun Nouchi)
Although we took an early lead with a penalty kick, we struggled to convert opportunities into goals. In the second half, we extended our lead with a goal from a set piece and secured the victory. As a result, we advanced to the knockout stage with two consecutive wins.
Coach Shinohara:
"While we managed to win the match and secure qualification for the knockout stage, I was not satisfied with the content of the game. There are still many issues to address, such as the accuracy of passes, final passes, and crosses. I believe it will be difficult to win this tournament if we don't improve these aspects. We will prepare for the next match."
We returned to the hotel and had lunch at 1:30 PM to prepare for the next match.
We had a meeting at 4:15 PM and then traveled by bus to the match venue.
The opposing team also had two wins in the qualifiers, and we played for first place.
Preliminary League Match 3 vs Olbia Calcio 1905
First Half 3-0
Second Half 3-0
Total 6-0 Goal scorers: Tokuda x3, Tsuchihashi, Matsumura x2
<Preliminary Match 3 Starting Lineup>
GK: Taisei Matsumoto, FP: Shuto Tanaka, Junpei Uno, Daiki Katagiri, Ryunosuke Tsuchihashi, Shun Nouchi, Amon Tamaki L, Haruki Kosuge, Kiri Kawamura, Homare Tokuda, Tomoki Muramatsu
(Substitutes: Hiroto Sunao, Yuki Toyoshima, Eita Oikawa, Aoto Shiba, Ryunosuke Arakawa, Hidetoshi Masuko)
The game was evenly matched at the start, but we gained the upper hand with consecutive goals just before the end of the first half.
The goal in the 16th minute of the first half came from Tokuda's header after Tanaka broke through on the right wing and delivered a cross. In the second half, we maintained our rhythm with player substitutions and scored additional goals, winning convincingly 6-0.
Coach Shinohara:
"Although the content of the match was not entirely satisfactory, the positive aspect was that goals were generated from our intended attacking patterns. We were able to score from headers and volleys off crosses. There are still many issues that need to be addressed, but we want to unite as a team and work towards our goal for the next match."
With today's results, we secured first place in our group and will face a team that advanced from third place in their group in the knockout stage. The opponent is undecided at this time.
The match will kick off at 10:00 AM at a venue within walking distance of the hotel.
We returned to the hotel, had dinner at 8:00 PM, and lights out was at 10:00 PM.