The match was held at Gangchangpark A, about a 10-minute bus ride away, so we left the hotel at 9:00 AM. It was a clear, humid, and muggy day.
Our second preliminary league match was against Cardiff City FC from Wales.
Starting lineup:
GK: Ogata
DF: Seto, Maehama, Takaki, Ando
MF: Takeda, Hatanaka, Shima, Matsumoto
FW: Okada, Sato
Substitutions:
Sato → Hotta (HT)
Matsumoto → Takada (59th minute)
Cardiff FC, who won their first match and were currently at the top of the league, had played their previous match at 5 PM the day before, giving them about a 7-hour time difference from Kashima Antlers, which meant Antlers were in a favorable condition for the match.
The match started at Antlers' pace, but just like in the Dortmund match, we conceded a goal right after the water break. In the 24th minute of the first half, a cross from a break down the left side was met in the center.
Conceding at the same time for two consecutive days almost made the players hang their heads, but GK Ogata once again spurred the team on.
Then, in the 31st minute of the first half, Matsumoto skillfully broke free from a long ball from Maehama and scored. He equalized with a looping shot over the head of the opposing goalkeeper who had come out.
With that momentum, in the 13th minute of the second half, Takeda successfully scored a header from Ando's corner kick, taking the lead. It was a header with a long hang time, surpassing the tall Cardiff defenders.
We wanted to score more goals, but in the 24th minute of the second half, we conceded a header from a set piece and were equalized.
After that, there were some dangerous moments from counterattacks, but we managed to escape.
Then, in the 34th minute, just before the end of the second half, Okada broke free from Seto's free kick from his own half, bypassed the opponent, and calmly shot to score, regaining the lead.
In added time, there was a dangerous situation from the opponent's corner kick, but we held on to our one-goal lead and secured three points.
Kashima Antlers 3-2 Cardiff City FC
This match was uploaded to YouTube, so reporters were present. After the match, Coach Amano, Maehama who assisted the first goal, and Okada who scored the winning goal, were interviewed.
After the match, players who had less playing time trained for about 10 minutes.
Here are the results of the other match in our group, played at 5 PM:
Dortmund 4-0 Busan I Park
Standings:
1st: Dortmund - 4 points
2nd: Kashima Antlers - 4 points
3rd: Cardiff - 3 points
4th: Busan I Park - 0 points
After the match, we returned to the hotel, had lunch, and then took a nap, just like yesterday.
From 4:30 PM, we reviewed the Cardiff match. Then, at 6:45 PM, we had dinner. From 8:20 PM, we watched the match footage of Busan I Park and analyzed for tomorrow's match.
As the coach informed the players, the top 5 teams from each of the 5 blocks, plus the top 3 teams based on points, will advance to the knockout stage.
If we win tomorrow's match, our advancement to the knockout stage is confirmed, but if we draw or lose, the chances will be low.
We must secure a victory in the final preliminary match to advance to the knockout stage.
Tomorrow's match will also kick off at 10:30 AM, just like yesterday, and our opponent will be Busan I Park.