We departed for Gongcheonpo Center at 8:45 AM, just as we did for the first match against Dortmund.
With a spot in the knockout stage on the line if we won, we took time to mentally prepare, united everyone's focus, and approached the match determined to win with our own style of play.
Although it was sunny, it was very windy due to the typhoon.
Starting Lineup:
GK: Tateno
DF: Seto, Maehama, Takagi, Ando
MF: Takeda, Shima, Hatanaka, Matsumoto
FW: Okada, Hiruoka
Substitutions:
Hiruoka → Sato (28th minute)
Tateno → Ogata (HT)
Takagi → Honda (HT)
Ando → Takada (HT)
Hatanaka → Gunji (52nd minute)
Sato → Tsujimura (68th minute)
Okada → Hotta (69th minute)
The match started with an early goal.
In the 5th minute of the first half, a direct free kick led to a scramble, and we conceded the opening goal.
In the 10th minute, a cross was headed in, putting us in a difficult position with a two-goal deficit.
Okada capitalized on an opponent's mistake in the 27th minute to pull one back, but then we conceded two more goals from a set piece and another mistake, ending the first half 1-4.
Four players were substituted before the start of the second half, and we entered the second half with a refreshed mindset.
However, despite creating numerous scoring opportunities, we were repeatedly denied by the post and failed to score, and the match ended as it was.
Kashima Antlers 1-4 Busan IPark
The group stage results were 1 win, 1 loss, and 1 draw, giving us 4 points.
The other group match played at 5 PM:
Dortmund 3-3 Cardiff
We finished 3rd in the group on goal difference.
1st: Dortmund - 5 points
2nd: Cardiff - 4 points
3rd: Kashima Antlers - 4 points
4th: Busan IPark - 3 points
As a result, the 8 teams advancing to the knockout stage are Gamba Osaka, Seongnam FC, Pohang Steelers, LA Galaxy, Palmeiras, PSV, Dortmund, and Augsburg.
Kashima Antlers will play a friendly match against Jeonju Citizen FC tomorrow at 10:30 AM.
After losing the match, the players returned to the hotel with regretful expressions.
From 5 PM, we watched the match between PSV and Newcastle.
After dinner, we had a meeting to confirm tomorrow's schedule.
During the meeting, Coach Amano spoke about the importance of how we approach the next Brazil expedition, especially in light of the loss.
Finally, at the coach's request, Shima and Takeda shared their reflections on today's match and their aspirations for the future.
