We will deliver a report on the third day of the Spain-Portugal expedition, which is being conducted from Apr 3 (Mon) to Apr 12 (Wed).
On the third day of the expedition, which is the 5th (Tue), after taking a morning walk while enjoying the sea breeze of the Atlantic Ocean facing the accommodation, we will start with stretching and exercises. After finishing the meal at the hotel, we will take a bus for about 30 minutes to the club's facility to have a practice match with the same-age team of SL Benfica, a strong team currently ranked first in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
There is also a security control at the entrance of the facility, and only authorized personnel are allowed to enter the premises.
Not only the training facilities for the top team, but also stadiums where UEFA youth tournaments are held and training facilities for each age group are available.
After finishing the meeting in the locker room, we started warming up on the pitch, which is equipped with stands, in preparation for the 45-minute x 2 match that kicks off at 10:30. Training for SL Benfica's U-23 and U-19 teams was taking place on the adjacent pitch.
The game started after exchanging pennants with the opposing team and taking a group photo.
You can proceed with the game with momentum from the start of the match, and if you take the lead early on, you can add more goals and go into halftime with a score of 5-0.
We will make use of the halftime break to reorganize our thoughts and approach the second half.
After replacing several members, the second half kicked off. At the beginning, we conceded a goal from the opponent team's offensive pressure. After that, we gradually settled the game by withstanding the opponent's strong attacks and increasing our own time zone. As we gained the upper hand, we scored 3 goals, resulting in a total of 8 goals and ending the game with a score of 8-1. We were able to finish the first match of the expedition in a good shape.
SL Benfica player and U-22 Japan national team player Reo Brian Okubo, who is currently on his day off, came to watch the game despite the fact that a team from Japan came to play. After the game, he gave a passionate message to the players about the mindset needed to become a professional player and compete on the world stage.
In the afternoon, I explored the city of Costa da Caprika where I am staying, and prepared for tomorrow's activities by doing laundry for the training clothes and uniforms I used.
On the fourth day of the expedition, we are scheduled to play a match against Sporting CP, a club representing Portugal, just like SL Benfica.
