On the 17th (Wednesday) of the 4th day of the expedition, we started with a morning walk and exercise. After breakfast, we took a short break and then went for a longer walk to prepare for the 5:00 PM kickoff game. We stopped by churches and markets to enjoy the Italian culture with all five senses.
And in the afternoon, the "29th edition of Abano Football Trophy" will finally begin. This tournament will have 16 teams participating, with a 30-minute half for the preliminary league matches among 4 teams. We are aiming for the top tournament where the top 2 teams will advance, and we are looking forward to the first match of the preliminary round against Bologna FC.
From the start of the match, both teams aggressively fought for control, resulting in a back-and-forth battle. While our team gradually pushed into the opponent's territory, we struggled to create good opportunities for shots. The opponent threatened with corner kicks and attacks from the sides, but we managed to keep them from scoring, ending the first half with a 0-0 tie.
In the second half, both teams increased their attacks in front of the goal, creating a tense and exciting match. There were two decisive moments, but GK Soki SATO made a super save and prevented a goal.
We will create a chance by crossing from the side without losing, but we couldn't score as we couldn't catch the frame.
Continuing to fight tenaciously, in the 28th minute of the second half, Ruka KASAHARA, who picked up the ball in the midfield, dribbled to the right side and sent a soft cross. Kaisei ITO jumped in and scored the long-awaited opening goal with his head.
In what seemed to be the end of the game, we conceded a goal from a counter attack in the additional time, resulting in a tie. Despite the limited time remaining, we continued to aggressively fight for a victory, but were unable to score and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
The opening ceremony was held after the end of the match.
After that, we traveled by bus while interacting with Bologna FC players.
After that, we returned to the hotel and finished dinner, preparing for tomorrow's 20:45 kickoff against Inter.
