The players, without any effects from yesterday's long-distance travel, all energetically engaged in light morning exercises.
Afterwards, we had breakfast and moved to the tournament venue. The venue used the training facilities of 1.FC Union Berlin, and the 24 teams from around the world gathered for a group photo shoot and opening ceremony under the slogan "Football for Friendship".
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In the draw, FC Tokyo was placed in Group A and will compete in the qualifying league with MTK Budapest (Hungary) and Atletico Madrid (Spain).
The first match of the qualifying league was against MTK Budapest. Due to the unique format of the tournament (played on a slightly larger field than a 7-a-side futsal court, with 16 minutes per half), anything could have happened in this unusual situation. However, we managed to take the lead with a goal in the 5th minute and continued to score, ending the match with 4 goals. We successfully won the first match with a score of 4-0.
The second match of the qualifying league was against Atletico Madrid. The opponent has already suffered one defeat, but for FC Tokyo to advance in the qualifying league, losing is not allowed. However, they conceded a goal early in the game.
After that, we quickly caught the rhythm and equalized immediately, winning 3-1. We were able to advance to the qualifying league in first place.
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Due to the regulations of the tournament, there is no time to have lunch, so we use the catering service inside the temporary tent on the grounds for fruits and drinks to replenish energy.
The first match of the Final Tournament (Quarterfinal Round) is about to begin.
The opponent is Slovan (Slovakia).
I feel the difficulty of the final tournament as we conceded two goals in a row due to our coordination mistakes against opponents who have the ability to advance in the final tournament.
However, without rushing, they scored two goals afterwards and the match ended in a 2-2 draw. They will now enter a 5-minute overtime.
In the overtime, we scored 3 goals in one go without losing focus and advanced to the semifinals.
And the opponent in the semifinal round is Rapid (Austria). It became a fight that we absolutely cannot lose, as we aim for tomorrow's final round.
Rapid is a team that can progress the game while involving everyone in offense and defense, including individual techniques and judgments, even when watching the qualifying league.
Tokyo, perhaps due to fatigue from consecutive matches, conceded multiple goals and ultimately suffered a defeat with a score of 3-5, ending the tournament in the top 4.
Unfortunately, we couldn't advance to the finals, but playing against a team like Rapid revealed our shortcomings and showed us our areas for improvement, which was a valuable experience.
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After the match, we had a late lunch and took a bus tour around Berlin city, visiting historical buildings such as the Berlin Wall, before returning to the hotel.
Tomorrow, we want to expand our soccer values by experiencing the real thing through watching Mr. Beckenbauer's forum and the Champions League final.
