The players were excitedly talking about the hospitality they received from each household last night.
We will hold a meeting to reaffirm the purpose of this tournament and prepare ourselves for it, as it begins today.
This tournament has 10 participating teams. It is composed of two groups, A and B, each with 5 teams, and the top 3 teams will advance to the top league.
First, four qualifying league matches (15 minutes x 2) will be played.
The first match will be against the host team, SV Ape.
It may take some time to get used to the pitch conditions and the opponent's pressure, but gradually we will find our rhythm and end the first half with a 2-0 lead.
We continue to attack in our own rhythm while holding onto the ball in the second half, but we are struggling to score a goal.
Substitution was made in an attempt to score an additional point, but the newly entered player was unable to change the flow of the game and the match ended 2-0.
Coach Sato said, "In order to advance in this tournament, the power of every member is necessary. The strength of the members who came in halfway or couldn't participate will be the key."
He conveyed this message and called for even greater efforts.
Utilizing the experience from the first match, we will aggressively apply pressure from the start and move the ball at a fast pace.
However, despite dominating the game, we were unable to take a shot due to the opposing DF's long legs stretching out at the last moment.
The game seemed to end in a stalemate with a score of 0-0, but then came the last play.
If you give the opponent a free kick, they will take advantage of the height and score at the end of the game.
It was a very frustrating defeat as we were able to play the game at our own pace.
It will be a difficult situation to face as we finish our lunch 20 minutes before the start of the game.
The opponent is Ajax, a strong team from the Netherlands and a candidate for the championship in this tournament.
However, the players accepted everything and approached the game with their emotions.
However, we were unable to play as we had hoped once the game started, and ended up playing in an uncharacteristic manner.
In addition, we were overwhelmed by the speed and quick decision-making of the opponent's pressure, as well as their strength in winning the ball, resulting in one goal conceded in the first half.
Conceded 2 more goals in the second half and suffered a complete defeat with a score of 0-3.
At this point, with points, goal difference, and total goals all tied, the match became a crucial one for both teams as the winner would advance to the higher league.
Although they showed a passionate play from the beginning, they allowed the first goal due to a coordination mistake.
Furthermore, in the second half, they were scored against from a corner kick and fell behind by two points.
Still, without giving up, everyone increases their physical activity, puts their body on the line in the ball contest, and from the bench, a rallying cry flies as the team comes together to aim for the goal.
Scored one point with a shot by Mihara in the 14th minute of the end of the game.
Furthermore, when the game restarts with the opponent's kickoff, Iwane quickly puts pressure on and steals the ball, then connects with Oshima and Osako, flashing his left foot.
The ball pierced into the top right corner of the goal with a beautiful trajectory, resulting in a dramatic turn of events as the team managed to equalize from a 2-point deficit in the final minute of the game.
As the ranking was undecided, the game moved to a penalty shootout and GK Yamada stopped two shots from the opponent, leading to victory.
Promotion to the top league has been decided.
It was only because we all continued to fight with all our might without giving up that we were able to barely open the door to advancing to the top league, which had once been closed off.
We will continue to fight as a team against tough opponents tomorrow.