Day 3 of England Expedition.

On this day, I took a walk along the beach in front of the hotel from 7:00 in the morning.
The temperature is low and the wind is cold. According to the locals, this is the usual weather.

After a walk, breakfast.
At the dining venue, we played our most recent game footage.
We reviewed the good and bad aspects of our play in preparation for today's match.

Just about everyone had finished eating when Coach Nakamura said, "We'll finish eating when the next good play happens."

However, it was a moment when I keenly felt the team's challenge of not being able to see good plays for about five minutes from there and the flow of the game deteriorating in the second half.

After that, we took a short break and lightly exercised our bodies for about 30 minutes in a nearby square.
The players also said, "Is it okay to play ball passing while wearing spikes in the square?"

It was a moment to reconsider the differences between Japan and England's environments.

And finally, the first match of the England tour against Sunderland AFC.
Inside the clubhouse, there are photos that convey the club's history and photos of players who have been promoted from the academy to the top team, including a photo of Jordan Henderson, the England national team player, during his academy days.

In the pre-match meeting, there was an introduction of a newspaper article about player Ryo NAKAMURA by coach Nakamura, and he said, "You cannot become a top player if you cannot adapt to any environment." Even though the environment is completely different from Japan, such as jet lag, unfamiliar food, and the texture of the turf, he talked about how you cannot become a truly strong player without producing results there, and we headed to the field while boosting the morale of everyone.

The opposing team, Sunderland, had mainly U-19 players and there was a clear physical difference.
The match duration is 45 minutes per half.

From the start, we put pressure on the opponent with quick approaches from the front line, and in the 3rd minute, Riku Kobayashi took advantage of the opponent goalkeeper's mistake and scored the opening goal. We will continue to play the game at our own pace by connecting simply. However, after the 25th minute, there was an unpleasant development with delays in play and decision-making.
Conceded a goal from a corner kick in the 33rd minute. The first half ends with a score of 1-1.
At halftime, Coach Nakamura gave instructions saying, "The team's challenge is to relax a little too much to match the opponent. Let's think about it carefully and try to finish until the end," and headed into the second half.

The second half kicks off after changing the members and system.
Creating rhythm with precise passes from the beginning, in the 54th minute, Kobayashi Riku was successfully stopped by a foul after breaking through. He obtained a penalty kick and decisively scored to make it 2-1.
However, just 2 minutes later, they took advantage of a momentary lapse in the delayed approach and conceded a goal.
After that, we continued to use all the players in rotation and engaged in a fierce battle with ups and downs. However, we conceded another goal from a corner kick in the 80th minute, and the game ended with a score of 2-3.
It was a game where our strengths and weaknesses became clear.

After the game, we were given a tour of Sunderland's facilities, which made us realize the difference in scale once again. We then returned to the hotel and had a late lunch, followed by a stroll around the city of Sunderland.

After returning to the hotel, it's free time.
Players spent their time in the hotel gym doing strength training, relaxing in the pool and jacuzzi.

After dinner, let's review the game.
While watching the scenes of conceding goals, there was a conversation with Coach Nakamura, saying "Various mistakes, including scenes not captured on video, are leading to conceding goals. It's not about whose mistake it is, but I want everyone to play while feeling responsible."

Tomorrow, there will be a match between Newcastle and Huddersfield.
I also want to absorb various things and connect them to growth!