Day 5
On the 4th day, after the match against VfB Stuttgart, we spent a meaningful day watching the national team game. However, we didn't return to the hotel until after 1 am. As a soccer player, our true value is tested by how well we can recover in such a tough schedule without making excuses, especially after a 10-hour bus ride yesterday.
The match against SV Darmstadt 98 was a struggle against their well-organized build-up. In addition, there were many moments where the level of intensity, tenacity, and footwork in both attacking and defending in front of the goal was different from the everyday level in Japan. There were scenes where chances that would normally be scored were blocked, and shots were taken at timings that would normally not be allowed, showing the difference in standards and resulting in a 0-3 loss in the first half and a 0-2 loss in the second half.
The wall that was presented to us is high, but this is also a challenge that we were able to see because we came on a trip to Germany. At night, we hold a meeting with only the players for more than two and a half hours, and the atmosphere of "not wasting a single second of this trip" begins to flow through the team.
-Day 6-
The final match of this expedition will be held.
The opponent was Karlsruher SC, and they became opponents of the same level as 1.FSV Mainz 05 and VfB Stuttgart. Before the match, there was a presentation from the coach based on yesterday's player meeting.
The match will be a completely different game from before, with a strong start and pushing the opponent from the beginning. The players' movements show a strong determination, making it the best performance of the current expedition. There will be intense back-and-forth attacks, but the players will not back down from the opponent's strength and will fight back.
Match result was a 0-3 defeat.
However, after the game, there was a sight of players who honestly acknowledged the strength of the opponent and faced their own improvement points seriously. At the beginning of the expedition, the conversation between players was only lively, but on this day, only soccer talk could be heard.
They are the treasure of Tokyo, and I think they have been strongly influenced by the standards that are difficult to experience in Japan on this expedition. They have become a group hungry for victory while realizing the difficulty of winning. Looking ahead to the 2024 Emperor's Cup JFA U-18 Soccer Premier League, and even more so for their future, if they can sincerely face the standards they have gained on this expedition, I think this bitter feeling will have meaning.
Finally, we ate schnitzel, did some sightseeing in the city, and returned to the hotel.
Tomorrow is a travel day. It will be a long day, but I will return safely to Japan.
