On the fourth day of the American expedition, today we played against COLORADO RAPIDS in the group stage second match.

Starting Lineup for Today

In strong winds, Tokyo stands downwind and moves the ball from side to side, searching for an attacking opportunity from the start.
In the first half, Sugiyma and Shinaida led the team towards the goal, but it became a midfield battle and we couldn't create any decisive chances.

In the second half, where there was a higher awareness towards the goal, Imamura, who came on as a substitute, took a shot just 1 minute after the start, creating a rhythm in the attack.
Tokyo, who occasionally gets attacked and faces sharp middle shots from the opponent, does not let them score.
The second half, which became against the wind, became even stronger, and the ball possession rate increased due to the opponent team having a player sent off.
The long-awaited opening goal came in the 69th minute, as Suzuki (Tomoki) broke through the left side and passed it to Imamura, who was waiting in the center.
Imamura's shot was initially blocked, but he managed to score a valuable goal by pushing in the loose ball.

A circle of joy around Imamura who scored the winning goal

After that, there were also scenes where they received a short counter, but they defended one point and gained three points. They jumped to the top of the group league.
After the match, Coach Tadashi NAKAMURA commented, "The players' movements themselves seemed heavy, but it was good that we were able to win 1-0."

Greetings to the Japanese residents living in the local area after the match.	Group Photo

After the match, I finished my meal and witnessed the battle of the same generation by watching the match between the Mexican national team U-17 and Valencia CF.
Dinner was enjoyed at a restaurant near the hotel, with the cooperation of the restaurant, where we savored a steak unique to America and refreshed ourselves.

Watch games of the same generation	Devour the steak

The next match will be the 3rd group stage match against PHILADELPHIA UNION (kickoff at 10:00 local time on the 22nd).