[Day 5 of Korea Expedition]

On the fifth day of the expedition, we will face two teams that are competing for the top positions in a tournament held in Korea.
The first match was played against a team called Kim Hite Soccer Center, with two 35-minute halves.

There was snow remaining on the field, and the match was played with rain starting partway through. The first half ended 0-0 with few chances for either side.

In the second half, we wanted to score, but just one minute in, a pass exchange in our own half was intercepted by the opponent, resulting in a goal against us. After that, the rain made the ball slippery, and we struggled under the opponent's intense pressing, conceding another goal in our own half at the 5th minute of the second half. At the 9th minute, we conceded again from a corner kick. Early mistakes affected us, and unable to show our strengths, the match ended 0-3.

The opponent in the second match, in which we desperately wanted to win, was Kidong Middle School, and we played two 30-minute halves.

Right at the start of the first half, a through pass was made from the opponent’s left side to a speedy player, who then dribbled through and took a shot, resulting in a goal against us. Immediately after conceding, player Asano broke through with a dribble and struck a left-footed shot, but the ball was denied by the goalpost and no goal was scored. At the 9th minute of the second half, while trying to clear an opponent’s cross by stretching out his leg, the ball went toward our goal, resulting in an own goal.
Following the first match, we conceded consecutive goals early on again, and the first half ended 0-2.

In the second half, we switched our mindset from the start and attacked boldly. At the 5th minute of the second half, Asano’s shot in front of the goal was blocked by the opponent, the ball hit the goalpost, and Yonemoto calmly tapped in the rebound to score one goal. From there, Tokyo went on the offensive, creating multiple scoring chances such as Ishihama’s volley shot, Nakajima’s one-on-one with the opposing goalkeeper, and Asano’s long-range shot, but we couldn’t score. Defensively, with solid defense centered around Kidera and Onda, we did not allow the opponent to score. However, at the 18th minute of the second half, in a match with intense transitions between offense and defense, the opponent carried the ball in front of the goal and scored, making it 1-3. We were unable to score afterward, and the match ended as it was.

The last dinner in Korea was Galbitang!

It was a very delicious dish that warmed our chilled bodies.

Tomorrow is the final day of the expedition. We hope to see the culmination of this trip take shape.

・Player Keiyu Sugimura
Today was the fifth day of the Korea expedition. Although there were many times before when we couldn’t keep time or forgot things, today we properly carried out what we all discussed and I think we were able to reduce mistakes as a team. Not just this time, but going forward, we will raise our standards as a team so that these things become natural.
In terms of soccer, the opponents were older and more skilled than us, which often challenged our decision-making speed and technique. As a team, I think we realized the importance of fearlessly 'challenging' ourselves to use our non-dominant foot. In the second match, I believe our decision-making speed and teamwork were the best among all the games so far. However, conceding a goal at the start of the match and not performing well in front of the opponent’s goal are challenges the team needs to address moving forward. We will do our best to grow even a little on the final day.

◇The report on the first day of the Korea expedition is here

◇The report on the second day of the Korea expedition is here

◇The report on the third day of the Korea expedition is here

◇The report on the fourth day of the Korea expedition is here