The third day of the France expedition has started.
The children have gotten used to life on site and are spending their time comfortably.
I woke up around 6 o'clock, prepared breakfast, and went to the bakery again this morning!!
Today, we chose one type per pair, and since we also prepared bread sold at French supermarkets, we ate them together. The children really liked the authentic French bread and enjoyed it very much!
After breakfast, I had some free time, so I took a walk nearby.
A townscape rich in nature, houses with large gardens, horses kept at home—an atmosphere rarely seen in Tokyo. The air was very clear, and I enjoyed a pleasant walk.
After returning from the walk, we visited the local school.
From the moment I arrived, they greeted me with "TOKYO" and welcomed me warmly!
At school, we first played soccer together in the schoolyard. From that time, the local children surrounded us, wanting autographs on paper, clothes, and various other items, making the children very popular!!
After playing in the schoolyard, I was invited to the classroom of children in the same 10-year-old class, where I introduced myself and answered the prepared questions.
I share many common interests such as favorite soccer players and anime, and sushi, my favorite food, was also very popular in France!
The local children listened intently and made eye contact when the FC Tokyo school students were speaking, reacting sincerely, which was very impressive.
Also, at the classroom, FC Tokyo school students taught local children how to fold origami cranes and helmets. Even though communication was difficult, they took on the challenge of conveying through gestures and other means.
After finishing the program in the classroom, we moved to the cafeteria with the local children and had school lunch together.
At this school, everyone moves together to the cafeteria, which is a little away from the school building.
At that time, older children held hands with the younger children in the toddler class, and local residents managed traffic to ensure the children could move safely while being well protected.
The local kids waved their hands even while eating and invited me to eat together.
Even after finishing eating, the children who went out earlier waited outside, and the kids felt like celebrities again as they were asked for autographs!
After lunch, we returned to the lodging once, and then, in preparation for the tournament starting tomorrow, we first reviewed the footage of the training matches held in Japan to align our team strategy.
After that, they moved to the field for training, and finally played a training match against ONE FC MIAMI, owned by former French national team player Matuidi.
The team failed to gain momentum at the start of the match, conceding goals early on, and the score became 0-2.
Gradually, our bodies started moving better, we got used to the opponent's speed, showcased our own strengths, and managed to score one goal, but the match ended as it was with a 1-2 loss in the training match.
We will thoroughly review the issues such as how we started the match and apply the lessons learned to tomorrow's main event.
For dinner, I went to Coco's house again and had her make taco rice for me.
It was my first rice meal since coming to France, and after training and moving my body, I had a great appetite.
For dessert, we had crepes again today, and the children have come to love Coco's home, where delicious meals are made every day.
After returning to the dormitory from Coco's house, I reviewed the day and checked the schedule for tomorrow before going to bed.
The main tournament starts tomorrow!
The children are motivated to demonstrate the results of the two months of training they undertook before coming to France, as well as today's training match!
