The 30th Summer Universiade Napoli 2019 vs Argentina Universiade National Team
Fri. 5 July 2019 21:00 (local time) Match duration 90mins (45mins×2)
Stadio San Francesco (Salerno, Italy)

Japan Universiade National Team 3-0 (1-0, 2-0) Argentina Universiade National Team

Scores
45+1' UEDA Ayase (Japan Universiade National Team)
56' UEDA Ayase (Japan Universiade National Team)
90+3' Own goal (Japan Universiade National Team)

Starting Line-up
GK: ABE Koto
DF: YAMAHARA Reon, HONMURA Takeaki, TANAKA Shunta, MORISHITA Ryoya
MF: AKIMOTO Takahiro, YAMAMOTO Yuki, KONNO Kazuya, MITOMA Kaoru
FW: UEDA Ayase, HATATE Reo

Reserves
GK: OBI Powell Obinna
DF: NAKAMURA Hotaka, YAMAKAWA Tetsushi, TSUNODA Ryotaro
MF: TAKAMINE Tomoki, KANEKO Takuro, KODAMA Shunto
FW: OGASHIWA Tsuyoshi, HAYASHI Daichi

Substitutions
62' UEDA Ayase → HAYASHI Daichi
75' KONNO Kazuya → KANEKO Takuro
78' HATATE Reo → OGASHIWA Tsuyoshi
86' MITOMA Kaoru → TSUNODA Ryotaro

Match Report

On Wednesday 3 July, the 30th Summer Universiade Napoli 2019 kicked off its action, as the defending champions, the Japan Universiade National Team, faced Argentina in their tournament opener on Friday 5 July.

It was Japan who took the initiative of the match in the early minutes, as AKIMOTO Takahiro struck the post from distance in the fourth minute to threaten the Argentinian goal. KONNO Kazuya and YAMAHARA Reon linked up well in the right flank to create numbers of opportunities but fell short from scoring the opening goal. Japanese forward UEDA Ayase was taken down inside the opposing penalty area in the 30th minute, but he was called for a simulation foul and received a yellow card. Following their loss against Russia, Argentina showed great intensity to block away the Japanese offence. In the 42nd minute, another Japanese striker, HATATE Reo received a caution, casting a gloom over the defending champions. However, the deadlock was broken in additional time of the first half, when Hatate responded to a pass delivered from the midfield, as he later reflected, “The pass was a bit too long to take a shot, but I felt Ueda was waiting for the ball at the centre.” Just as the striker thought, Ueda connected with the cross delivered by Hatate to score the opening goal with his header.

With the one-goal lead, Japan increased their intensity in the second half. In the 56th minute, Ueda converted a direct free kick to mark his second goal of the match. Japan effectively utilised the width of the field to initiate their attacks, as Konno brought the crowd to their feet with his spectacular dribbling techniques. Upon making his substitution, Konno was given a loud applause from the local fans as he left the field. While Japan showed their dominance over Argentina, the team struggled to capture their third goal, as KANEKO Takuro’s goal was called back with offsides, and HAYASHI Daichi’s shot that shook the net was also called back with a hand ball committed during the play. In the third minute of additional time, Japan sealed their victory with another goal, as the shot taken by Hayashi deflected off an opposing defender and found the back of the net. With this own goal, Japan booked a 3-0 shutout victory to secure their spot into the quarterfinals.

Players' Comments

FW #9 UEDA Ayase (Hosei University)
The opponents came out man-marking us, so I observed the opposing players during the first halt to seek for holes to exploit. I was confident that we can exploit them, and the first goal came when Hatate delivered a perfect ball for me to convert. Due to my participation at the Copa America, I was late to join the team, but I was very familiar with my teammates, so I had no problem playing with this team. I consider the Copa America and this tournament to be a totally separate experience, and it is important that we win the title at this Universiade in Napoli. However, I must say that the experience I gained at the Copa America has allowed me to showcase a positive performance in today’s match.

FW #10 HATATE Reo (Juntendo University)
With this being our first match, we looked a bit nervous, but we were able to score our first goal from an ideal play from the flank. We entered the match with a 4-4-2 formation, and we had to make the adjustments on the field according to our opponent’s approach. I focused on giving our opponents a hard time by putting them in uncomfortable situations. With the team facing a South American team, we faced some difficult stretches, but as the team captain, I must keep the team composed at all times. I have the experience of playing the previous tournament and many other tournaments with the national team, so I hope to help out the team in many aspects.

FW #19 HAYASHI Daichi (Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences)
Although I started from the bench, I kept myself prepared so that I can help the team by scoring a goal when I enter the match. There were plenty of chances, so I wish I could have capitalised on those opportunities. Everyone on this team stayed vocal prior to the match which helped us enter the match with a positive atmosphere.

Schedule

*Local time
*The schedule is subject to change due to the team condition, the weather, etc.

The 30th Summer Universiade Napoli 2019

Tournament Duration: Wed. 3 - Sun. 14 July 2019

Tournament Information