◆Date: Fri. 11 November [19:45 (local time)]
◆Venue: Gayal Beach (Neom, Saudi Arabia)

Japan Beach Soccer National Team 3 (2-4, 0-1, 1-3) 8 Brazil Beach Soccer National Team

【Goals】
<1p>
1' Goal against
2' Goal against
3' AKAGUMA Takuya
7' Goal against
10' MOREIRA Ozu
11' Goal against
<2p>
1' Goal against
<3p>
6' Goal against
7' Goal against
7' AKAGUMA Takuya
11' Goal against

Starting Line-up
GK KAWAI Yusuke
FP MOREIRA Ozu, MATSUO Naoya, OBA Takaaki, OKUYAMA Masanori

Reserve
FP YAMAUCHI Shusei, AKAGUMA Takuya, UESATO Takumi, KIBUNE Yuki, SAITO Gaiya, TANAKA Hayate

Suspended
SHIBAMOTO Shinya

Match Report

Brazil took advantage of KAWAI Yusuke's (Tokyo Verdy BS) error 25 seconds into the match, when the ball slipped out of the hands of the Japanese goalkeeper. Despite the defensive efforts made by MATSUO Naoya (Averdade Kumamoto BS) and Kawai, Brazil capitalised on the chance to take the lead. A minute later, the South American powerhouse scored again on a counterattack, demonstrating their offensive prowess right away.

In efforts to rally back, Japan effectively utilised their goalkeeper to possess the ball, as they quickly moved the ball to the flanks once the opponents committed numbers to pressure the goalkeeper. In the third minute, UESATO Takumi (Tokyo Verdy BS) delivered a pass to AKAGUMA Takuya (Lazo Apego Kitakyusyu), who superbly controlled the ball to set himself with a bicycle kick that found the back of the net. For Akaguma, this was his 100th goal for the national team.

Japan played patiently in defence against a Brazilian side that displayed their dominance in ball possession, but a goal in the seventh minute gave Brazil a two-goal lead once more. Although the goal scored by MOREIRA Ozu (Tokyo Verdy BS) in the 10th minute made it 2-3, Brazil converted a penalty kick in the 11th minute to finish the first period 2-4.

After conceding another goal at the beginning of the second period, Japan continued to be dominated in ball possession, but gradually found ways to evade the pressure to limit the damage. However, despite creating their own opportunities, Japan couldn’t find ways to convert them, as the score remained 2-5 going into the third period.

Japan created chances from the start of the third period but were denied by the Brazilian defence. After conceding back-to-back goals in the sixth and seventh minutes, Akaguma managed to pull one back with an overhead kick, but with Brazil adding another goal in the 11th minute, Japan lost the match with a final score of 3-8.

The Japan Beach Soccer National Team will now face the England Beach Soccer National Team in the fifth place play-off match on Saturday 12 November.

Players’ Comments

FP #6 AKAGUMA Takuya (Lazo Apego Kitakyusyu)
We entered the match against Brazil with a record of one win and one loss. We were very fired up for the match because a win against Brazil, who we had never beaten before, could have given us the ticket to the finals. However, our opponents were better than us in every aspect and we lost the match 3-8. We had been playing our matches with a sense of pride as the runners-up since placing second in the previous World Cup, but this match made us realise that we need to fight with a challengers' spirit. No matter who we are up against, we must support one another, and work hard for the team’s victory. We must try to make the most of this match for tomorrow and the upcoming Asian qualifiers. We will do everything in our power to win for our staff, who consistently go above and beyond for the team to keep the players healthy, and for the supporters who have stuck by us over the years. Individually, I was able to score my 100th goal for the national team. It has been eight years since I scored my first goal in 2014, and I could not have accomplished this feat on my own. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who has helped me, including my family, teammates, coaches, trainers, doctors, and fans. Thank you all. The 100th goal turned out to be a disappointing goal for me, but I'll keep this disappointment in mind as I work diligently to score the 200th goal and bring happiness to our supporters.

FP #7 OBA Takaaki (Loewe Yokohama)
With this loss, we are now out of contention for the title. This was a very frustrating loss, both as a team and as an individual. No matter how well we build our strategy as a team, it means nothing if the players cannot execute them on the pitch. Including the two goals we conceded at the beginning of the match, we gave up many goals from careless turnovers and counterattacks. We also failed to capitalise on our own chances. However, we do not have time to dwell on this defeat, so we must accept the result and move on. We will now strive to win our match against England and try to put on a performance that best reflects who we are as a team.

Neom Beach Soccer Cup

Tournament period: Wed. 9 - Sat. 12 November 2022

Tournament Information