Training Match
17 January 2015  8:30 Kick Off　Copacabana Beach(Brazil/Rio de Janeiro)

Beach Soccer Japan National Team　4-2（1st 3-1、2nd 0-1、3rd 1-0） Vasco da Gama

Scores
6min　ODA Hirofumi（Beach Soccer Japan National Team）
9min　ODA Hirofumi（Beach Soccer Japan National Team）
14min　Goal Against（Vasco da Gama）
14min　MATSUO Naoya（Beach Soccer Japan National Team）
18min　Goal Against（Vasco da Gama）
42min　ODA Hirofumi（Beach Soccer Japan National Team）

Starters
GK：TERUKINA Shingo
FP：KOMAKI Masayuki、MOREIRA Ozu、GOTO Takasuke、OBA Takaaki

Substitutes
GK：SUGITA Tetsuji、GINOZA Tomoya
FP：TABATA Teruki、MAKINO Shinji、ODA Hirofumi、MATSUO Naoya、HARAGUCHI Shotaro、YAMAUCHI Shusei、AKAGUMA Takuya

Non-registered members
FP：TOMA Masahito

Match Report

The first match for Japan National Beach Soccer Team during the South America trip was against Brazilian powerhouse Vasco da Gama. A regular official match is played by three 12-minute periods, but three 15-minute periods were employed to provide playing opportunities to more players.

Japan gained an early lead with two goals by Oda Hirofumi in the 6th and 9th minutes. Although allowing one goal to the opponents, Matsuo Naoya struck an impressive shot right after and maintained the good momentum until the first period ended with Japan’s 3-1 lead.

Japan committed many mistakes in the second period, which allowed Vasco da Gama to play their style and narrow the deficit to one goal.

The third period was fairly even, but three minutes before the time-up, Oda scored another, completing his hat-trick, to make the score 4-2 and give Japan the first victory of the South America trip.

Comments

Marcelo MENDES Head Coach
I am very satisfied with this match being our first in this trip. Before the opening, I was thinking that the jet lag, this heat, and hard training we did for three days here would affect our performance. But in this match our team showed good performance with right balance between offence and defence. Our opponents Vasco da Gama are a very experienced team and one of the best here with eight players on Brazil National Team. Winning this match 4-2 against such a great team with everyone playing his minutes, I am very satisfied.

TABATA Teruki (TOKYO LEQUIOS BS)
I am happy that we won the first match in this trip. We started match well, and we were able to show good plays as a team. But when we lost our rhythm, we kept making mistakes that led to conceding a goal. So from tomorrow, we will need to improve the way we fight back when we don’t have a good rhythm going. If we can do that, we can control matches better. We want to keep playing good matches, not only to win.

YAMAUCHI Shusei (G.C.Nerine)
Since we arrived in Brazil, we had had good preparation including fitness training and scrimmages until this match today. I am satisfied with the 4-2 result, but we can keep working on more details. We have been trying to work on our new tactics and new play styles, but in this match there were many moments when we were too scared of losing the ball to take risks. We want to keep trying out variety of things in a training match like this. We will keep making challenges, looking forward to the AFC Beach Soccer Championship in March and the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in July.

Schedule

*Local time