Mon. 30 May

"00 JAPAN", who are currently on trip in Goa, India, held two practice sessions each in the morning and afternoon. The training was held under the blazing sun in temperatures of 34 degrees, which gradually put some physical strain on the players. As one of the vital aims of this trip was to acclimatise to the heat, they stayed vocal to practice hard in a good atmosphere.

The players started with exercises based on ‘moving preparation’ just like the day before, followed by some pace running to measure their heart rate and agility sprints to check their physical condition. Then they moved onto 3-on-2, 4-on-4 with three players, and 3-on-2 with a goalkeeper to focus on practicing both attacks and defence. The team finished the morning session with a 10-a-side practice game.

In the afternoon, they spent much time on tactics, including combination shots and 7-on-5 with a goalkeeper to go through attacks and defences in front of the goal. At the end, a local club team joined the session to focus on getting repeated hands-on practice. Although some players lost weight, suffered minor heatstroke, or their performance dropped, it has been good preparation for "00 JAPAN" ahead of the AFC U-16 Championship India 2016.

During the evening meeting, the players attended a lecture by medical staff and learned the importance of taking on fluids and the seriousness of heatstroke. The team discussed that they had to get used to the environment off the pitch, not to mention playing hard on the pitch. They finished their training session on 30 May.

Tue. 31 May

"00 JAPAN" again held two practice sessions on that day – one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. The players seemed to hit a peak of tiredness due to consecutive hot and humid days and an even stronger sun. The players worked on individual skills and tactics through set pieces rather than putting on more physical pressure, taking their fatigue into consideration.

In the morning, the players did their usual exercises – ‘moving preparation’, pace running, and agility sprints, so that they could understand their condition. Then they moved onto passing among six players and playing some 4-on-2. After gradually getting used to the pitch condition, they were targeting the quality of passing and receiving the ball. The players worked on the tasks for each of their respective positions to finish the morning session.

In the afternoon, the team started by practicing shots from crosses, followed by repeated practice of set pieces in two groups. The staff advised the players in detail until they clearly understood the positioning for each play, initial movements, and switching between attack and defence. At the end of the session, they did some core training as usual. The players did some sit-ups, back-extensions and push-ups the number of times they had set to finish the session on 31 May. They attended productive two-day practice sessions and prepared to play their first game in India against the U-18 India National Team on 1 June.

* "00 JAPAN" is the nickname of the U-16 Japan National Team that consists of members who were born after 2000.

Players' Comments

DF #19  NISHIO Ryuya (Cerezo Osaka U-15)
As I haven’t got used to this heat and environment, I made many technical mistakes during training sessions. I’d like to acclimatise to this environment more, so that I can perform well in the next session and in the game. I felt we needed to improve our communication. So I’d like to stay vocal in tomorrow’s match. I hope I will contribute to the team as much as possible, and I will keep a clean sheet. I’d like to aggressively challenge without fear of failure, even in attack, which is my area for improvement.

DF #22  KANO Kanato (JFA Academy Fukushima U15)
It was really hard to adjust to this environment after a long journey, as the temperature and meals were so different from ours. Due to the heat, I was in poor condition in the first session, and not able to move my body well. I have recovered from the tiredness by gradually getting used to things here. We’d like to prepare well and become more united through the warm-up prior to tomorrow’s game. I’d like to contribute to the team in any position or from the bench. I’ll observe carefully and think quickly how I can deploy my strengths.

FW #20  KURIHARA Ibrahim Junior (Mitsubishi Yowa SC Sugamo Junior Youth)
As it’s hot and humid in Goa, adjusting to the conditions is very tough. Having said that, I’ve got used to it gradually, and I believe I can play tomorrow’s game in good shape. By joining the U-16 Japan National Team for the first time, I realised that each area of my performance needs to improve to meet the standard. So I’d like to remain focussed, so that I can improve myself as much as possible. I’ll show off my strengths in tomorrow’s game, and run until the end despite the weather. I’ll contribute to the team’s victory.

Schedule

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