Panda Cup 2016 3rd Match　vs　U-19 China PR National Team
2016-6-19 (Sun.) - 15:00   Playing Time: 90min. (45min.×2)
Shuangliu Sports Centre Stadium (Chengdu/China)

U-19 China PR National Team　0-0 (0-0, 0-0)　U-19 Japan National Team

Line-ups
GK: OSAKO Keisuke
DF: KOJIMA Masaya, TOMIYASU Takehiro, NAKAYAMA Yuta, YANAGI Takahiro
MF: DOAN Ritsu, SAKAI Daisuke, ICHIMARU Mizuki, SUGIMORI Koki
FW: IWASAKI Yuto, KISHIMOTO Takeru

Substitutes
GK: KOJIMA Ryosuke
DF: URATA Itsuki, MACHIDA Koki, OMINAMI Takuma
MF: NAGANUMA Yoichi, TAKAGI Akito, KUBOTA Kazune
FW: KAKITA Yuki, OGAWA Koki

HT　YANAGI Takahiro → URATA Itsuki
HT　SUGIMORI Koki → NAGANUMA Yoichi
63'　IWASAKI Yuto → TAKAGI Akito
63'　KISHIMOTO Takeru → KAKITA Yuki
79'　ICHIMARU Mizuki → KUBOTA Kazune

Match Report

The U-19 Japan National Team faced the host country China PR in the final match of the Panda Cup 2016.

The contest kicked off in scorching 36+-degree-Celsius heat. In the first half, against China PR, who played on counterattacks taking advantage of Japan's errors, Japan sought for a goal by robbing the ball at high positions in the opposing end through collective defence. They had several chances to score but failed to convert before entering the second half scoreless.

The match was continuously in Japan’s control into the second half. Japan strung passes together to attack, but their mistakes became apparent due to fatigue and heat, which allowed China's counterattacks threatening Japan. Japan’s repeated attacks from sides attempting to open the deadlock did not work out before the match ended in a scoreless draw.

As a result, Japan won the back-to-back tournament title after two wins and one draw. SAKAI Daisuke was selected to tournament's MVP.

Coach and Players' Comments

UCHIYAMA Atsushi, Coach
I'm happy our Panda Cup campaign ended in a great result, winning the title again, following the last year. My players worked hard in every match with a continuous hard-running effort even in the heat. Talking about today's China match, we wanted to finish with a win against the Asian rival whom there is a possibility to face in the AFC U-19 Championship 2016 in October, and I think the players are disappointed as well. 

Even so, conceding only one goal in the three tournament matches is one of the achievements out of our continuous effort, considering the fact that we had kept conceding goals in every match in this year. We are not going to be satisfied with this result and have to keep going. We will try to get ready for the October contests. Finally, I would like to give my appreciation to the fans coming to the stadium and supporting us from Japan. Thank you all for your support.

DF #3  NAKAYAMA Yuta (Kashiwa Reysol)
The final match was against China. Other than winning the title, it was an important match in the sense that we might be facing them in the AFC U-19 Championship 2016 when winning through. Then, it resulted in a draw. We got some good moments getting in front of goal but wasted chances in the finishing part. I felt we needed to improve finishing quality. The opponents created a defensive block and played on counterattacks, and we allowed them to get into the box at times. That's the thing we need to improve. I am glad that I found things to improve during this stint and realized that I still have room for growth. I want to make efforts to grow further.

MF #14  TAKAGI Akito (Gamba Osaka)
Today against China, we tried to go out in a good mood to win the away match and finish the tournament with three wins. Japan kept the possession from the start, while China defended with a defensive block. Our attacking went well till the penalty box, but we failed to elude the opposing tenacious defence in the finishing part. After all, individual calm judgement and skills are crucial in a match like today’s, and it's important to perform well then. We drew today but won't waste learnings out of the results and try to share them within the team.

DF #16  KOJIMA Masaya (Vegalta Sendai)
We were able to end the China trip with the title. Talking about myself, I found a lot of things to improve while playing the Czech and China matches. Especially, accuracy of my crosses was bad, so I will practise after getting back to my own team.

GK #12  OSAKO Keisuke (Sanfrecce Hiroshima Youth)
We tried to keep concentration as a team right after kick-off and manage risks while attacking as well as keep the defensive line compact. But as the match got closer to the end, we started to make errors and allowed the opponents to create chances. I will practise to be a player who can play with high concentration and great accuracy throughout a match.

Schedule

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