The U-19 Japan National Team short-listed squad started their training camp in Ishinomaki city, Miyagi prefecture. In the evening of 17 July, when the players arrived in the camp venue, 50 instructors who work locally visited the venue to join in the lecture led by the team’s Coach UCHIYAMA, and had a discussion about the outcome and issues in developing young players whilst supporting the U-19 Japan National Team.

In the next morning of 18 July, the team had a Soccer exchange meeting with local junior-high school students. 100 students joined this event and had a warming-up session and games to enjoy football together with the squad members.

In the afternoon, the rest of the players who were the members of J. League matches on 17th, joined the team and all of the short-listed players kicked off their training. They had a good training time with good sense of tension and positive communication amongst each other for 90 minutes. The camp will end on 20 July. On the last day the team will have a practice match against Sony Sendai FC.

Players' Comments

SAKAI Daisuke (Oita Trinita)
In this morning, we had an event to play with junior high school students of Ishinomaki, and it was a very precious experience which encouraged me. We will do our best to encourage people to share their dreams and hopes through football. To do this, it is important that I will play on the pitch of J. League or play even in foreign teams or the national team and to be a famous player. This time, there are many more things that we can learn apart from football, so I will work hard to learn as much as possible.

TAKIMOTO Haruhiko (Kashiwa Reysol)
I was happy to join in the event today with the ideas that I wanted to encourage the kids. This has been my first time to visit and see the people of tsunami affected area due to the Great East Japan earthquake. Now I have stronger passion to become the popular player of the national team or J. League and encourage people in the tsunami affected area. In the up-coming training, I want to learn a lot of things such as new defence approaches within these 3 days. I will keep thinking about what to do to save our goal.

ICHIMARU Mizuki (Gamba Osaka)
In the morning, we had an event to play with junior high school students. They are the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and we could enjoy sharing the time together through football. I understood the power of football through this experience today. It has been 5 years since the earthquake, and I was encouraged by playing with the cheerful kids in Ishinomaki. In the afternoon we had the good training session for improving both the team and individual skills for the final qualifier. We have only 3 days, hence it is important that all of us keep working hard with high motivation and I want to improve myself as a player in this camp.

KAKITA Yuki (Kashima Antlers)
I am happy to be called up for the squad team again. Today we had a Soccer exchange meeting for the junior high school students in the morning. The students were very active and I was inspired by them; it was a very good football event with them. We also had a good training session in the afternoon. Until the final qualifier, we have such a limited time, so I want to maximise what we can do in every single moment. I will do my best to contribute to the team’s positive play.

Schedule

*Soccer exchange meeting will be held with junior highschool student in Ishinomaki City
*The schedule is subject to change due to the team condition, the weather, etc.