【Match Report】U-15 Japan National Team face Spain in the first match of the COSTA CALIDA U15 SUPERCUP 2023

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27 April 2023

【Match Report】U-15 Japan National Team face Spain in the first match of the COSTA CALIDA U15 SUPERCUP 2023

On Wednesday 26 April, the U-15 Japan National Team played their first ever international match against the U-15 Spain National Team in the Costa Calida U15 Super Cup 2023.

The match started with Japan taking the initiative, as KAMO Yuito (Kashiwa Reysol U-15) and YOSHIDA Minato (FC Tama Junior Youth) worked in tandem to break down the left flank before setting up the goal of SAKAGUCHI Yuki (Kobe FC Junior Youth) in the 14th minute. However, effectively utilising the width of the pitch, Spain soon rallied back by scoring three unanswered goals in the 26th, 35th, and 40th minutes to take a 3-1 lead at halftime.

Japan stared off the second half with a goal scored by HIROOKA Eita (Kashiwa Reysol U-18) to cut their deficit in half but struggled to create further chances against the tenacious defensive efforts showcased by Spain.

In efforts to change the dynamics of the match, Japan’s head coach HIRATA Reiji introduced TANAKA Hiei (Yokohama F.Marinos Junior Youth) and DOIGUCHI Ritsu (Vissel Kobe U-15) in the 53rd minute, which allowed Japan to win the ball in the opposing end more often. This substitution came to fruition in the 62nd minute, when KASAI Mibuki (Shonan Bellmare U-18) converted a penalty kick earned by Doiguchi to equalise the match.

After the two sides utilised their substitutions to bring in more fresh legs, it was Spain who had the last laugh, as they exploited the gap between the Japanese defenders with a through ball to score the decisive goal in the 76th minute. With this goal, Spain won the match with a final score of 4-3.

The U-15 Japan National Team will now face the U-15 England National Team on Friday 28 April.