U-16 Japan National Team, who beat U-17 Hiroshima Selection Team in the Balcom BMW CUP International Youth Soccer in Hiroshima 2015 on previous day, had the 4th day of their activities. On 9 August, U-16 team players participated in the peace study programme which was organised by the mentioned Balcom BMW Cup with the other three teams.

The programme was held in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The players gave prayers and put flowers in front of the peace memorial monument. Then they had an opportunity to listen to the series of stories of the effect caused by the atomic bomb in Hiroshima in 1945 by a staff member of the park while visiting the Peace Memorial Museum and the A-bomb Dome. 

For the players it was a chance to understand the given fortune that they can always play football in a peaceful situation unlike the time of the atomic bomb. After the tour, they went back to the training for the match planned on the following day. 

The starting players of the previous match yesterday had a light conditioning exercises. Substitute players had time to check some tactics paying attention to making distance from the opponents for about an hour.

Players' Comments

KOBAYASHI Mao (F.C. Tokyo U-18)
At first I was nervous since I was selected for the squad team, but now I’m getting along with everyone well and enjoy myself on/off the pitch. By experiencing high-level football, I feel I haven’t show 100 percent of what I can do. 

In the next two matches, I want to keep my level of play. We’ll play against Uzbekistan tomorrow. Uzbekistan players are physically advantageous since most of them are bigger than us, so we will try to make decision quicker and break through with our technics.

WAKAHARA Tomoya (Kyoto Sanga F.C.U-18)
It’s been only three days since we came to play as a squad team. There are many players who joined the team for the first time, but we have gradually made a team knowing each other well. 

In the match we had yesterday, we could communicate well in the pitch and I feel we are making a good teamwork. Personally my condition is getting better so tomorrow I want to do my best to contribute to the team’s victory.

TAKAGI Shinya (Kagawa Nishi High School)
It is very good for me that I was selected as a squad player and have the opportunity to play with wonderful players. Everybody is good at making good passes so we just enjoy football, making the ball around. Yesterday, I couldn’t receive the ball at the bottom since I tried to go behind the defense too much. I want to gain varieties of tactics as a forward player to make the next games good ones. 

Schedule

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

Balcom BMW CUP International Youth Soccer in Hiroshima　Match Schedule