International Friendly Match
Tue. 17 December 2019 14:30 (Local Time) Match duration 90mins (45mins×2)
Stade Olympique de Rades (Tunis, Tunisia)

U-16 Japan National Team 3-1 (1-1, 2-0) U-16 Tunisia National Team

Scores
23' goal against (U-16 Tunisia National Team)
36' CHIBA Kanta (U-16 Japan National Team)
56' YAMAME Kensei (U-16 Japan National Team)
87' HONBO Kanaki (U-16 Japan National Team)

Starting Line-up
GK: TAKAHASHI Ippei
DF: MORITA Sho, OZAWA Nozomi, KUDO Kota, MATSUDA Hayate
MF: KODA Hidemasa, TOYAMA Haruki, FUJIWARA Kensuke, HIGASHI Ren
FW: CHIBA Kanta, KATSUSHIMA Shinnosuke

Reserves
DF: SUWAMA Kosei, ISHIZUKA Shin
MF: TANADA Ryo, MIKI Jinta, SATO Yosei, HONBO Kanaki
FW: SUZUKI WADI Ibrahim, YAMAME Kensei

*GK KIMURA Ryoya was not included into the bench

Substitutions
HT TOYAMA Haruki → HONBO Kanaki
HT KATSUSHIMA Shinnosuke → YAMAME Kensei
HT HIGASHI Ren → TANADA Ryo
60' CHIBA Kanta → SUZUKI WADI Ibrahim
68' KODA Hidemasa → ISHIZUKA Shin
73' FUJIWARA Kensuke → MIKI Jinta
73' MATSUDA Hayate → SATO Yosei
82' OZAWA Nozomi → SUWAMA Kosei

Match Report

On Tuesday 17 December, the U-16 Japan National Team played an international friendly match against the Tunisia National Team, who consisted players from both U-16 and U-18 category.

Since arriving in Tunisia on Saturday 14, the U-16 Japan National Team played a training match in Sousse on Sunday 15, before making their ways to Tunis. With this being a rare visit by the Japan National Team, the Tunisian Sports Agency has made the arrangement to host the match at Stade Olympique de Rades, a prestige stadium in Tunisia that can hold over 60,000 people. The stadium is the home stadium for two of the clubs based in Tunis, Club Africain and Esperance Sportive de Tunis, while the venue has also hosted many matches for the Tunisia National Team.

The match started with Tunisia taking the initiative, as the home side utilised their height advantage to apply aggressive pressure against Japan. The opening goal came in the 23rd minute, when Tunisia broke through the right side and converted a deflection off a cross. Although struggling to find their rhythm to possess the ball, Japan managed to equalise the match in the 36th minute, when CHIBA Kanta converted a cross sent by MORITA Sho, sending the match into halftime with an even score of 1-1.

While coach YAMAHASHI Takashi gave out detailed directions to his players during halftime, the Tunisian side changed majority of their players to start the second half, as they showed great intensity from the early minutes. Despite facing aggressive pressure from the home side, Japan gradually picked up their pace to take control over the match, as they scored the go-ahead goal in the 56th minute, when KODA Hidemasa broke through the right side to setup the goal for YAMAME Kensei. With the two sides showing an equally balanced bout, the match entered a deadlock until Japan broke the silence in the 87th minute, when Japan forced a turnover deep in the opposing territory, allowing HONBO Kanaki to strike a mid-range shot that pierced the Tunisian goal. Time ran out soon after this goal, as Japan took the first international friendly match against Tunisia 3-1.

The U-16 Japan National Team will once against face the U-16/U-18 Tunisia National Team on Saturday 21 December.

Players' Comments

DF #3 KUDO Kota (Urawa Red Diamonds Youth)
Although we struggled against the individual skills and athleticism showcased by the Tunisian players in the early minutes, we managed to make the necessary adjustments as the match progressed and level the match within the first half. We were forced to be in the defensive end for a long stretch during the second half, but it was great to see us keep a clean sheet and score two goals to win the match. However, we still saw plenty of room for improvements, so we must improve ourselves ahead of our next match and try to showcase a better performance next time.

MF #14 KODA Hidemasa (Nagoya Grampus U-18)
With this being my first selection into the national team, I was feeling pretty nervous at first. I struggled against the opponent’s speed and power at first, but I was able to make the adjustments as the match progressed and managed to assist a goal by showcasing my dribbling skills. It would have been better if I was able to score a goal myself, so I will continue to work hard and strive to score a goal that can help the team win the match.

MF #19 FUJIWARA Kensuke (Jubilo Iwata U-18)
We knew this was going to be a tight match, so we wanted to focus on the quality of our build-ups and finishing. I was able to get myself involved in our team’s offence and help the team score goals, so I hope to continue on that trend. However, I still need to do a better job defensively and improve my endurance level. It was great that we were able to win the match, so we hope to keep this positive vibe going for the following matches.

FW #10 CHIBA Kanta (Shimizu S-Pulse Youth)
We were overwhelmed by our opponent’s physical strengths and intensity level at the early minutes and allowed them to take the early lead. However, we managed to keep our composure and come from behind to win the match. I personally was able to showcase my individual strengths and score a goal for my team. I will strive to score as many goals as possible and try to help the team win all matches during this tour.

Schedule

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

International Friendly Match - Tunisia Tour

Dates: Fri. 13 - Mon. 23 December 2019

Match Information