Ahead of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019, the U-17 Japan National Team left their campsite in Sao Paulo to make their way to the tournament site in Vitoria on Wednesday 23 October.

The three group stage matches for Japan will take place at Vitoria, a city on a small island within a bay located at the southeast coast of Brazil. After arriving to the airport in the afternoon, the team went to the beach to hold a light conditioning session, as they took a light jog to loosen up their body.

A meeting was held after dinner, as the team shared stories of the Rugby Japan National Team, who delivered a fantastic performance at the Rugby World Cup 2019 to surprise the world. The players were motivated by the stories and got themselves on the same page to compete at the world stage.

The FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019 will kick-off on Saturday 26, where four matches will take place, including a match played by Brazil. The U-17 Japan National Team will play their first group stage match against the U-17 Netherlands National Team on Sunday 27 at 20:00 local time (Monday 28 at 8:00 Japan time).

Players' Comments

GK #1 SUZUKI Zion (Urawa Reds Youth)
We were provided with a wonderful environment to hold our training camp where we were able to strengthen our team bond. Now that we have arrived at the match site, I am getting even more excited. In order to showcase our best performance at the World Cup, we will prepare ourselves in the best way possible within the limited time.

DF #5 HATA Taiga (Funabashi Municipal High School)
With just four days left before our match against the Netherlands, I am starting to get used to the environment in Brazil. The Rugby Japan National Team has given us great inspiration and we hope to showcase a performance that matches their enthusiasm. We will prepare ourselves both as a team and individuals so that we can enter the match against the Netherlands with great confidence.

DF #18 SUMI Kohshiro (FC Tokyo U-18)
The entire team has been able to arrive in Vitoria with a very relaxed atmosphere. Before making our ways to Vitoria, we were deeply inspired by the Rugby Japan National Team. We hope to showcase a performance that can encourage those who were affected by the recent typhoon and deliver a positive news for our country. With just four days left ahead of our match against the Netherlands, we will reset our minds and get ourselves ready for the match.

FW #9 WAKATSUKI Yamato (Kiryu Daiichi High School)
Following the conclusion of our training camp in Sao Paulo, we have now arrived in Vitoria ahead of our first group stage match against the Netherlands. With the World Cup just around the corner, I am getting more and more excited. I hope to showcase my full potential and play with this team until 17 November.

Schedule

*JFA Technical Director SEKIZUKA Takashi will attend team from Sat. 26 October to Sun. 3 November.
*The schedule is subject to change due to the team condition, the weather, etc.

FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019

Tournament Duration: Sat. 26 October - Sun. 17 November 2019

Group Stage:
Mon. 28 October 2019 8:00 (Japan Time)
vs U-17 Netherlands National Team

Thu. 31 October 2019 8:00 (Japan Time)
vs U-17 USA National Team

Sun. 3 November 2019 8:00 (Japan Time)
vs U-17 Senegal National Team

Tournament Information