Tue. 21 June

Ahead of the U-16 International Dream Cup 2016 starting on Wednesday 22 June, "00 Japan" had two-a-day training to get ready for the first match against the U-16 Hungary National Team.

The squad spent time working on 3-on-2, 5-on-4 and 8-on-7 drills each with goalkeepers in the morning. Their training theme included how to break through defence at the final third of the pitch, how to convert goal-scoring opportunities, collective defence and its line controlling as well as defence in front of goal. The players repeated tactical training with the number of players increasing in three stages as the drills moved on.

Aiming to win within 90 minutes is a matter of course, but when the match ends up in a draw, a penalty shootout is played to determine a win or a loss. All the players including goalkeepers practised penalty kicks. The afternoon session mainly had tune-up of set pieces in addition to player movement drills in cross ball situations involving defenders that focused on moving timing and intensity in front of goal.

The opening ceremony was held at night with the four participating teams deepening friendship through their stage performances and commemorative gift exchanges. The Hungary squad showed an act filled with a sense of unity, while the Mali side demonstrated a unique eye-catching performance. Mexico first seemed embarrassed but started gradually exposing themselves, finishing their stage with passionate singing in chorus. Even though the players from different countries couldn’t communicate in words, their emotional performances were quite impressive.

At the end of the ceremony, Wakasahyonosen-Juhyo Taiko Club entertained the attendees with Wadaiko (Japanese drums) performance. The players from each country were apparently interested in Japanese traditional culture, and the ceremony finished in a good mood.

The U-16 International Dream Cup 2016 will get underway tomorrow.

* "00 JAPAN" is the nickname of the U-16 Japan National Team that consists of members who were born after 2000.

Players' Comments

DF #5  KEMMOTSU Takumu (Shimizu S-Pulse Youth)
I couldn't join the last national team camp in India and Vietnam, and I felt frustrated. I will try to bring out what I've got in this tournament. Yesterday and today, we were instructed on battles for long balls, proper body directions for cross balls and how to cope in 1-on-1 situations. I will aggressively try to improve them in the matches starting tomorrow. I don't want to lose to anyone on 1-on-1 battles and try to keep the opponents from scoring in the first match tomorrow.

DF #16  NISHIO Ryuya (Cerezo Osaka U-15)
In this tournament, I will try to tackle my weakness like header battles and coaching during the matches against good teams. I found in today's training that my coaching still has some room to improve. I will judge each situation quickly and accurately communicate what I should communicate. There are still a lot of things to improve, but I won't walk away from those and keep trying. The team's mood is good, so we will communicate with each other more and definitely win the important first match tomorrow.

MF #12  KOZUKI Soichiro (Kyoto Sanga F.C. U-18)
During the India Vietnam camp, I learned how important it is for us to get used to the playing environment. I also found quality of each plays was what to improve. I've worked hard on them with my own team. This tournament's environment like the pitch condition and hotel is great, and there is no room for making excuse. I will try to show what I have against the world's top teams. I will take an aggressive challenge with my strength like running into space behind defenders, defending up front and shooting with good control. In today's training, I went through quick shifting between offence and defence and detailed positioning during situational drills and the set play practice. In tomorrow's match, I will stick to scoring a goal and go aggressively on 1-on-1 situations to create chances. We will win definitely.

Tottori Mayors' Comment

FUKAZAWA Yoshihiko, Mayor of Tottori City
Welcome to Tottori City. I'm happy the U-16 International Dream Cup 2016 takes place here in Tottori. I hope all the players will show heated matches with pride to represent his own country. It's a short stay here, but I would like you to experience Tottori's beautiful nature, history and culture.

Schedule

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