With one day to go until the first match of the tournament, the U-17 Japan National Team held two practice sessions, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, on the second day of their tour.

In the morning, the players practiced controlling and passing the ball in varying lengths. And, in the afternoon, they geared up simulating an actual game situation through man-on-man training and an intra-squad scrimmage on a half-length pitch. To end the day, they carefully went through their set pieces.

‘Stay motivated’ and ‘it’s tomorrow’ were the phrases coach YAMAGUCHI Motohiro repeatedly used to encourage the players. In contrast to the relaxing atmosphere and comfortable temperature under the sun in the Czech Republic, the team held an intense training session on the field.

Coach and Players' Comments

TAKAKUWA Daijiro, GK Coach
You must have basic knowledge of how to use your bodies by this age. So I expect the players to respond to physical demands. Although there are only a few practice sessions during this tour, I’d like them to re-learn the importance of the basics, while striving for the top level. I also hope that the players will gain excellent experience by playing against European teams.

GK #18  OKI Yuya (Kashima Antlers Youth)
I’m proud of joining the national team. I’ve been getting myself in good condition in preparation for this Czech Republic tour. Despite the fact that all the players are struggling with jet lag, each have been displaying his strength. So I’m quite positive about tomorrow’s game. I’ll play hard to keep a clean sheet. By winning the championship and thus attaining the positive result, I seek to be selected again next time.

DF #15  OKANIWA Shuto (F.C. Tokyo U-18)
As it’s the first time I’ve joined the team, I’m trying to communicate with my teammates as much as possible. I believe my strength is stamina. While my primary emphasis is to defend solidly as a full back, I would also like to contribute to the team by overlapping and attacking aggressively, creating chances and scoring goals. In doing so, I will be pleased if all these things lead us to the victory of the tournament.

Schedule

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

[23rd International Youth Tournament of Václav Ježek 2016]
GroupA: Czech Republic, Ukraine, Japan, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
GroupB: Slovakia, USA, Hungary, Russia