The U-20 Japan Women's National Team left Narita Airport on Friday 4 November and arrived in Brisbane, Australia early morning the following day in order to start their final training camp in preparation for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Papua New Guinea.

Under the warm sun with the temperatures of 29 degrees, the players did some free running and stretching in the morning to recover from the trip. Coach TAKAKURA Asako encouraged the players prior to the session: ‘I’d like you to focus on every detail even in training, as that kind of effort may decide games in the World Cup’.

In the afternoon, the team started by working on agility through sprints and short-distance dashes. It is vital to practice hard everyday to beat strong international teams. Then they moved onto passing and controlling with one touch, followed by an eight-on-eight with a free player to practice possession to finish the training.  

Players' Comments

GK #1 HIRAO Chika (Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies)
We focused on recovery in the morning and practiced stepping, stopping shots and reacting to crosses in the goalkeeping session in the afternoon. Then we joined the field players for shooting practice at the end. Although I felt tired from the trip, I could stay focused. The championship, in which we aim to become the strongest in the world, is finally starting. Personally, I have a frustrating memory from the previous worldwide championship. I want to go further than the quarterfinals to thank people, who have been taking care of us and are supporting us, as well as for my teammates. As a start, I’d like to prepare well for the coming first game.

FW #9 NISHIDA Meika (CEREZO OSAKA SAKAI LADIES)
We arrived safely in Australia after an eight-and-a-half-hour flight. The sun is very strong here, which is different from Japan. We mainly focused on recovery in the morning, and practiced stepping and possession in the afternoon. We did some free kick competition at the end. It was great that there was a really good atmosphere around. Since we have only limited time before the championship, I’d like to concentrate on each day’s practice, so that we can get in good condition before leaving for Papua New Guinea. I’d like to show off my strength in the championship games, playing my role as a forward to score.

Schedule

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