International Friendly vs U-20 Club América
Tue. 11 September 2018 Kick-off time 10:30 (local time) Match duration 90mins (45mins×2)
Club América Fuerzas Básicas, Mexico City, Mexico

U-19 Japan National Team 3-1 (2-0, 1-1) U-20 Club América

Scores
20' HARA Taichi (U-19 Japan National Team)
35' ANDO Mizuki (U-19 Japan National Team)
55' goal against (U-20 Club América)
77' KUBO Takefusa (U-19 Japan National Team)

Starting Line-up
GK: WAKAHARA Tomoya
DF: KAWAI Ayumu, ABE Kaito, ISHIO Ryoga, HIGASHI Shunki
MF: HORI Kenta, YAMADA Kota, KUBO Takefusa, SAITO Koki
FW: ANDO Mizuki, HARA Taichi

Reserves
GK: OSAKO Keisuke, TANI Kosei
DF: HASHIOKA Daiki, SUGAWARA Yukinari, SEKO Ayumu, OGIWARA Takuya
MF: HIRAKAWA Rei, TAKI Yuta, ITO Hiroki, GOKE Yuta
FW: TAGAWA Kyosuke, MIYASHIRO Taisei

Substitutions
HT WAKAHARA Tomoya → OSAKO Keisuke
HT HARA Taichi → MIYASHIRO Taisei
62' SAITO Koki → TAKI Yuta
73' HORI Kenta → GOKE Yuta
81' ANDO Mizuki → HASHIOKA Daiki
88' KAWAI Ayumu → SUGAWARA Yukinari

Match Report

On Tuesday 11 September, the U-19 Japan National Team played their third match in Mexico, where they faced the U-20 Club América. The team earned a 3-1 victory over the local club team to finish off their Mexico tour with a high note ahead of the AFC U-19 Championship Indonesia 2018.

The team entered the match with a starting line-up that featured players who didn’t play in the match against the U-19 Brazil National Team. With the players showing their eagerness to play, it was Japan who took the initiative as they applied aggressive pressure to force turnovers from the frontline. The Japanese players kept their plays simple while anticipating for their chances to exploit the space behind the opposing defenders. In the 11th minute, KUBO Takefusa dribbled up the left flank before sending a cross towards the centre but failed to connect with anyone. Club América on the other hand, sought for their opportunities from both flanks as they continuously switched their point of attacks. Despite conceding a crucial opportunity for the local club side at one point, the Japanese defenders performed solidly to keep the score-line intact.

As the team picked up their rhythm through their solid defence, Japan managed to score the opening goal. The goal came in the 20th minute, when HIGASHI Shunki delivered a quick throw-in to HARA Taichi, who timed his run perfectly to break through the defence line and fired a powerful shot with his left foot that struck the goalpost before finding the back of the net. With momentum on their side, Japan kept on attacking as ANDO Mizuki received the ball at the edge of the penalty box and pierced the side net with his long-range effort in the 35th minute. Japan shook the net once more before halftime, when HORI Kenta sent a pass to Higashi who delivered an excellent cross to allow Ando to convert the delivery, but his effort was called off-side. The Japanese side performed well to take control of the match as they entered halftime with a score of 2-0.

Club América came out attacking aggressively in the second half as they managed to cut their deficit in half in the 55th minute, when they scored from a freekick directly. Unlike the first half, the Japanese players made numbers of mistakes and lost possession of the ball in many occasions. Perhaps the tight match schedule took a toll on their bodies, the team’s patience was being tested. Despite the tough stretch, Japan showcased great persistency to fight through and their patience prevailed in the 77th minute, when MIYASHIRO Taisei held onto the ball at the centre of the field before laying off the ball to Kubo, who took on the goalkeeper one-on-one and calmly converted the opportunity to score the team’s third goal. The match would see no further action as Japan finished off their final match with a 3-1 victory.

Including the match played in Japan, the U-19 Japan National Team recorded two wins and two draws during the full duration of this tour. The team fought off tough conditions such as the high altitude and time difference. Through the intense matches against Mexico and Brazil, the team found out many tasks to work on. But at the same time, the players also realised that they can put up an equal fight against the world’s powerhouses. The players will now return to their clubs before getting reassembled in October.

The AFC U-19 Championship Indonesia 2018 awaits the U-19 Japan National Team next month. The team will strive to secure their spot into the FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019 in order to face Mexico and Brazil again.

Coach and Players' Comments

KAGEYAMA Masanaga, Coach (U-19 Japan National Team)
Ahead of this October’s AFC U-19 Championship Indonesia 2018, this Mexico tour served a crucial role for the team. With many of our players entering their first year in the J. League, their playing time on the pitch varied quite a bit, and everybody came with different conditions. After conducting a match against the U-19 Vietnam National Team in Chiba, we entered Mexico, where we conditioned ourselves with under a 14-hour time difference and an altitude of 2300 meters. With the efforts made by our players and staffs, we managed to heighten our form day by day, while each player showcased an intense competition within the team. Our third match against Brazil has made us realise how tough it can be to face the world’s top team. We continuously applied pressure, but they found ways to evade from our approach either with their individual efforts or collective efforts. In offence, we tried to carry the ball upfront with a collective approach, but their pressure was so intense, we could barely keep our heads up. The level of football exerted by the Brazil side was something we have not experienced before. Our team managed to maintain a high level of focus while staying discipline throughout the match to finish the match with a tie, but the match made us realise that we must strive for higher levels. This may sound harsh, but not everyone on this squad will make it to the AFC U-19 Championship Indonesia 2018. We will select the best possible players to fill the 23-man roster to earn our ticket to the World Cup. After watching Coach MORIYASU Hajime leading the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) to a wonderful start, we must follow them by winning the battles in Asia. We will strive to earn great results both as a team and as individuals and hope to see these players challenge the SAMURAI BLUE in the close future.

DF #3 KAWAI Ayumu (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
I am very happy to be selected into the travel squad for this Mexico tour. This has been a very productive tour with many things to learn. The fact that the team finished this tour undefeated, despite facing strong teams like Mexico and Brazil has given us great confidence. The altitude was very high in Mexico, and I was getting out of breath easily. But through this tour, it made me realise how important it is to adapt to the surroundings in order to condition yourself to the top form. During the simulation tour in March, we were given the opportunity to experience the tough environment surrounding Indonesia. Once I return to my club, I will give my very best so that I can earn my spot into the national team for the AFC U-19 Championship Indonesia 2018.

DF #15 HIGASHI Shunki (Sanfrecce Hiroshima Youth)
I learned so many things during this tour on and off the pitch. Especially in our match against the U-19 Brazil National Team, our opponents showcased great individual skills with high intensity, while executing their plays with enormous power and accuracy. However, it has also made us realise that if we can manage to make strong contact against our opponents while staying vocal within the team and position ourselves quick enough, we can create opportunities effectively and contain our opponents without conceding goals. Throughout this tour there were scenes where the space behind our defence line was exploited because we were anticipating a pass to the opponent’s feet. In the future, we must make quicker decisions and be able to respond in either scenario. In offence, I felt the need to become a player that can initiate the attacks for the team. We have only one month left until the AFC U-19 Championship Indonesia 2018, so once we return to our clubs, we must work hard to heighten our overall quality.

MF #9 KUBO Takefusa (Yokohama F・Marinos)
Including the match we played in Japan, it was great that we managed to stay undefeated through the four matches we played, despite facing very tough stretches in each of the matches. This tour gave us a great learning experience, as we got to face the top teams of the world while seeing in first-hand how physical the North and South American teams played. Playing under the 14-hour difference and the high altitude has given us a great experience, but the most important aspect we must overcome is the match schedule with one day rests. With less than a month left ahead of the AFC U-19 Championship Indonesia 2018, we must work hard both as a team and as an individual to earn our ticket to the World Cup.

FW #11 ANDO Mizuki (Cerezo Osaka)
I was getting very limited playing time at my own club, so getting called up to this team was very important for me. The match against the U-19 Mexico National Team was a very difficult match especially because we were still getting used to the environment, but we managed to work together as a team and tie the match 1-1. In our match against U-19 Brazil National Team, our team managed to cope with the strong opponents both at an individual level and as a team to fight through the tough match to finish with another 1-1 tie. And in our final match against the U-20 Club América, we were able to win 3-1. I struggled to showcase my strengths during our first two matches against Mexico and Brazil, but I finally got to perform the way I intended in our final match. This was all made possible by the efforts of the players, and the help of the staffs and supporters. Through this Mexico tour, we were able to build a core foundation of the team. You never know what will happen at the AFC U-19 Championship Indonesia 2018, but we must be prepared for any given scenarios and respond promptly on the pitch. We will now return to our clubs and strengthen our individual skills so that we can gather back again to form an even stronger U-19 Japan National Team.

Schedule

*Local Time
*The schedule is subject to change due to the team condition, the weather, etc.
*The official name of the National Training Centre of Mexican Football Federation is as follow:
　Centro de Alto Rendimiento de la Federacion Mexicana de Futbol
*Please be advised that depending on the circumstance of the venue, an admission restriction may apply.

International Friendly Match

Match Dates: Sun. 2 - Thu. 13 September 2018
Match Venue: National Training Centre of Mexican Football Federation, Mexico
For more information