SportChain Cup UAE 1st Match vs U-18 England National Team
Wed. 20 March 2019 Kick-off time 20:15 (local time) Match duration 90mins (45mins×2)
The Sevens Stadium (Dubai, UAE)

U-18 Japan National Team 1-4 (1-2, 0-2) U-18 England National Team

Scores
9' goal against (U-18 England National Team)
11' SHIBATA Sosuke (U-18 Japan National Team)
17' goal against (U-18 England National Team)
69' goal against (U-18 England National Team)
84' goal against (U-18 England National Team)

Starting Line-up
GK: MITSUI Daiki
DF: BANGNAGANDE Kashif, YAMASAKI Taichi, BABA Seiya, MATSUOKA Daiki
MF: MATSUHASHI Yuan, YAMAMOTO Rihito, SHIBATA Sosuke, SUZUKI Yuito
FW: KUMASAWA Kazuki, FUJIO Shota

Reserves
GK: NOZAWA Taishi Brandon
DF: INOUE Miki, KAWAMOTO Riyo, TAKAHASHI Yusho
MF: DOHI Kodai, SUZUKI Mizuki, TAKADA Soya
FW: KURIBARA Ibrahim Junior, TAKEDA Hidetoshi

Substitutions
HT MATSUHASHI Yuan → KAWAMOTO Riyo
HT BABA Seiya → INOUE Miki
65' FUJIO Shota → KURIBARA Ibrahim Junior
65' SUZUKI Yuito → TAKEDA Hidetoshi
72' SHIBATA Sosuke → DOHI Kodai
72' YAMASAKI Taichi → TAKAHASHI Yusho
85' MATSUOKA Daiki → TAKADA Soya
85' BANGNAGANDE Kashif → SUZUKI Mizuki

Match Report

On Wednesday 20 March, the U-18 Japan National Team faced the U-18 England National Team in their first match of the Sport Chain Cup UAE.

Ahead of the match, Acting Coach TOGASHI Koichi went over the game plan before sending off his players by telling them, “Let’s stay humble and modesty, play with persistency until the very end.”

It was England who captured the opening goal, as they converted a long ball from the midfield with a header in the ninth minute. However, Japan came back equalising the match just two minute later when SHIBATA Sosuke calmly slotted the ball into the net after a swift ball movement shown by the Japanese side.

England retook the lead in the 17th minute, when they converted a freekick directly to send the match into halftime with a score of 1-2.

Despite Japan’s effort to level the match, England extended their lead with goals scored in the 69th and 84th minute to finish the match with a final score of 1-4.

The U-18 Japan National Team will now face the U-18 Russia National Team on Friday 22.

Players' Comments

MF #7 SHIBATA Sosuke (Shonan Bellmare)
The biggest difference I felt after facing England was their ability to make the adjustments and the quality of their plays. When we made changes to our game plan, England quickly made the adjustments accordingly, as if they had no issues with it. There was certainly a gap in individual strengths, but we thought we could fill that gap with our collective efforts. I personally saw flaws in my build-up plays, timing of my runs, decision makings, and the battles to win the ball, so I hope to make the adjustments in our training sessions and prepare myself ahead of the next match.

MF #10 YAMAMOTO Rihito (Tokyo Verdy)
I was able to see improvements in my game since our tour to Spain. I was able to keep my composure even under quick pressure and make my plays according to where the opponents were positioned. We also managed to show some improvements as a team, especially in defence and the way we communicated with each other. However, we kept losing the ball after forcing turnovers and England had the upper hand in the quality of the long-balls. Those are some aspects we must work on. We still have two more matches, so we hope to improve ourselves within the two matches and return home with two wins.

FW #9 KURIBARA Ibrahim Junior (Mitsubishi Yowa SC Youth)
Ahead of our match against England, we worked on our compact defence, build-up plays, and plays to exploit the space behind the opponents. After watching the first half from the bench, it was evident that our opponents were much better at the individual level. I entered the match in the second half with a positive image but couldn’t create much opportunities and lost the match. I felt that there was a huge gap at the fundamental techniques, such as passing and shooting. However, it wasn’t an overwhelming difference. There is no doubt that England is one of the best teams in the world at our age group, and if we want to become the world champions, we must win against these teams. This match has given us the opportunity to look back at our daily routines. The tournament is not over yet, so we will make the necessary adjustments ahead of our next two matches. As a team, we will share what we felt from this match and strive to win the remaining matches.

Schedule

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

SportChain Cup UAE

Tournament Dates: Wed. 20 - Sun. 24 March 2019
Match Venue: The Sevens Stadium

Tournament Information