Today, FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa & Musashi Mixed Team will embark on a expedition to the major southern Chinese city of Guangzhou to participate in a tournament held at Guangzhou Evergrande Football School, the youth academy of Guangzhou Evergrande, who were the champions of the AFC Champions League last year, called "Football Federation Cup".
This Guangzhou Evergrande Football School is a huge facility with a total of 48 soccer fields, including natural grass and artificial turf, and its scale is truly extraordinary.
Accommodation where all participating teams can stay in the facility |
Today, on the first day of the expedition, we had a solid practice session, although it was a short one, after a 5-hour flight from Haneda and a little less than 2 hours of travel from Guangzhou airport.
It was very meaningful to see the players' atmosphere and feel strongly that we were able to practice today, even though it was a travel day, in preparation for the tournament starting the day after tomorrow.
In the pre-practice meeting, Coach Okuhara clearly conveyed the mission, "The biggest goal of this expedition is to win this tournament." The players were also emphasized to play with the intention of representing not only "Tokyo" but also "Japan".
You can convey a clear mission in meetings. | Practice immediately after arrival |
In the evening meeting, the players themselves decide on the division of roles, and there are also arrangements to help the Fukagawa and Musashi players, who do not usually practice together, to get along as soon as possible. I am very excited to see how much they will grow in this short period of time.
Communicate through meetings at night |
The tournament will be held from the day after tomorrow, the 27th, with a total of 8 teams from China, Australia, and Japan.