Mundialito Almada 2018 3rd Match vs Mexico
Sun. 17 June 2018 Kick-off 12:30 12mins×3
Costa da Caparica (Almada, Portugal)

Japan Beach Soccer National Team 6-2 (3-2, 3-0, 0-0) Mexico Beach Soccer National

Scores
1' Goal against (Mexico Beach Soccer National)
6' OKUYAMA Masanori (Japan Beach Soccer National Team)
7' OKUYAMA Masanori (Japan Beach Soccer National Team)
7' GOTO Takasuke (Japan Beach Soccer National Team)
11' Goal against (Mexico Beach Soccer National)
13' GOTO Takasuke (Japan Beach Soccer National Team)
14' KOMAKI Masayuki (Japan Beach Soccer National Team)
16' GOTO Takasuke (Japan Beach Soccer National Team)

Starting Line-ups
GK: KAWAI Yusuke
FP: MATSUOKA Shota, KOMAKI Masayuki, OBA Takaaki, GOTO Takasuke

Reserves
GK: TERUKINA Shingo
FP: IINO Tomoyuki, MOREIRA Ozu, YAMAUCHI Shusei, OKUYAMA Masanori

Match Report

On Sunday 17 June, Japan Beach Soccer National Team won their match against Mexico Beach Soccer National Team 6-2 in their third match of the Mundialito Almada2018, held in Portugal.

After losing their first two matches against Spain and Portugal, Coach RAMOS sent out the Japanese players by telling them, “it makes a huge difference between going home with three losses or with a win.”

The first period saw plenty of action from the beginning, as Mexico started off the scoring and took the early lead.

Japan managed to settle down after conceding early, as OKUYAMA Masanori struck the equaliser with a bicycle kick, assisted by MOREIRA Ozu in the sixth minute. A minute later, Okuyama scored his second goal off a corner kick to give Japan the go-ahead goal. Japan went onto score their third goal when GOTO Takasuke calmly converted a free kick earned in front of the opposing goal. Mexico scored back a goal as the first period ended with a score of 3-2.

The second period saw Japan take control of the match as Goto fired a bicycle kick from a sequence following the kick-off to give his side a two-goal lead. In the 14th minute, KOMAKI Masayuki made it 5-2 from a counter attack initiated after defending against a corner kick. Two minutes later, Goto scored another goal off a free kick to end the period with Japan leading Mexico by four goals.

Japan continued to dominate the match in the third period as they sought for opportunities while possessing the ball. Despite being kept scoreless in this period, Japan cruised to victory with a final score of 6-2.

With this result, Portugal took down the title, with Spain as the runners-up, while Japan in third and Mexico in fourth place. Goto finished as the top scorer of the tournament with his six goals.

Finishing up on their Portugal tour, Japan Beach Soccer National Team is now scheduled for an international friendly match against England Beach Soccer National Team at Okurakaigan in Akashi City, Hyogo, on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 July.

Players' Comments

FP #5 IINO Tomoyuki (Tokyo Lequios BS)
We entered our final match against Mexico with two loses, and we wanted to vent our frustration by winning the final match. We fought as a team and won with a score of 6-2. The team saw improvements as we continued to play with each other. I felt that we need to always keep in mind during our daily trainings, what it’s like to play against foreign teams. We need to take back and improve ourselves by reflecting on what we did well and what we did poorly.

FP #7 OBA Takaaki (Tokyo Verdy BS)
After playing against Spain, Portugal, and Mexico, we finished with a win and two loses. The results and our performance were very disappointing. We saw many aspects that needs improvements during this tournament. However, given that it was our first international match in more than a year, it gave us an opportunity for a reality check on where we stand in the world at this moment. We know what we need to do from here, both as a team and as an individual, so we will all strive to be better ahead of the Asian qualifier. We sincerely appreciate all the support given throughout this tournament.

Match highlights (external link)

Schedule

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

MUNDIALITO ALMADA 2018

Tournament period:Fri. 15 June - Sun. 17 June 2018

Tournament Information