The U-19 Japan National Team, who won the first game of the Panda Cup, paid a visit to an elementary school in Chengdu city the following morning in order to see some local children there. The pupils performed various dances and kung fu to entertain the players and welcome them. 

As part of an exchange of cultures through football, KAKITA Yuki, ICHIMARU Mizuki, KOJIMA Masaya and KISHIMOTO Takeru displayed football-juggling skills. Kakita especially warmed up the audience by showing off his steps with a ladder. Then the players were divided into groups of three to mix with the children and played 6-on-6 mini games. The captain SAKAI Daisuke struck a strong goal, which excited the children.

At the end, the pupils gave the players a paper cutout panda, the symbolic animal of Chengdu city, and took a group photograph to finish the event.

In the afternoon, the players held a one-hour training session in preparation for the second match. After the session, they held a celebration for the players, who were born in June, including DOAN Ritsu on 16 June, with a water shower. The local staff brought a birthday cake to supper. There was a good atmosphere around for the coming game against the Czech Republic.

Players' Comments

FW #9  OGAWA Koki (Jubilo Iwata)
We visited a Chinese elementary school today. It was really entertaining to see their dance and Chinese traditional performance. Through this event, I learned about other cultures and the popularity of football across the world, which was an excellent experience. I’d like to prepare well to earn a victory in tomorrow’s game against the Czech Republic.

DF #4  MACHIDA Koki (Kashima Antlers)
Today we went to a local elementary school to meet children there. We learned about traditional Chinese culture and played football with the children, which reminded me of the pure joy of football. Although I couldn't play the first game, I’d like to prepare myself perfectly to win tomorrow’s game. Ultimately, I’d like to win the championship. 

FW #11  KAKITA Yuki (Kashima Antlers)
I communicated with Chinese children this morning, which gave me a lot of energy. In the afternoon, we practiced in preparation for tomorrow’s game. I’d like to pursue a good result, playing as a team to score goals. I want to win the remaining two games and win the championship before leaving for Japan.

FW #20  IWASAKI Yuto (Kyoto Tachibana High School)
We had the fourth day of our Chinese trip. In the morning, we paid a visit to an elementary school, where we had a great time with children. In the afternoon, we were divided into two groups – one for training and the other for recovering. I believe we practiced well for tomorrow’s match. As we played well in our first game, I’d like to focus on getting a good result and performance again in the second game. We’ll play as a united team. 

Schedule

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