The Japan National Beach Soccer Team held two training sessions – one in the morning and the other in the afternoon – on the second day of their training camp in Costa Rica on Wednesday 18 January.

In the morning, the team went through physical training under the supervision of assistant coach Paulo Rocha at the gym inside the football centre. The players worked on 19 different exercises, including resistance training, stepping and jumping, in order to improve their physical condition.

In the afternoon, the players moved to the beach and continued their training. Since the physical training in the morning had been intense, they concentrated on going through tactics during the one-hour session. After a warm-up, they practised taking shots through various patterns starting with a pass from the goalkeeper, followed by a five-a-side game on a full-length pitch. Despite their exhaustion, the team worked on the problem areas they had identified in the USA training camp through active communication. At the end, they finished the session with an array of shots, including penalty and free kicks.

Thursday 19 January will also see two practice sessions in preparation for the coming training matches against the Costa Rica National Team from Saturday 21 January.

Players' Comments

FP AKAGUMA Takuya（Dorsole Kitakyushu）
We started our full-scale practice in Costa Rica today. The weather here is warm and different from Japan, and the environment is perfect to play beach soccer. Since it is still cold in Japan, I’m very grateful that I can practise in this climate. I do have any time to waste here.

We had physical training at the gym in the morning and went through tactics in the afternoon. Our assistant coach prepared various exercises at the gym. Thanks to the wide variety of exercises, I think I can incorporate some of them in my daily training after this camp. These physical exercises are important. However, I believe the regular practice sessions are far more important. In order to win the physical battles against the foreign players, I will take each training session seriously and make the most out of it.

We went through team tactics in the afternoon session by addressing and working on the issues found during the training matches against the USA with the coach, while trying to improve myself and the team. As the World Cup Asian Qualifiers are drawing nearer, we’re keen on improving the quality of our team as much as possible before the curtain-up. Personally, I still have many areas I need to work on. I’d like to raise my level of football by getting advice from my coach and my teammates.

FP NAKAHARA Yuki (no team registration)
We focused on agility workouts and circuit training to strengthen our muscles at the gym in the morning, followed mainly by practising small-sided games in the afternoon. Although it’s hotter here than in the USA and the sand on the practice pitch is different than what we are normally accustomed to playing, we gradually adjusted ourselves to the local conditions. We are trying to get in better form for the practice matches against Costa Rica in three days. We’ve been having a productive time by training at a wonderful facility. We can truly focus on beach soccer here. So I’d like to perform well in the upcoming Costa Rica games and get myself ready for the AFC Championship.

Schedule

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