FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Portugal 2015 - Group Stage Match 2
2015-7-11 (Sat.) - 16:00    Playing Time: 12min x 3 period
Espinho Stadium (Espinho, Portugal)

Japan Beach Soccer National Team   4-3 (0-1, 4-1, 0-1)   Argentina Beach Soccer National Team

Scores
2'    Goal against (Argentine)
15'  GOTO Takasuke (Japan)
16'  MATSUO Naoya (Japan)
21'  Goal against (Argentine)
21'  GOTO Takasuke (Japan)
24'  OBA Takaaki (Japan)
32'  Goal against (Argentine)

Line-ups
GK:  TERUKINA Shingo
FP:  HARAGUCHI Shotaro, TABATA Teruki, MOREIRA Ozu, GOTO Takasuke

Substitutes
GK:  GINOZA Tomoya
FP:  AKAGUMA Takuya, ODA Hirofumi, MAKINO Shinji, MATSUO Naoya, OBA Takaaki, YAMAUCHI Shusei

Match Report

After losing the first match to Portugal in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Portugal 2015, the second match win against Argentina, who defeated Senegal in their first match, became vital for Japan to advance out of the group stage.

Prior to the Japan-Argentina match, the other match of the group saw Senegal beat Portugal, which gave Argentina a chance to clinch the spot in the knockout stage only with the win against Japan. What made matters worse for Japan was the immediate past record between these two countries. Japan lost both matches played in Argentina when Japan had their South America trip in this January. 

Japan kept the same starting line-up as the first match. 

Just after the kick-off, both sides exchanged shots, none of which, however, converted to the early opening goal. 

But in the 2nd minute, after Japan gave away a free-kick opportunity in the middle, Argentina materialised it directly to grab the opening lead, just as Japan allowed Portugal in the last match. Japan, nevertheless, kept their concentration and increased their ball possession to create attacking opportunities. Argentina also kept displaying stable defence until the first period ended with Argentina’s 1-0 lead.

The second period started seeing Japan’s dominance early on. In the 15th minute, after acquiring a free-kick in front of the opponents’ goal with his bicycle kick attempt, GOTO Takasuke netted the equalising goal himself at the left end of the goal. 

Two minutes later, MOREIRA Ozu fed a crafty floating feed to the space between their defenders and goalkeeper, which MATSUO Naoya headed in as he was falling down. Matsuo scored two matches in a row and helped his side to grab a lead.

Although Japan allowed Argentina to come even in the 21st minute, moments later Goto volleyed with his left foot off a well-coordinated pass from Moreira to gain a lead once again. 

Then just before the end of the period, a throw from goalkeeper TERUKINA Shingo went to Goto and to OBA Takaaki, who scored Japan’s fourth goal of the match.

The efforts from the both sides became fairly even in the final period. While Argentina, after diminishing Japan’s lead to just one goal in the 32nd minute, kept creating chances to add more goals, Japan held on with their tenacious defence. Finally the match ended 4-3 to give Japan the first win in the tournament in their second try. 

As the result, the group A, where Japan are competing against the rest three, turned out to be quite a battle royal with all four teams looking to play the last match in the group stage with 1-1 record. 

Japan’s next match against Senegal National Team is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. local time on Monday 13 July (0 a.m. on Tuesday 14 July Japan time) with their survival out of the group stage at stake. 

Coach and Players’ Comments

Marcelo MENDES, Coach
Even after getting one goal behind at 1-0, our players kept their poise and played our style today. That resulted in our win and I am very happy about it. Argentina were a very organised team, so it was important for us not to lose our concentration and to play to our game plan. 

After getting the 4-2 lead, we had many situations where we could have extended it even further. But we couldn’t nail it. Then they got closer to us by just one goal lead, but we stay focused and defended well, so I am satisfied with the result. We want to keep our poise for the next Senegal match, get a good result and advance out of the group stage.

TABATA Teruki (TOKYO LEQUIOS BS)
It was a must-win match today, so I am glad that we won. We all were focused from the beginning of the match, and we could create the plays we wanted both offensively and defensively.

Even after the loss in the first match to Portugal, we kept our heads up, stayed positive enough to play our style, and I think that’s the reason for this win. But it will be meaningless unless we win the next one. So we will play as one again, beat Senegal and go for the knockout stage.

GOTO Takasuke (TOKYO LEQUIOS BS)
What I felt in this match was that we put ourselves in tough situations by our own mistakes. Personally I could score two goals, but it was because my teammates fed good balls to me. My condition has been getting better and better, so I will keep playing for my team, score goals and definitely win the next match against Senegal.

Schedule

*Local Time

Japan's Record for FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup

7 World Cup Appearances: 26 games played for 6-2-18 / 71 goals, 113 goals conceded

FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Portugal 2015

Thu. 9 July - Sun. 19 July 2015
Group Stage 3rd Match
Tue. 14 July - 0:00 (Japan Time)
 Japan Beach Soccer National Team  vs. Senegal Beach Soccer National Team

More information