Day 67

[from Sapporo Lilies]

Tonight is the first of our three warm-up matches, to get us prepared for the start of the season. We're playing at our home ground, the Sapporo Dome, against an amateur women's team from Saitama. This will be a good chance for me to assess my various squad members, and get a feel for just how good our chances really are of making the top three. Even if there's nothing riding on the results, we should still aim to win all three friendlies, just to get our morale up ahead of the season.

I spend quite some time thinking about which players to select for the starting line-up. Ideally, I'll want to give all nineteen squad members an equal amount of time on the pitch during these matches. That way, not only will they all be nice and warmed up, but none of them will go into the season thinking that they're not going to get any game time. Morale is a very important factor.

I eventually decide to select Miyuki as our goalkeeper for the match, just to see what she's capable of. I know Aliona is the first-choice goalkeeper, and Miyuki knows that as well, but it's still important that she gets some match practice, even if it's just from a friendly. For the formation, I select a simple, balanced 4-4-2. If any problems arise with it, I can tweak the formation for later matches to compensate for any weaknesses.

The back four will consist of Shinobu at left-back, Choi and Suzume at centre-back, and Ritsu at right-back. In midfield, I select Hinata on the left wing, Fiona and Konoko in the centre, and Tomoko on the right wing. I must admit, I'm a little eager to see Fiona in action, being the legend that she is. Up front, I select Yui and Sanae. Everyone else will be on the bench for this first warm-up, and I'll most likely send a few of them on at some point or another.

Before the start of the match, I gather the girls together in the changing room to talk things over. This will be my first pre-match team talk, so I'd better make it a good one. "Alright," I tell them, "this is where our season begins. Not in a few weeks' time; right now. These warm-up matches are going to be invaluable practice, and will also give me a chance to see what you're all capable of, how well you all work together, and ultimately, what our chances are this season. I know there's nothing riding on this game, but I still want you to go out there and give it your all. Show me what you're capable of."

The talk seems to have worked… mostly. The younger girls, like Ichiko and Miyuki, seem especially fired up, and ready to prove their worth. Some of the other girls seem rather unfazed. Suzume just continues to glare at me, as usual.

***

0 MINUTES. Saitama, being the away side, get to kick off the first half. They're lining up in a 3-5-2 formation, looking to take control of the midfield. However, this means that if we can manage to break through their midfield, their defences will be weak, and wide open to attack. I'm still pretty confident we can win this.

8 MINUTES. We're building up an attack, looking to create our first real chance of the game. Tomoko has the ball on the right wing, sprinting down the pitch. She passes the ball left, towards Konoko. Konoko picks it up and managed to shield it from one of Saitama's midfielders. Dribbling round another, she sends it forwards towards Sanae, who's in space.

Sanae executes a perfect Cruyff turn and darts forward into the penalty area. I lean forward in my chair, trying to contain my excitement as Sanae bears down on goal. She shoots-!

GOAL! The ball flies straight past the goalkeeper's outstretched hands and into the back of the net. We've scored with our first chance of the game. Sanae wheels away celebrating, and I can’t help pumping my fist in celebration. That goal puts us firmly in control of the game, and at such an early stage as well.

13 MINUTES. Fiona intercepts a stray pass from one of the Example midfielders. They quickly close her down, and she passes it out wide to Hinata, who's in space. Hinata advances almost to the goal line without being challenged, then lofts in a good cross. However, it misses everyone in the box and goes out for a goal kick. Disappointing; that could have been 2-0 inside fifteen minutes. What a start to my Sapporo career that would have been.

21 MINUTES. Saitama are on the break, looking to create their first chance of the game. One of their midfielders is surging down the middle of the pitch. They dribble past Fiona, and then past Hinata. The ball is sent forwards into the penalty area, and I find myself crossing my fingers, hoping that the chance comes to nothing.

Fortunately, that's exactly what happens. The ball finds its way to one of Saitama's forwards, and they shoot first time, but it's a poor shot and Miyuki saves it comfortably.

27 MINUTES. A poor tackle sees Fiona brought down near the halfway line. The referee blows her whistle almost immediately, beckoning the offending player over. She reaches into her pocket and shows her the yellow card. Evidently, Saitama are becoming a bit too determined to overturn the deficit. Fiona's alright, fortunately, and she picks herself up and dusts herself down before taking the resulting free kick, which ultimately comes to nothing.

29 MINUTES. Konoko intercepts another loose pass from the Saitama midfield, who look a bit all over the place. I can't help wondering whether their use of five midfielders is a case of "quantity over quality". In any case, Konoko manages a short run, then passes the ball across to Hinata. Hinata goes on a long attacking run down the left flank, pursued by an opponent the whole way.

Eventually, as she's level with the six-yard line, Hinata sends a cross over into the box. It's another poor one, arcing over everyone in the penalty area and out for a goal kick. She really should be doing better with these chances.

37 MINUTES. Choi intercepts a stray pass and quickly initiates a counter-attack. She passes the ball up field to Konoko, who chips it to Tomoko, who's in acres of space on the right wing. Tomoko proceeds unchallenged until she's almost level with the penalty area, at which point the Saitama left-back moves in to try and close her down. Tomoko just cuts inside her, however, and races into the penalty area.

Tomoko hits the ball towards goal, but the goalkeeper manages to deflect it away. It's not over yet: Sanae sprints for the loose ball, but a defender reaches it before her and knocks it out of play for a corner. Tomoko runs over to the corner flag, collecting a new ball from a ball-boy and preparing to take the kick.

The referee blows her whistle, and Tomoko swiftly delivers the ball into the box. Fiona gets her head to it, but she can only direct it over the bar and out of play.

45 MINUTES. The whistle goes to signal the end of the first half. Things have gone well for us so far, and thanks to Sanae's early goal, we lead 1-0 going into the second half. Football is a game of two halves, so it’s not over yet, but I reckon the chances of Saitama mounting a comeback are slim. As long as we keep up our current level of play, we've got this in the bag.