The Wanderers Academy’s unbelievable run in the Kashiwa Reysol Cup has come to an end after a loss on penalties in the Semi Final to Tokyo Verde.
The Wanderers Academy’s unbelievable run in the Kashiwa Reysol Cup has come to an end after a loss on penalties in the Semi Final to Tokyo Verde.
The Cup run by Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol brought together some of the best football academies across Japan to compete in the U14s knock-out tournament with the Wanderers Academy being the only club outside of Japan invited to the prestigious youth tournament.
The Red & Black kicked off the group stage of the tournament with an emphatic 3-1 win over Omiya Aridja before falling to a 1-0 loss to Kyoto Sanga.
The U14s then took on Yokohoma Marinos in their final group stage fixture, defeating the side 1-0 to progress to the Quarter Final.
A tough contest against Ehime in the Quarter Final followed with the Red & Black standing tall to progress to the Semi Final after securing a 3-2 victory on penalties after the clash ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Wanderers Academy then closed out the tournament with a loss after their clash against Tokyo Verde went to penalties.
With nothing left in the tank our boys gave it all and more. We hit the cross bar, came close on 2-3 occasions to finish off the game but fell short in the end. That’s tournament football and another learning experience for these young boys ⚫️🔴 https://t.co/tAbn3pRnNQ
— PK (@PeterK08) July 27, 2019
Wanderers Academy Technical Director Ian Crook said he was proud of the U14s achievements in Japan with the side finishing in fourth place.
“The Kashiwa Reysol Cup was a fantastic experience for our Academy coaches and players to learn from some of the best Academies in Japan,” said Crook.
“I am very proud of the players and the coaches efforts in the Cup and they played with pride for the Red & Black.
“I would again like to thank Kashiwa Reysol for the invitation to play in the Cup and their hospitality during our stay in Japan.”
