Practice Match: Mito 4 - 2 Kanto University Selected Players

Recently Mito played two halves with different squads against some players looking to go pro soon. The main purpose to create the squad of students was to showcase themselves to prospective clubs. Mito was apparently impressed with at least one prospect.

The goals were scored by Nishioka, Tokiwa, and two from Katayama.

Practice Match: Mito 1 - 4 Yokohama F Marinos

Mito's reserves played those of the stronger side of Yokohama yesterday. Mito allowed 2 goals in each half and got one back from rookie Fujikawa's PK in the second.

Practice Match: Mito 0 - 0 Chiba

Both teams played well yesterday as Mito travelled to play JEF United. The defense especially is gelling very nicely.

Mito 0 - 2 Kashima

Mito put up its best fight ever against the national champions in Saturday's exhibition match. Mito played about 80% strength against Kashima's 60% or so, as Mito is still experimenting with some defenders and forwards and Kashima had a few players on national team duty.

The game played remarkably in Mito's favor in the first half. Although both teams made their chances on goal, Mito had a heartbreaking shot bounce of the right post as forward Koike almost gave Mito its first ever lead over Kashima. The first half ended scoreless at Mito's pace.

Kashima made a few changes in style and brought in new players for the second half, but Mito kept things close even through Kashima's first goal. Things first looked desperate when Mito went down to 10 players with 15 minutes left, as Nakamura got a second yellow in his first game after transitioning from defender to midfielder. In the very last play of the game, Mito's keeper Honma did the only thing possible in the situation and ran to the opposing goal, hoping to add to the number of heads aiming from the cross. Unfortunately Kashima took control of the ball and a player was able to fire it down the field at an empty goal, where it would roll in unopposed. It's unfortunate that Koike couldn't score in the first half as that would have led to Mito's first ever draw with Kashima, assuming all else would have remained the same.

Koike as well as the returning Ohashi put in some great effort and will likely play ahead of Yoshihara and Endo this year, either taking their places of pushing the other two back to the wing slots.

Last Minute Information on Today's Kashima Match

Only 1380 tickets are left for sale today with 1000 of them in the S section. On sale today at the stadium at 10AM.

The two closest parking lots are grass lots and totally waterlogged. Drivers should arrive very early to get an available spot or use public transportation.

Upcoming Preseason Matches

Ibaraki Soccer Festival vs. Kashima Antlers: Feb. 13 at 2PM in Mito (K's Denki Stadium Mito)
Training Match vs. JEF United: Feb. 18 at 2PM, in Chiba (United Park)
Training Match vs. Yokohama F. Marinos: Feb. 21 at 1PM, in Yokohama (Marinos Town)
Training Match vs. Top players selected from Kanto universities: Feb. 25 at 1:30PM, in Mito (Twin Field)

Practice match: Mito 0 - 1 Seoul

Mito played Korean professional squad FC Seoul in Shizuoka yesterday in a practice match. It was alternately advertised as a practice match and then a preseason match but ended up being a practice game, with 2 separate squads in each half. The first 45 minutes were scoreless while the second had Seoul score the only goal in a relaxed contest.

Practice Match: Mito 6 - 2 Meiji University

Yesterday all of the players (and 3 trial members) of Mito played the Meiji University soccer team for four 30-minute periods. The experienced players took part in the first half and mostly newcomers in the second. The newcomers did much better, but there is a chance the university team was doing the same thing so not much should be read into that.

The quarters went:

1-1 with a goal from midfielder Murata (new Chuo University recruit)
1-1 with a goal from midfielder Otsuka (new Tsukuba University recruit)
2-0 with goals from defender Nakamura (in his 3rd year) and a trial player
2-0 with goals from forward Shiratani (newly on loan from Cerezo Osaka) and a trial player