Arrived in Riyadh. After a short rest, training begins.

The team departed Kansai International Airport late on the 12th and arrived in Dubai after an approximately 11-hour flight. After a smooth transit with minimal waiting time, they arrived in Riyadh, the site of the decisive battle, shortly after 8 a.m. The daytime temperature was 39 degrees Celsius. The air was dry, and the scorching sun felt like it was beating down on their skin.
From there, we took a bus for about 40 minutes to check into our hotel. After a late breakfast, we each returned to our rooms and rested for about four hours.

After lunch, we left the hotel before 5pm and headed to the training ground by bus. Perhaps because it coincided with rush hour, we got caught in some traffic, and the bus ride took about an hour before we arrived at the natural grass field used by Al Nasr's academy team, which was the training ground for the day. As usual, we did some activation exercises to get our bodies fully awake, and then started training with the ball at 6:30pm. After the warm-up, we gradually increased the intensity, starting with 9 vs 9 with 3 free men and then 5 vs 5 with 1 free man on one-third of the court to get our bodies fully awake. At this point, the temperature was 34 degrees Celsius. The temperature hadn't dropped significantly, but we were relieved from the strong sunlight, and as time went on, the players seemed to become lighter on their feet.

"Today, I had just arrived here and was still dealing with jet lag, and my goal was to recover from the fatigue of traveling, so I wasn't really in the mood to raise my condition to the highest level yet. During the 11 consecutive matches...to be honest, my body felt heavy towards the end, but I came here with the feeling that I had completely shaken off that feeling. I think tomorrow and the day after, the whole team will be able to shift into a much fresher gear. In the EMPEROR'S CUP final two years ago, we entered the game somewhat haphazardly in the unusual atmosphere of the Japan National Stadium, and we were left with the regret that we couldn't fully express our emotions, or rather, our passion, until the end of the match. However, this season we have accumulated many matches where everyone's emotions and passion were fully expressed, and we are confident that we can play our own game if we can get that together. First and foremost, I think the most important thing is to get everyone together, or rather, to build up the atmosphere over these past few days so that we can reach our peak on the day of the match (Shinnosuke NAKATANI)."

"After the match against Sanfrecce Hiroshima(J1 J.LEAGUE 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE, 16th Sec.), the Head Coach told us to 'take two days off to completely recover from all fatigue, forget about the ACL2 final for a while, and refresh ourselves,' and we were able to do that properly before coming to Riyadh. Today, we just arrived and are still jet-lagged, so we focused on recovering from the fatigue of the journey during our first day of training. To be honest, I don't really feel like it's the final yet, but I think that from tomorrow onwards, as the match day approaches, my spirits and body will naturally rise. I want to take this slightly relaxed state and gradually build up the excitement, so to speak, by sharing time with everyone on and off the pitch, and create an atmosphere where our emotions gradually build up, and then we just need to pour all of that into the final (Ryotaro MESHINO)."

"I didn't play in the Hiroshima match, so I spent the time focusing on getting myself in the best possible condition for the ACL2 final before traveling to Riyadh. I believe I just need to get myself in the best possible condition for the match day, and I intend to give it my all in the final. In the recent 11 matches, everyone has been fighting with their own burdens, and while some players have been able to stay on the pitch, others, like Riku (Handa), have been unable to play. But in any case, we have all worked together to get this far in ACL2. I will carry everyone's feelings with me, and I will use the remaining time to prepare thoroughly so that I have no regrets and give it my all in the match (Rin MITO)."

The goalkeepers include Masaaki HIGASHIGUCHI, who has played every game in this tournament, and Rui ARAKI, who has been a starter in the last few matches. Also present was Jun ICHIMORI, who fully rejoined the team at the end of April after a long period of rehabilitation. These three also warmed up with a GK-only warm-up before joining a mini-game to work up a sweat.

"We just arrived, and we're still suffering from jet lag, so today I focused on getting our bodies fully awake during practice. However, I'm sure that everyone arrived in Riyadh refreshed after getting a good rest following the series of matches. From tomorrow, I want us to create an atmosphere, both on and off the pitch, that we're all heading into the decisive match. In fact, looking back at the ACL2 so far, I think that kind of atmosphere will naturally develop. Of course, as the match approaches, we'll be concerned about the opponent's condition, but ultimately, what's important in a big match like this is 'mindset.' I think we just need to believe in the time we've spent and the football we've built, without getting too worked up, but with a really strong mindset when that moment comes (Higashiguchi)."

The first day's training session concluded in about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Some players felt that the air was much drier than in Japan, and the dust made them thirstier than usual, or that their voices became hoarse the more they spoke. However, this experience, along with other factors, helped them adapt to the local environment. Incidentally, the return bus trip was free from traffic jams, and they arrived at the hotel in about half the time, around 30 minutes. Starting after 9 PM, they each had a late dinner, bringing an end to a long day that included extensive travel.

Interview and text by Misa Takamura