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MY BEACH SOCCER 
Two exhibition matches were held on the 23rd and 24th of January in Argentina
The Predio Julio H. Grondona, the Argentine Football Association headquarters, was the site for Fridays’ and Saturdays’ battles, both won by the National Selection of Argentina. The first match had the Albiceleste in the lead throughout, never facing a deficit but finishing close nonetheless, at 3-2 for the South Americans. Argentina took the 2-0 lead on goals from Cuevas and Ezeiza in the opening frame. The Nippon fought back in the second period and found hope after a goal from Akaguma. The Argentine squad did not let the Japanese gain too much confidence as Ezeiza scored his second of the match to restore the two goal lead. Japan rallied to score the third periods’ only goal, but the Yamauchi strike was not enough to complete the turnaround as the match ended with Argentina still up by one goal at 3-2.
Day two in Buenos Aires ended with another heartbreaking loss for the Asian side, this time with the defensive energy turned up. The final score was 2-1 for Argentina. The hosts once again started strong scoring the games’ first goal, on a connection from Dupiellet. Japan knew they had to get on the board and fast and their star, Ozu, scored his teams’ first goal on the day, which would in face be the only Japanese goal. Poison secured the final goal of the match for Argentina, putting the score at 2-1 when the final buzzer sounded.
Japan was on a 10 day training camp across South America as they began on January 14th in Rio de Janeiro and finished after Saturdays’ match. The ten days included training sessions, conditioning, tactical improvement, and of course the friendly matches, not only against the Argentinean National Selection but also some of the top club teams in Brazil. The camp was a perfect start to a season that will include the respective FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Portugal 2015 Qualifiers for Japan and Argentina, as well multiple events in addition to the World Cup itself.
