Millwall's arrival in Tokyo ignited a wave of football enthusiasm throughout the city. Over the course of two days, the first team participated in five commercial events. If Aldrich were merely the coach, he would certainly have opposed this. However, as the club owner, he had to participate, considering the impact on the club's reputation and commercial opportunities. The players didn't mind since these activities could visibly boost their income.
On November 31st, at 1:30 PM, a friendly match between the Millwall youth team and the Japanese youth team officially kicked off at the National Stadium in Tokyo.
The venue was packed, as the Japanese fans wanted to support their team up close. After the youth match, there would be a game between the senior teams, making it a double feature for just one ticket.
In a VIP box, Aldrich sat with the first team's coaching staff, next to him was a Japanese man: Kawabuchi Saburo, the president of the Japan Football Association.
Kawabuchi had made significant contributions to Japanese football, establishing a century-long football plan and steadfastly executing it. Although he had only been president for four years, historically he had been in office for over twenty years, providing stability that allowed Japanese football to pursue long-term development.
Throughout the match, Kawabuchi frequently whispered to Aldrich, but most of the talking came from him. Aldrich rarely spoke since he couldn't stand Kawabuchi 's poor English. Sometimes, he struggled for quite a while to comprehend a few words.
Japanese football has learned from Brazil's experience and focused on technology, which is a path that suits Japanese football. If they choose to go the route of physical confrontation, they will not be able to cause a sensation outside of Asia, and it will be difficult for them to even dominate East Asia, let alone compete with the physically strong West Asian players.
The youth match restricted player ages to under 17. The Japanese side consisted almost entirely of 17-year-olds, while Millwall's players also had minimal age differences.
17-year-old Evra, Barzagli, and 16-year-old Lescott combined to form the back line.
Midfield featured 17-year-olds Parker and Carrick, along with Alonso, who had just turned 17 last week.
17-year-olds Joaquin and Vicente played as wingers.
Up front was David Villa, who would celebrate his 17th birthday in four days.
The goalkeeper was selected randomly.
In Japan, while football may not be the most popular sport, the rise of national football has captured the hearts of many in this small nation of over 100 million. The fans in attendance were undoubtedly there to support their youth team, but once the game began, the cheers from the stands grew increasingly quieter.
Despite honing their skills, the Japanese youth players struggled against their Millwall counterparts.
They couldn't make any real offensive progress; errors in passing immediately led to quick counterattacks by Millwall.
Parker successfully intercepted in defense and passed to Alonso, who teamed up with Crick to pull off a stunning 2-on-3 combination!
Alonso made a precise through ball to Vicente, who sprinted down the left wing, leaving the defenders behind. After reaching the baseline, he pulled the ball back to the top of the box, where Alonso faked a shot and delivered a perfect pass. Villa successfully timed his run, easily slotting the ball into the net.
It took just three minutes.
The spectators were left stunned.
Is this a youth match?
The wall passes and interplay between Alonso and Carrick were dazzling, with rapid exchanges that left everyone in awe.
Kawabuchi was speechless. He knew there would be a gap between Japan's technical play and Millwall's tactical approach, but he never expected it to be this wide!
After scoring, Villa jogged back to high-five Alonso before preparing to restart the match.
Aldrich paid little attention to this opponent, and the training value for Millwall wasn't particularly high.
If they faced a power-oriented team, there might be training benefits. But against a team that was only halfway towards a technical style, Millwall's youngsters thrived effortlessly. With basic passing and control, they dominated the game. The physical confrontations were less intense than those in England's youth league. On a real stage, in fiercely competitive matches, even if you could score, you still needed physicality for positioning and ball protection; that's the kind of training that truly matters.
The Japanese youth team couldn't control the pace of the game at all. As soon as they crossed midfield, they would concede. Their passing sequences rarely exceeded three successful connections, and individual dribbles were often cut short by the superior physical play of Millwall.
Millwall Youth systematically asserted their game. If there were no good opportunities on the flanks, they would focus through the middle, with Alonso, Carrick, Parker, and Villa working seamlessly together without attempts to break through. They created chances purely through passing and movement, culminating in another goal when Alonso rifled a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
2-0, with only 11 minutes elapsed.
"Mr. Hall, how long have these kids been playing together?" Kawabuchi pondered aloud.
The scene not only left the spectators stunned, but Kawabuchi , as the Japanese president, also wore a grim expression. If Millwall had won through sheer individual skill, that would have been acceptable—the physical abilities of European players are well known. However, both goals just scored were not from Millwall players outclassing their opponents through technical ability.
After pondering for a moment, Aldrich replied, "That's a tough question. Some players have been training at the club for quite a while. For instance, the kid who scored the first goal has been with Millwall for three and a half years. The others joined two and a half years or a year and a half ago, and only three players on the field joined the club six months ago."
"It's no wonder they have such high chemistry."
Aldrich fell silent.
In just 11 minutes, the Millwall youth team had highlighted the vast gap between them and the Japanese youth team, who had absolutely no way to retaliate!
After gaining a two-goal lead, the Millwall youth team played even more freely, showcasing their individual skills. Joaquin and Vicente tore apart the Japanese right-back, forcing the opposition to send center-backs or midfielders to help defend. However, this exposed defensive vulnerabilities in other areas.
Villa was having a blast today; with the two wingers attracting defenders, he had Alonso and Carrick providing service from behind. By halftime, he had scored four goals.
The scoreline left the Japanese fans regretting their ticket purchases.
7-0.
Such a scoreline was brutally humiliating!
The Japanese youth team had collapsed completely minutes into the game, with a disorganized defense full of holes.
This was why Aldrich believed the match offered little training value for Millwall's U17 players—the gap was simply too vast. The tactical awareness of the opponents was alarmingly weak, and their psychological state crumbled after conceding the third goal, leading to frequent defensive mistakes.
During the break, officials from the Japanese Football Association, led by Kawabayashi Saburo, gathered closely to discuss in hushed tones. Kawabayashi's serious demeanor hinted that the match had highlighted their deficiencies, or maybe it had exposed them to a more formidable style of play. They did not appear enraged or humiliated. After all, this game had been sponsored lavishly by Japan's associates, who had brought Millwall over for the match to shine a light on the youth team's limitations. One really can't blame Millwall for going all out.
The head coach leading the youth team today was Dean Richards, who made five substitutions during halftime.
Yenas and Nolan came on for Parker and Carrick.
Cristiano, Messi, and Aguero replaced Joaquin, Vicente, and Villa.
The first two substitutions were normal; the audience didn't even notice that Yenas was just 15.
But when Cristiano, Messi, and Aguero entered the field, the Japanese fans went wild.
Are Millwall deliberately trying to humiliate us?
Cristiano looked barely 15, while Messi and Aguero appeared like they were 11 or 12—especially Messi; nobody would doubt he was 10.
In the second half, the Japanese youth team made a complete overhaul; the players who had been thoroughly defeated in the first half were nearly at their breaking point. There was nothing to gain from continuing the match—better to take a pause and regroup for the future.
Kawabuchi returned to his seat to watch the second half, but when he saw Millwall's substitutions, he frowned and murmured, "Mr. Hall, is this a slight from Millwall?"
Aldrich turned and asked, "Mr. Kawabayashi, does the Japanese Football Association expect Millwall to take this match seriously or to just treat it as a formality?"
"Of course, we hope you give it your all!"
"Then let's simply enjoy the second half from here."
Kawabayashi suppressed his anger; he felt just like the fans—Millwall seemed poised to "toy with" the Japanese youth team. They could make changes, but not in such an insulting manner!
The newly introduced Japanese players looked at the opposing front line, two of whom were noticeably shorter, which only added to their frustration.
Are they looking down on us?
But when the second half began, the spectators were left astounded.
Yenas intercepted successfully and passed to Alonso, who sent it forward to Aguero.
Messi sprinted over to join Agüero, and in that cramped area, the duo immediately started their dazzling interplay.
A one-two, then a two-on-two; just as the third defender seemed to wise up and was looking to block their magic wall pass, Agüero surprised everyone by shifting his weight and darting past him. With the defense scrambling, he played a brilliant through ball into the open space between the defenders!
The winger, Cristiano Ronaldo, raced in, and the defender immediately slid to block his shot. With a deft touch, Ronaldo stopped the ball and pulled it into the center. Now, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, he could easily score with a simple push. Yet today, on this pitch, he chose to show off a little.
He charged toward the goalkeeper, performed a couple of fancy footwork tricks, and flicked the ball over the defense with a flashy heel touch, sending it into the net.
A moment of silence filled the stadium before the Japanese fans erupted into cheers, applauding Cristiano.
This player, despite being much younger than the rest, played with such flair and elegance, scoring effortlessly. No matter how steadfast their stance, the crowd couldn't resist clapping for him.
Aldrich shook his head slightly, a wry smile appearing on his face.
This kid is up to his old tricks again.
But it's just a friendly match; there's no harm in indulging his vanity a little.
Kawabayashi Saburo was utterly astounded. Throughout the first half, Millwall players rarely displayed such technical prowess, leaving him questioning whether this was something all their players could do or if that level of quality was simply their norm.
In fact, Richards had sent Cristiano, Messi, and Aguero onto the pitch to allow them to play and feel the atmosphere of the game.
As the small-statured Messi shielded the ball, twisting and turning to evade three defenders, the entire audience was rendered numb.
The Japanese youth team found no opportunity to foul him; that little guy was incredibly infuriating! He zigzagged left and right, forward and back, appearing to move at a relaxed pace until a defender got close, at which point he would burst into speed, leaving them nearly in agony!
Cristiano Ronaldo was having his fun too, showcasing dazzling moves that received loud cheers. However, after being dispossessed twice back-to-back, the coach on the sidelines, Richards, was losing his patience.
"I let you guys play, not to treat it like street football!"