MIC 2024: A Global Experience Through an International Soccer Tournament: Activity Report

WAKATAKE & VALUE VILLAGE MIC FOOTBALL 2024

Looking back at the Mediterranean International Cup (MIC), recently held in “Costa Brava” (Spain)

• Dates: March 26–31, 2024

• Venue: Girona, Spain, across multiple cities and villages on the Costa Brava

o Spain has 17 autonomous communities, one of which is Catalonia

o Catalonia consists of 4 provinces, and Girona is a province located in the northeast, south of the Fren

ch border and facing the Mediterranean Sea

o “Costa Brava” is commonly used in Spain to refer broadly to the tourist areas along the Girona coast

a name that is used

• Organizer: https://micfootball.com/

• Main sponsors: CaixaBank (one of Spain’s major banks), Puma (sports

brand), Diputació de Girona (local government of Girona Province, Spain)

• In cooperation with RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation)

WAKATAKE & VALUE VILLAGE MIC FOOTBALL 2024

Hundreds of teams took part, and young player

s from La Liga’s top clubs and other major European leagues were sent to “Costa Brava.” Eight different age categories were set up, with matches held at more than 50 venues. Every match had official referees from the Royal Spanish Football Federation, every team was provided with full-service accommodation, transportation, and meals, and many matches were streamed or broadcast on television. And of course, the beautiful beaches, scenery, and rich cultural heritage should not be forgotten.

There are plenty of topics to choose from to explain why MIC is the ultimate international youth development tournament

but instead, let us introduce the part that we liked best.

MIC has everything a child who loves sports could dream of. Of course, there is just one drawback.

• Since 2001, it has been held only once a year during Spain’s Easter period

It was originally held in the Canary Islands (also a coastal region of Spain). After some time, it moved north

ward, and in 2003, Ronaldo Nazário, the one and only “O Fenômeno” (“the phenomenon” in Portuguese), hosted a presentation event. This was just a few months after he scored 2 goals in the final against Germany at International Stadium Yokohama in Japan and became a world champion.

Since then, Messi and Lamine Yamal (both with FC Barcelona), Neymar Junio

r (Santos FC), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Cole Palmer (Manche

ster City), Rodri Hernández (Atlético Madrid), Rúben Neves

(Porto), and others have played at MIC.

INSTINCT BROTHERS Inc. and its sports program

VALUE VILLAGE were involved in developing young talents who would grow into the next Ronaldo and the next Messi.

was involved in developing young talents as they grew.

You may be wondering, “How was that possible?”

Through our cooperation with the WAKATAKE Group, we were able to take part in this year’s MIC, entering our own 4 tea

ms and 3 partner teams. The Wakatake Group is an organization with a social responsibility to help young players become the best versions of themselves in life and in football, with bases in Spain, Japan, and Dubai (UAE). We and they share common goals and a shared vision, and we decided that the tournament period was the right time to begin a short-term partnership. Considering that things went very smoothly between the two companies, we may be able to work together again in the future.

• Winning teams in each category

U19 Villarreal CF Final 1 - 0 vs Girona FC

F19 CD FONTSANTA FATJO Final 2 - 0 vs Andorra national team

U18 FC Andorra Final 2 - 1 vs Marseille

U16 FC Barcelona Final 1 - 0 vs Girona FC

U15 Atlético Madrid Final 1 - 0 vs Villarreal CF

U14 RCD Espanyol Final 1 - 1 (PK 6 - 5) vs FC Andorra

U13 FC Andorra Final 2 - 0 vs AC Milan

U12A FC Barcelona Final 2 - 2 (PK 7 - 6) vs Real Madrid CF

U12B FC Barcelona Final 2 - 2 (PK 2 - 0) vs RCD Espanyol

• Results by category

Wakatake U-14: The oldest team from Wakatake advanced to the top 16 (from more than 100 participating teams). It was the best result among the teams supported by APEST. Their victory over Real Sociedad, one of the professional clubs that has been in partnership with the Wakatake Group for many years, after a penalty shootout, is something we will never forget. In the end, they lost in the round of 16 to FC And

orra. Andorra narrowly missed out on winning this category and finished the tournament as runner-up.

• Pre-MIC: The team took part before the actual MIC tournament in a friendly event held across several categories

tournament, the Pre-MIC Tournament, and won it. Teams that rarely have the chance to face each other participated

they were able to gain valuable preparation _____ before participating in MIC.

WAKATAKE & VALUE VILLAGE MIC FOOTBALL 2024

JP Select (U-14): This was a team whose players had never played together before in any other tournament,

and although it took several matches for them to build coordination in their play, they fought extremely well defensively.

After a tough battle in the group stage, they also played 2 excellent

matches in the consolation phase, a round for teams that did not advance to the championship knockout phase,

They played matches and won their first game.

Wakatake U-13: This was a very young team even within this category, and as the tournament progressed

that became an important factor, but the attitude shown by the players was outstanding. Even in matches

they lost, the team and coach never became discouraged and showed their pride. They were also able to hold their own in close-score matches against very tough tea

ms in 2 games.

MSK 19 (U-13): They played a total of 6 matches (3 wins and 3 losses, with one of the losses coming against the champion team) and in the consoli

lation semifinals. They became one of the especially loved teams at MIC. Players from the teams they faced, including teams from Brazil

dation phase, the players from opposing teams, including teams from the United States, took photos after the matches, laughed together

and had a wonderful time together. Forward Yuto Ota became one of the players with the highest number of goals in the category

scored.

Wakatake U-12 (11-a-side): As expected, MIC was a tough challenge. They played 2 close matches in the group stage, but were unable to advance to the championship knockout phase. In the consolidation phase as well, they were eliminated in their first match. Even so, the team coached by legend Teruo Iwamoto (former Japan national team player) and Tomoki Nagano, Representative Director, Chairman and CEO of INSTINCT BROTHERS, grew significantly over several days of matches against teams such as Real Madrid. Some players will continue their development process over the coming months through an intensive program in Spain organized by the Wakatake Group. We would also like to mention the wonderful connection they built with the Italian goalkeeper Giulio, who became a favorite of every member of the traveling squad.

Wakatake U-12 (7-a-side): Their group-stage opponents were extremely strong, but they earned a 4-1 victory and advanced to the championship knockout phase. This allowed them to face FC Barcelona, the biggest club in Catalonia, which ultimately won this category.

YSGEM (U-12 | 7-a-side): With a record of 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, they reached the championship knockout ph

ase. They achieved an unexpected breakthrough, and the team came together as one. Unfortunately, in their first match of the champion

ship round, they lost in a penalty shootout to one of the local teams from the Costa Brava.

Hello.

I am Teruo Iwamoto, and I had the privilege of serving as head coach of U12-A.

I am truly delighted to have participated in MIC Football 2024 and shared such a wonderful experience.

The MIC tournament is truly a world tournament, and I was amazed by its scale and energy. The passionate battles between teams, the players’ enthusiasm, and the cheers of the people supporting them left a very strong impression on me.

Soccer is a team sport. It is important for each person to join forces, make efforts, and grow. In this tournament, all of you showed us wonderful play. There are wins and losses, but what matters is learning from those experiences and carrying them forward to the next step.

I hope you will remember what I told you during and after the matches and continue working from here. I am cheering for you as you grow even further as the star players of the future.

Teruo Iwamoto

Hello.

Today, I, Yuki Nagano, would like to share our activities at MIC Football 2024 with heartfelt gratitude.

First of all, while the results were tough, we were able to learn a great deal from this tournament. Both victory and defeat are opportunities for growth, and we learned so much from the children and staff members.

This tournament was not simply a series of soccer matches; it was also an opportunity to relearn the importance of teamwork and communication. From the perspective of neuroscience as well, we truly felt how important it is to set goals and work toward them.

And above all, what matters most is that everyone shares the same aspiration and works together as one. A team is built not only on individual strength, but on the cooperation and mutual support of everyone. We have reaffirmed this and will continue moving forward with the same aspiration.

Our company is a regenerative medicine biotechnology company, but we believe our mission is not only business; it is also to support children’s dreams and hopes and to help nurture the future star players. Together with WAKATAKE, we will continue to support young talent around the world and expand their possibilities for the future.

Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the players, managers, coaches, parents, and tournament organizers who took part in this event. Thanks to everyone’s support, we were able to participate in this tournament and gain many valuable experiences.

We will continue to share the joy of soccer and the value of this tournament, and support the growth of the next generation of players. Thank you very much.

Yuki Nagano

INSTINCT BROTHERS Inc.

Representative Director, Chairman and CEO

INSTINCT BROTHERS CUP ValueVillage Tournament Overview and Schedule

April 29, 2024 Kanagawa Prefecture Hiratsuka Tournament Banyuu Fureai Park Soccer Field (natural grass)

Special guests: Teruo Iwamoto (former Japan national team), Masayuki Okano (former Japan national team), Keisuke Tsuboi (former Japan national team), Akira Narahashi (former Japan national team), Tetsuya Okubo (former Yokohama FC)

Participating teams:

1. Saginuma SC

2. Shonan Bellmare

3. Aoba FC

4. FC Mutsuaishonandai

5. Yokosuka Seagulls FC

6. Hadano Honcho SS

7. FC Higashikaigan

8. Tsurumaki Soccer Club

May 18, 2024 Yamaguchi Prefecture Shimonoseki Tournament Nogihama General Park artificial turf and clay ground

Special guests: Teruo Iwamoto (former Japan national team), Tatsuhiko Kubo (former Japan national team), Daisuke Matsui (Japan national team), Yuto Takeoka (former Kawasaki Frontale), LISEM (YouTubers Kego, Shige, Shohei, Taka)

Participating teams: <currently recruiting>

1. Oji Soccer Sports Youth Club

2. FC Kameyama

3. Renofa Yamaguchi West FC

4. FC ALBA Yamaguchi

5. FC SUERTE Shimonoseki

6. Luce Yamaguchi Soccer Academy

7. Mukoyama Soccer Club Sports Youth Club

8. Kawatana FC

9. Ogori Soccer Sports Youth Club

10. Enoura Eleven Soccer Sports Youth Club

<Contact for Media Inquiries Regarding This Matter>

INSTINCT BROTHERS Inc.

President and Representative Director Fumihiro Nagano

Westside Gotanda Building 3F, 6-2-7 Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

TEL 09042398859

MAIL [email protected]