Japanese singers open Tokyo indoor Futsal court

A girls' futsal team featuring members of the popular all-girl Japanese pop group, Morning Musume, staged a match against a team of cabin attendants for Japan Airlines (JAL) with the singers achieving a solid victory. The Morning Musume team, "Gatas Brilhantes HP", played JAL's "Samurai Crew" and won 7-1. The match was held as part of an event produced by Japanese football player Tsuneyasu Miyamoto marking the opening of the Football Park Court futsal ground in the Marunouchi Building in Tokyo's Chiyoda-ku. "It felt strange to be playing a match inside a building, but when the game started I was able to enjoy it like I always do," said 21-year-old Gatas captain Hitomi Yoshizawa. Another member on the team, Nozomi Tsuji, said she was looking forward to watching the World Cup. "Four years ago, I didn't even know the rules, but this time I feel like painting Japanese flags on my cheeks and going to cheer the team on at the venues," she told Mainichi News.