Nao Kobayashi, the Kokusai team goalkeeper, was positioned on the half-way line.
"At first I felt the pressure of fulfilling my role, and kept my body rigidly upright. But as I watched the fantastic play right in front of my eyes and followed the ball's movement, I became excited and was soon completely absorbed by the game. When the goal was scored, I felt the entire stadium burst with excitement, and had to keep myself from shouting like a supporter. Cheering voices were raining down from all around, raindrops were twirling in the wind and twinkling in the stadium's light - it was like a dream."

Yuri Sung, who was right behind the goal, felt thrilled when she passed the ball to a player.
"I actually kissed the ball before the match. It may have been just another ball for the player, but for me, it was a precious ball with all kinds of meanings attached to it. [Participating in the World Cup] was like going through a door that led to another world that's unseen by ordinary people. My world was so small compared to the real world. It was a golden opportunity for me to think deeply about the world and the international community, which made me love soccer even more. The world is vast, and soccer is great!"

Megumi Shiino said: "I thought to myself as I listened to the national anthems, 'I'm standing here with an important mission today, on the spot where normally I'd be watching from the stands.' I realized that a great number of people are involved behind the scenes. It taught me the value of everyone working together to create something, and I hope I'll have the opportunity to enjoy the same sense of satisfaction again."

"It was very exciting because I could even hear what Ireland's manager was saying," said Kyoko Wada, who was standing right in the middle of the two team benches. Kyoko seems to have contributed in yet another way, by providing one of the players a moment of relief in the midst of a heated battle. "Before the second half, a player on the Saudi Arabia team patted my head on his way to the pitch!"

And what about Airi Suzuki, whose birthday came too early and disqualified her from participating as ball kids? Sure enough, Airi was there in the back-stand with her family, watching her teammates.
"As I saw them take their positions in a well-trained but nervous way, tears welled up in my eyes. The great moment had finally arrived, and I had also made it there. But to be honest, I felt sad that they shared something special that I wasn't a part of. Afterwards, when Kyoko gave me the ball kids' shirt and told me she wanted me to use it, I was so happy I cried. The ball kids experience convinced me that I love my teammates more than anything as my most precious friends."