In the J.League YBC Levain Cup, Kojiro YASUDA, who was promoted from the U-18 team this season, was appointed, and Yuki KAJIURA also scored a goal. In addition, Renta HIGASHI and Naoki KUMATA, who are registered as second-year players, have also gained playing opportunities, and the performance of academy graduates in the top team has become more prominent than ever before. This time, we asked Yasuda and Kajiura, who have been promoted from the academy and are experiencing their first season as professionals, about the changes after their first professional goal or appearance, and their thoughts on the club as academy graduates.
Interview with Kojiro YASUDA
"I am expected to play with high intensity while still showcasing my own style of play."
Q, I got a chance to play in the Levain Cup match against Iwata. Despite the limited time, did you notice any changes within yourself as a result of that?
A, I hadn’t been able to play in matches, so first of all, I was happy to get the chance to play. It had been a while since I played in a stadium with fans and supporters, so although the result was disappointing, I honestly enjoyed playing.
Q: During the training camp, I think it was frustrating that I couldn't make it into the team despite putting in a lot of practice. Did you have any thoughts or feelings during that time?
A, Of course, the level is different from U-18, so during the camp I was focused on getting used to the pace of play and keeping up with everyone.
In the world of competition, it is important to not be fixated on the results. I was prepared to play in the game, so I am glad I was able to participate this time. That is why I wanted to achieve good results. After the game ended, I was a little disappointed, but I decided to switch my mindset and move on to the next one.
Q, Since it is your first year, did you have the mindset to play in matches rather than thinking it's okay even if you can't get playing time, now that you have entered the professional world?
A, There is a difference in both ability and experience, and while I felt that gap when playing, I had the mindset that I had to do it despite that. I constantly think about how to bridge that gap as I play, and of course, there are many days when things don’t go well, but by continuing, I am gradually improving little by little. I want to reduce mistakes and keep showcasing myself more and more.
Q, did you have any expectations when you stood on the pitch side and entered the game as a substitute?
A, I thought this was my chance. During my U-18 days, I also had injuries, so I felt like the opportunity had finally come. Because it was a match under those circumstances and we lost, I feel even more frustrated.
Q: Your teammate scored their first professional goal right in front of you. How did you feel watching it, considering the happiness of being a teammate and the frustration at the same time?
A, to be honest, the feeling of frustration was stronger than happiness. On the other hand, that actually ignited a fire within me, and I think it was good in the sense that we could push each other to improve.
Q, I think it's a timing where you still have a lot to see and learn in your first year, but as a player from the academy, what kind of emotions and thoughts do you have about changing the future of the club?
A, currently, academy players are hardly involved in matches at all, so I want to change that. As preparation for that, I focus on conditioning to always maintain a good physical state, and I believe I haven't yet reached the mental level required to participate in matches. I work on addressing my shortcomings after practice, and I want to close the gap with the players who are playing in matches and ultimately take a starting spot.
Q: Has the approach to practice changed by playing in games?
A, through the matches, I was able to sense the parts where I am effective and those where I am not. One thing I felt I was particularly lacking in was finishing shots. On the other hand, I was able to be a starting point and receive the ball to create the rhythm of the game, so I want to continue developing those aspects.
Q, do you also incorporate the style of soccer that is a little different from what you have been working on at the academy, into yourself with greed?
A, I am confident in my ability to adapt. I think I am gradually starting to understand the entire field, where the players are, and where I should move.
Q, the Levain Cup will end with the Fukuoka match, but there are also league matches and the Emperor's Cup. What do you think is required from here on in the season? How do you feel about both the playing aspect and the mental aspect?
A, I think the intensity of my play is completely insufficient. For example, players like Shuto ABE and Kuryu MATSUKI are able to perform high-intensity play while also showing their own style, and I believe that is what is required. To secure a starting position, I think I have to work on those aspects in daily practice.
I think there will be ups and downs as there is no other way but to do it, but in the end, I want to cherish and be obsessed with every day because there is no other way but to stand on the pitch.
Interview with Yuki KAJIURA
"Academy graduates must become the face of FC Tokyo"
Q, I got a chance from the Fukuoka match in the Levain Cup Sec. 1, but did you have any change in your feelings before and after playing in the game as a rookie in your first year as a professional?
A, the change in my feelings was significant. Personally, I was determined to play matches from my first year, but it’s not such an easy world, and based on my performance at camp, I thought I needed to grow more to be able to play in matches. In that context, being able to participate in a match was a big plus for me.
Q, I think I was able to demonstrate my strengths and put my heart into it amidst various emotions such as the desire to play in the match and being in my first year.
A, I think chances are really few, so I felt I had to show at least one thing in the limited time I had. I believe that actively showing what the coach was asking for led to what I was able to do in that match.
Q, you found gaps in the opponent's defense and moved into them, and during that period, I think the team was very positive and pushing toward the goal. While I believe this is also one of your strengths, were you trying to put into practice what the team was asking for?
A, before entering the pitch, I was told to target this area, so before showing my own strengths, my idea was to first do what the team required and then expand my options. I played with an awareness of the team's concept.
Q, there I got a chance, and then in the subsequent Levain Cup I had several chances, and I scored a goal in the Iwata match. I played in the starting lineup for that game, but there may have been a change in my feelings, don't you think?
A, I played for a long time in the previous Shonan match but couldn’t do anything, so I felt frustrated going into the Iwata match. Since I was starting from the beginning, I thought if I missed this chance, there wouldn’t be another, so I was very fired up, and my mindset of having to deliver results there was different from other matches.
Q, it's a different story from the feeling of gaining game experience, but for example, have your approaches in practice changed through experiences such as participating in training matches during camps and preseason and scoring in the Levain Cup match against Iwata?
A, until then, I wasn't able to have that much confidence, but by playing for 90 minutes in the game and leaving results, I was able to gain various experiences and my own abilities and inabilities became clear, and I also gained confidence.
That also allowed me to talk more with the players around me, and my feelings have changed a lot. However, I think we need to first gain recognition, and only then can we finally start from the starting line.
Q, Did you actively change yourself, or did it happen naturally?
A, the distance between us has become closer, and I have become able to speak up on my own, so I have strengthened my awareness of taking the initiative. I am especially conscious of this during practice, and if there is something I don’t understand, I ask, and the opportunities to say what I want done have gradually increased.
Q, has it become not passive?
A, until the match against Iwata, I might have just done what I was told. However, after going through the Iwata match, my mindset began to change during practice.
Q: Among the players who have come through the academy, when you look at the starting lineup for league matches, there are often players who have gained experience at other teams. How do you feel about that as an academy graduate?
A, I believe that more academy graduates need to get playing time, and they must become the face of FC Tokyo. Rather than feeling pressure, I think there is a sense that this is something we must achieve. We have to perform well and inspire academy players to want to be promoted directly to the top team, so I believe there is still a lot we need to improve.
I also want to play in the game and become the face of FC Tokyo, and I really hope to make FC Tokyo known to more people. If I, as an academy graduate, can contribute to that, I think it would be even better.
Q: Do you feel any difference between the experience you gained as the top scorer last season and your current sense as a professional player this season?
A: Last season, since I was with the U-18 team, I didn’t really know the professional world and just thought I could gain experience by participating in training. In the recent match against Iwata, we lost a game we had to win, and I also missed a chance. Through that, I realized that the responsibility as a professional is completely different from what I felt in the U-18. We have to win, and it’s not just about my own feelings but also about the fans’ and supporters’ emotions, so I felt that I have to carry all of that and fight. Everything is a desperate struggle, and each moment is so much more intense and competitive compared to the U-18 level, so I finally understood that this is the professional world. I think we hadn’t reached that level yet, so this match made me feel the harshness even more.
