Three academy graduates who have been energizing the team since the start of this season. Having grown up in the blue and red of FC Tokyo U-15 and U-18, they now face Tokyo Verdy for the first time with the top team. We asked them to passionately share the feelings they hold deep in their hearts as they prepare for this match with extraordinary determination.
Ryunosuke SATO
"This Match Cannot Be Like Any Other"
An opponent we absolutely must not lose to. That is something that has been instilled in us since our academy days. On the professional stage, I believe this is a game where only victory is allowed.
I will never forget the final of the Tokyo Club Youth Soccer U-13 Championship, which I first competed in when I was in the first year of junior high school. I clearly remember winning in a penalty shootout. This match was my first official final. Before the game, Coach Ryuji FUJIYAMA didn’t say anything special. I remember being sent off with simple and obvious words for us, like the meaning this match holds and “Only a win is allowed.” Each member of the team was aware of this going into the match, and winning this game also boosted our confidence.
Since being promoted to the top team, I clearly remember the match where Keita ENDO scored two goals. It was a game that deeply moved my soul as well. Since Verdy returned to the J1 League, we have not lost yet. That’s because we have fought united, including all the fans and supporters. This match cannot be treated like any other. I intend to maintain the usual calmness in my decisions and play. However, in battles for the ball and in both offense and defense, I will fight with the resolve to give my all, even if it means getting crushed.
Ready to become a derby man? Of course, I am. If I shake the net here and that becomes the winning goal, it will be etched as part of the club’s history. I believe it’s important that the player is someone who came through the academy. In the future, it should also serve as something meaningful for the players who wear the blue and red. That’s why I’m aiming for the goal that will lead Tokyo to victory.
Kota TOKIWA
"A Match to Show Which Tokyo Is the Real One"
From the moment I joined FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa, Verdy became the opponent we must never lose to. This was instilled in me by Takashi OKUHARA, the first player to wear the number 10 at this club and now the top team scout and method coordinator. OKUHARA-san drilled into us, "No matter what happens, you must never lose to Verdy. Even if your bones break, absolutely do not lose to those guys." For me, they are that special opponent.
However, in the last year when Mr. Okuhara served as the coach of U-15 Fukagawa, the team one grade above lost 3-4. I vividly remember that frustration. Seiji KIMURA and Kashif BANGNAGANDE were playing in that match, and although they were leading by 3 goals, they conceded 4. Since then, they have never lost, but because Mr. Okuhara was emotionally invested in that game, I still strongly remember how severely we were scolded.
The first time I saw a top team match was through a screen, but it was a 2008 season game where Yuto NAGATOMO and Hulk had an intense battle. Since then, I have watched every match.
I have yet to stand on that stage for even a second with the top team. I fully understand that it is a match where souls clash, with determination and pride on the line. I believe this is a game to show which is the true Tokyo and which side Ajinomoto Stadium belongs to.
Even if it’s my first time on that stage, I will simply kick aside the opponent in front of me. I will knock them down and drag them if I have to, pushing forward toward the goal. Even if my bones break, no matter what happens, I absolutely must win. I want to show that kind of play on that pitch.
Rio OMORI
"I've Never Lost. I Want to Keep Winning with the Top Team"
I have been to see this matchup twice at Ajinomoto Stadium when I was little. At that time, I was still in the lower grades of elementary school, so I remember feeling the intensity and fear of that fierce atmosphere. My father took me to the games, but I experienced a strange and overwhelming air. That is the oldest memory I have of this matchup.
When I actually joined FC Tokyo U-15 Musashi, I was strongly told, "Wearing this uniform, you must never lose to Verdy." Even after being promoted to FC Tokyo U-18, I believe our passion for the matches and desire to win were always stronger.
My older brother (Nagisa, currently with Mito Hollyhock) was in the Verdy Youth team, and I also had the frustration of being rejected in the junior selection, so personally, they were an opponent I didn’t want to lose to. As a result, I never lost to Verdy during my academy days, so I want to keep winning with the top team as well.
This is my first stage. Since this match will decide the supremacy in Tokyo, we will definitely win regardless of the content. I think it will be a solid game, so toughness will be tested. With Hiroshi JOFUKU as the coach, Tokyo Verdy seems to have become even tougher. However, we absolutely cannot lose on that ground. We, Tokyo, fight by putting our true strength front and center. That is something we will never concede.
Standing on the ground where I once felt fear as a child is now something I really look forward to. It’s a stage I’ve admired, so I want to not only stand on the pitch but also seize victory there. Both the fans and supporters, as well as the players, can catch the momentum if we win here. This is an important game in our pursuit of the championship. That’s why we will fight passionately.
(Honorifics omitted in the text)
Text by Tadashi BABA (Freelance Writer)
