Finally, the pride of his sprinting ability shines on the pitch.
DF 99 Kosuke SHIRAI
Special content introducing the all-blue-red warriors who will challenge the 2024 season. What are the players, who are facing the opening, thinking and what kind of determination are they approaching the year with? The players' stories, hidden in their love for the club, their thirst for titles, their desire to perform, and the roles they must fulfill──. Entering his second season since joining the club, Kosuke SHIRAI. With the confidence that his own strengths match the team's fighting style, he himself has high expectations for his performance in the 2024 season.
Is this the difficulty of joining in the middle of the season? As manager Peter CKLAMOVSKI struggled to steer the team in the second half of the league, Kosuke SHIRAI, who joined from Kyoto Sanga F.C. in August, also couldn't fully demonstrate his potential. Hotaka NAKAMURA, known for his driving force, was also out for a long time, and although there were high expectations for him to fill the gap and make a significant impact, the team's playing style was not yet established due to a mid-season change in management, making it difficult to fully utilize the new player.
Still, they were beginning to find a way out. In the late stages of the 2023 season, the team reaffirmed their strategy of pressuring from the front and pushing the opponent's defense back, and in accordance with this, they practiced plays to attack from the right side and exploit the opponent's backline. Coach Peter CKLAMOVSKI praised them for this. In the final home game against his former team, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, in the 33rd round of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League, he came on as a substitute, and in the final round against Shonan Bellmare, he started and played the full game. He contributed to a resounding victory, playing with high morale as a key member, shaking off their previous slump.
Once the way of fighting is determined, one can properly control how to make use of oneself. Through last season's battles, the team reflected on the fact that while their ball possession had increased, they still had room for improvement in finishing once they entered the opponent's territory. They organized what needed to be done and approached the season's opening camp with Shiroi shining even more. And in the practice match against FC Ryukyu, he scored a goal. The speedy number 99 said, "It has become a common understanding for the team to push forward with numbers when we can break through the side. Whether as a fullback or a winger, I want to push forward and when I thought about it, a good ball came and I was able to score."
Building up from the back line, they attack with passes through Riki HARAKAWA, who also joined mid-season last year, to break through the center. On the other hand, the 2024 version of Tokyo also has attacks that can quickly penetrate behind or deep into the sides with long balls. They have made this strength clear. "One of the things that has become clear is the pushing force and the ability to make runs behind the defense. That's where my sprinting ability will definitely come into play. I think this is a team where I can showcase my abilities," he says with high expectations. It's time for Kosuke SHIRAI to show his true abilities.
Text by Wataru GOTO (Freelance Writer)
