The opening of the new season is finally approaching. Led by the new head coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI, the blue-red team will face Yokohama FC away on February 15 (Saturday). Among the players who are determined to give their all for the opening match, there is one man who is burning with an extraordinary fighting spirit for this game. Marcelo RYAN, 22 years old. The striker, who has recently joined the blue-red team from Sagan Tosu, is expected to be the “successor” of the great predecessors and is ready for a season to enhance his value by bringing glory to the club. "My motivation is very high. I am confident that we can have a great season," he said, sharing his thoughts on the opening match, which he considers "important," and his passionate feelings for the new season.
──Finally, the 2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League will kick off. Is this time before the first match always exciting?
Personally, since the opponent is my former team Yokohama FC, and this will be my first game since transferring to Tokyo, I absolutely want to achieve a good result. Everyone probably shares similar feelings heading into the opening match, and I don't think it will be an easy game. We will all train well right up until just before the match and want to start the 2025 season with a victory. My motivation is very high, both for the fans and supporters, and for myself.
── About one month since the team started, is the adaptation to the style of play that new manager Rikizo MATSUHASHI aims for progressing?
I think things are going well. Personally, I am very happy to be able to compete as a member of Tokyo, and my honest feeling is that I want to get on the official match pitch as soon as possible. Over the past month, we have been training mainly at the Okinawa camp, and we have been able to prepare well under the new coach. I hope to approach the opening match in good form and make 2025 a wonderful season.
The style of soccer that Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI advocates, which emphasizes valuing the ball while attacking, is similar to the style he practiced at his previous club, Sagan Tosu.
Certainly, there are parts that resemble Tosu's soccer style. I think the emphasis on valuing the ball is similar, but while connecting passes and maintaining possession, long balls are also used depending on the situation. For me, I feel that Tokyo's style suits me better.
──Handling the ball accurately. Sending precise passes from good judgment. Coach Matsuhashi demands a commitment to technique from the players.
I believe that is very important. As mentioned earlier, technical skills are necessary to value the ball and take control. It has been a month since the team started training, and I think we are beginning to develop good coordination. However, of course, it is not yet 100 percent. I want to make quicker decisions on the pitch and link our plays more effectively.
──Coach Matsuhashi emphasizes that the goal is the top priority, not just connecting passes.
After all, soccer is a sport where you cannot win without scoring goals, so this is something that the entire team is strongly aware of, and to win, prioritizing goals is essential. Of course, maintaining possession of the ball is important. However, it is not enough to just value possession; you need to hold the ball while thinking about creating space for the opponent, and actively attack the moment the target space opens up.
──When aiming for a style of play that retains possession of the ball, what kind of work do you think is necessary before reaching the finish?
The frequency with which the ball comes to us forwards is not very high, so we always look for places where space is likely to open up, making predictions and sensing opportunities, and prepare ourselves to dive in and get involved in the finish. Each player has their own playing style, and some try to draw the ball in from midfield. Compared to those players, I might spend more time positioned up front. Being closer to the goal increases the chances of scoring. While I sometimes hold up the ball with post play in the forward area or spread the play to the sides, my strongest style is sharply breaking through the front line. I believe my greatest strength is the speed to exploit the space behind the defense.
The 14 goals scored last season in Tosu had a rich variety of scoring patterns.
Last season, I was able to score goals in various ways. I believe the main reason for that was staying as close to the goal as possible. Besides the pattern of breaking behind the defense, being in positions related to finishing on a case-by-case basis naturally creates many variations, and I think the chances my teammates provide lead to goals.
──While the shooting technique is impressive, there is an impression that they excel at creating conditions that make it easy to take shots.
Personally, I believe the highest chance of scoring a goal comes from breaking into the space behind the defense and taking a one-touch shot. I think that is the closest to scoring. However, the reality is that we are rarely allowed to create such ideal situations (laughs). We try to hold our positions around the target space to keep the opponent in check and maintain possession of the ball, then carry the ball forward to aim for a shot, or adapt various methods depending on the situation.
──How is the combination with the surroundings?
I believe that the preparation period over the past month has deepened our understanding, so from now on, I want to mature it further through playing matches. After all, the most important thing is communication. Naturally, it is impossible for everyone to have the exact same "perspective," so by properly discussing with those around us and aligning the plays I wanted to make with the plays my teammates wanted me to make, I think we will gradually adjust. We also get along well and interact off the pitch, so I am confident that the 2025 season will be a very good season for me.
──As mentioned at the beginning, the opening match will be against Yokohama FC, the first team I was with in the J-League. What are your thoughts on this?
Some players, including CAPRINI and Gabriel from Brazil, who used to play together, have transferred, but many former teammates are still with the club. Personally, this is the first club I played for in Japan, so I have a strong attachment to it. I believe they will also show a passionate performance in the home opener, so it won't be an easy match. However, now I am playing in Tokyo wearing the blue and red. This is my first match in Tokyo. I absolutely want to win and start off well.
── I believe there are also expectations for you to become the successor to Diego OLIVEIRA, who retired at the end of last season.
When I decided to transfer to Tokyo, I heard from the club that they were looking for someone to become the successor to Diego. Fans and supporters probably have similar expectations, and of course, I share that understanding myself. However, he is a wonderful player who has made a tremendous contribution to the Tokyo club and team. Although I cannot immediately reach his brilliant achievements, I want to positively accept everyone's expectations and turn them into my own strength.
──I hope it will be a good season.
I believe this will be a special season for me. Until now, I have relied on my youth and worked recklessly, but I feel that I have reached a position where I must produce results beyond that. When I first came to Japan, I had few opportunities to play and went through very frustrating times, but even so, I kept believing in my own ability, and finally, people have started to recognize the name "Marcelo RYAN." I want to achieve better results in Tokyo than last season and truly become a player who is loved and needed, just like Diego. I also want to etch my name as the ace in Tokyo's first league championship. For that reason, I absolutely want to win the opening match.
Text by Katsu Goto (Freelance Writer)
