Three academy graduates who have supported 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 face their first match against Verdy with the top team. We asked them to passionately share the feelings they hold deep in their hearts as they prepare for this highly determined match.

Ryunosuke SATO

"This match must not 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 it is a game where only victory is allowed.

I will never forget the final round of the Tokyo Club Youth Soccer U-13 Championship that I first competed in when I was in the first year of junior high school. I vividly remember winning in a penalty shootout. This match was my first official final round. Before the match, the coach Ryuji FUJIYAMA did not say anything special. I remember being sent off with simple and obvious words for us, like the meaning of this match and "Only winning is allowed." Each member of the team was aware of this going into the game, and winning this game also boosted our confidence.

Since being promoted to the top team, I vividly remember the match where Keita ENDO scored two goals. It was a game that truly moved my soul. Since Verdy returned to the J1 League, we have not lost yet. That is because we have fought as one, including all the fans and supporters. For this match, things cannot be the same as usual. I intend to maintain the usual calmness in judgment and play. However, in battles for the ball and in offense and defense, I will fight with the determination to give my all, even if it means getting crushed.

Ready to become the derby man? Of course, I am. Scoring here and shaking the net, if that becomes the winning goal, it will be etched as a part of the club's history. I believe it is important that the player is one who came from the academy. In the future, it should also show something to the players who wear the blue and red sleeves. That is why I aim for the goal that leads Tokyo to victory.

Kota Tokiwa Player

"A match to show which is the real Tokyo"

From the moment I joined FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa, Verdy became the opponent we must never lose to. The one who instilled this in me was Takashi OKUHARA, the first-ever number 10 at this club (currently a top team scout and method officer). Mr. OKUHARA drilled into us, "No matter what happens, you must never lose to Verdy. Even if you break a bone, absolutely do not lose to those guys." For me, they are a very special opponent.

However, in the last year when Mr. Okuhara was the coach of the U-15 Fukagawa team, the team one grade above lost 3-4. I vividly remember that frustration. Seiji KIMURA and Kashif BANGNAGANDE were playing in the match, and even though we were leading by 3 goals, we conceded 4. Since then, we haven't lost once, but because Mr. Okuhara was very passionate during that match, I still have a strong memory of being scolded quite severely.

The first time I watched a top team match was through a screen, and it was a 2008 season game where Yuto NAGATOMO and Hulk had an intense battle. Since then, I have watched every match.

I have not yet been able to stand on that stage with the top team for even a second. I fully understand that it is a match where souls clash and where determination and pride are at stake. I believe this match will show which team is the true Tokyo and which team Ajinomoto Stadium is truly home to.

Even if it is my first time on this stage, I will just kick aside the opponent in front of me. I will knock down the opponent and drag myself 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 Player

"Never lost even once. I want to keep winning with the top team as well."

I have been to see this match twice when I was little at Ajinomoto Stadium. 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 game, but I experienced a strange atmosphere. That is the oldest memory I have of this match.

I actually joined FC Tokyo U-15 Musashi and strongly told myself, "Wearing this uniform, we must never lose to Verdy." Even after being promoted to FC Tokyo U-18, I believe our passion for the game and desire to win were always stronger.

My older brother (Nagisa, currently with Mito Hollyhock) was in the Verdy youth team, and I was personally motivated by the frustration of being rejected in the junior selection. He was someone I didn't want to lose to. As a result, I have never lost to Verdy during my academy days, and I want to keep winning against them in the top team as well.

This is my first time on this stage. This match will decide the supremacy in Tokyo, so regardless of the content, we will definitely win. I think it will be a solid game, so toughness will be tested. Verdy, under the management of Hiroshi JOFUKU, seems to have become even tougher. However, we absolutely cannot lose on that ground. It is us, Tokyo, who fight by putting our true strength front and center. That is something we will never concede.

Standing in a place that once scared me as a child is now something I really look forward to. It's also a stage I admired, so I want to not only stand on the pitch but also seize victory there. Both fans and supporters, as well as the players, can catch the momentum if we win here. This is an important game in aiming for the championship. That's why I will fight passionately.

(Honorifics omitted in the text)

Text by Kohei Baba (Freelance Writer)