Waiting with MATSU
This is a story about wine and rolling balls, written by a dull freelance writer who has been drinking alcohol every day (or rather, has been drunk). Before that, I want to say this. Every time this relay column is updated, I regret my foolishness in trying to play rock-paper-scissors afterwards, and I end up holding my head, saying to my senior colleagues, "Please leave some space for me."
However, during those few days, I realized something. Unfortunately, I have never thought about soccer in a complex way (or maybe I just can't think that way), and I don't have that kind of intelligence to begin with. So, this time, I want you to read it casually, thinking of it as a break. I am not lowering the bar by any means.
A slightly wonderful story that connects my favorite alcohol and football - although it's actually just drunken ramblings - begins with an excuse. I think it was over 10 years ago when I first tasted a wine called "MATSU" from a region called "Toro" in northwest Spain. Of course, the taste was great, but the unique name, impressive label, and stories behind it all really stuck with me.
First of all, as for the origin of the name, it means "to wait" in Japanese, and it is said to pay respect to all wine producers who have dedicated their efforts, respect, and sacrifices to working in vineyards for centuries.
The design of the labels represents a three-generation journey set in a vineyard. The red wine is a trilogy called "El Pícaro (the mischievous one)", "El Recio (the hard worker)", and "El Viejo (the elder)", each depicting a man from a different generation. (There also seems to be a white wine featuring a woman named "La Jefa (the boss)", but unfortunately I have yet to encounter it). The labels symbolize the essence of the wine and the way it relates to the land according to age and life stage, paying homage to the hundreds of men and women who have dedicated their lives to the vineyards in this region.
In addition, the aging period is different for each of the three parts. "Gaki Taisho" is aged for 5 months, "Hataraki Mori" for 14 months, and "Choro" is aged for a whopping 18 months in barrels. Furthermore, the age of the grapes used also increases, and for Choro, 100% of the grapes used are "Tinta de Toro (also known as Tempranillo)" with an age of over 100 years. It takes over 100 years to make this one wine. In other words, they are not in a hurry. To make delicious wine, you have to "wait" and put "expectations" into careful work.
The opening remarks were quite long. Those who are perceptive may already understand what I am trying to say. Finally, let's get to the main point. By the way, there is a club that has a new coach this season who seems to be a big fan of wine. That person is none other than FC Tokyo's coach, Albert PUIG ORTONEDA. Since taking on the role, the new coach has repeatedly said the same words.
"There is no other way but to put in time and effort every day. It becomes important to convince and persuade the players. If the players believe, it is not difficult to put in daily effort. I have said it many times, but there is no doubt that we will struggle for several months in the season. However, we have a team of high-quality players, so I believe that if we patiently put in effort, we will definitely move in a good direction."
This year's football can be likened to the "MATSU" trilogy, perhaps best described as the "leader of the pack". In addition, in the interview audio before taking on the role of coach, a football that combines both offense and defense was described as the goal by a respected senior interviewer.
"In my country, we express it as 'Let's travel together as a team'."
Don't you feel a stronger sense of affinity with the feelings behind 'MATSU' when you hear these two phrases?
And as many people may have noticed in the opening game, what coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA has been asking for during the preseason was surprisingly simple. To take the correct position while watching the opponent, and to attack using depth and width. The basic strategy is to push the opponent into their own territory through the outside and deliver the ball to the player in a positive state by hitting and dropping it repeatedly. The ideal situation in both offense and defense is to have possession of the ball, and if it is lost, to aim for an immediate recovery. It is not difficult to understand, and it is important to repeat these simple plays quickly and accurately. These points have been discussed in this relay column project, and in fact, there were several good scenes created in the opening game.
Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA said, "Soccer is difficult because it's hard to play simply," and added these words.
"I am not trying to express a special soccer, but if you watch high-level matches in Europe, there are many teams aiming for similar developments and plays. In that sense, my wish is to express modern and contemporary soccer here in Japan."
If there is room to mention it in the opening game, it would be the use of middle passes to avoid the press. The symbolic moments were in the 67th and 77th minutes. The first was when Henrique Trevisan sent a lob pass to Diego Oliveira, who then expanded the play to the right side. The second was when Takuya Aoki floated a ball to Ryoya Ogawa while passing the ball in their own half, creating a scoring opportunity from there. In both cases, the players maintained an appropriate distance and avoided Kawasaki's press with the good judgment of Trevisan and Aoki, who changed their focus. After that, the players adjusted their positions according to the movement of the ball, allowing for a smooth passing tempo.
<67-minute play>
<77-minute scene>
What I remembered from these plays was a story I heard from Sotan TANABE (currently playing for Avispa Fukuoka) during his time at Sabadell in the Spanish second division.
"Even when I have the ball, my teammates don't support me by receiving passes close to me like they do in Japan. That kind of image didn't exist at all until I went to Spain. Even if I'm hiding behind the opponent, they don't pass to me as if it's natural. It's not like in Japan where the players around me are trying to create passing opportunities. But at the same time, they're not just standing still, they're constantly moving. Their positioning is not to help the player with the ball, but to move towards the area where they want to receive the ball."
It makes a lot of sense when applied to the current team. As the judgment speed and technical ability increase, the way of moving the ball may also increase. Now, let's finish this manuscript by doing something a little more professional.
The journey has just begun. Sometimes, the uncorked wine must be patiently waited for. With football as a side dish, we have high expectations for being able to drink the best sake.
Text by Yohhei Baba (Freelance Writer)
