Finally, on April 29th (Fri, holiday), Tokyo will have its first J-League match at the new Japan National Stadium.
At the National Stadium before the renovation, we have played many official matches since our first year in the J-League. There were memorable super plays and impactful events. Since winning our long-awaited title, Tokyo has won all titles at the National Stadium, symbolizing the deep connection between Tokyo and the National Stadium.
Our National Stadium.
Before taking a new step at the National Stadium, let's look back at the footprints and memories we have left at the previous National Stadium with photos from that time.
2007 Hiradona's 5-man dribble
[Match Information]
2007 J.League Division 1 Sec. 25
FC Tokyo 2-0 Yokohama FC
Thanks to the development of digital media, searching for "Sota Hirayama 5-man dribble" will easily bring back the excitement of that day.
"Kaique" was a familiar name to the fans of the National Football League. He was known for his incredible speed and agility on the field, earning him the nickname "PITA". In the 40th minute of the second half, with the score at 1-0, Kaique stepped onto the pitch and immediately assessed the Yokohama FC's defensive line. "I felt like I could take them on," he said, as the monstrous striker began his attack.
One by one, he knocked down the opposing players and finally dribbled past the goalkeeper to score. Until the end of the game, the chant praising number 13 echoed throughout the National Stadium, and the goal celebration imitating French national team's star striker at the time, Nicolas Anelka, became a nostalgic memory.
He was a man who suited the national pitch more than anyone else. He scored a total of 24 goals at Kokugikan High School and continued to score memorable goals at FC Tokyo. Without a doubt, this five-person dribble will be counted as one of them.
Hirayama was crowned the top scorer for two consecutive years at the National High School Soccer Championship, and his total of 17 goals remains a record in the tournament. He dominated every title in the high school age group, earning the nickname "monster".
After that, he went on to study at Tsukuba University and at the age of 20, he moved to Heracles Almelo in the Dutch first division. He immediately showed his talent by scoring 8 goals in his first season, and it seemed that the future of Japanese football was on a smooth path. However, the following year, he suddenly had to return to Japan. The language barrier and unfamiliar living environment... there were many obstacles to overcome, but he lost the motivation to do so. He clearly expresses his feelings about this time as follows.
"My goal was stagnant until I went abroad. That was my responsibility. I was too naive as a professional."
Hirayama has repeatedly said in many interviews, "I didn't think of myself as a monster then, and I don't think of myself as one now." I think that's like him, but I want to deny it. His extraordinary play and unexpected behavior were undoubtedly monstrous. I have never seen a Japanese player as strong and flexible as him, except for Sota.
I confess that during my university days, I watched the final round of the National High School Soccer Championship two years in a row just to see him. It was the last game I paid to watch in Japan. He was not only a goal scorer with a shaved head, but also a special presence that made many soccer fans excited.
The video flowing from my device tells me that. To confess one more thing, I couldn't help but sigh at my lack of word sense when I read back the manuscript at the time and described it as "Hiradona". With self-reflection, that was also one of the things I learned from him.
For me, Sota Hirayama's 5-man dribble on the national pitch is still one of my favorite goals selected from FC Tokyo's archive, and it will never fade away.
Text by Yohhei Baba (Freelance Writer)
