In the J.League YBC Levain Cup, Kojiro YASUDA, who has been promoted from the U-18 this season, was utilized, and Yuki KAJIURA also scored a goal. Additionally, Renta HIGASHI and Naoki KUMATA, who are registered as dual players, also had opportunities to play, highlighting the increasing presence of academy graduates in the top team. This time, we spoke with Kojiro YASUDA and Yuki KAJIURA, who are spending their first professional season after being promoted from the academy, about the changes they experienced after scoring their first professional goals and making their first professional appearances, as well as their feelings towards the club as academy graduates.
Interview with Kojiro YASUDA
"I am required to play with high intensity while also showcasing my own style of play."
Q: You had the opportunity to play in the Levain Cup match against Jubilo Iwata. Although the time was limited, did this experience bring about any changes within you?
A, I was happy to be able to participate in the match since I had not been able to play. It had been a while since I played in a stadium filled with fans and supporters, so although the result was disappointing, I honestly enjoyed playing.
Q: I think it must have been frustrating not being able to join the team despite accumulating practice from the camp. Did you feel anything during that time?
A, of course, the level is different from U-18, so during the camp, I was desperate to get used to the pace of play and keep up with everyone.
Since this is a competitive world, we must focus on the results, and I was prepared to play in the match, so I believe I was able to participate this time. That's why I wanted to achieve a good result. I felt a bit down after the match, but I decided to switch my mindset and connect it to the next opportunity.
Q: Since it was your first year, did you have the mindset that it was okay not to play, or did you feel that once you entered the professional world, you wanted to participate in matches?
Yes, there is a difference in both skill and experience, and I felt that difference while playing. However, I was determined to do what I had to do within that context. I constantly think about how to bridge that gap while playing, and of course, there are many days when things don’t go well, but by continuing to push forward, I am gradually improving. I hope to reduce my mistakes and increasingly showcase my abilities.
Q: When standing on the pitch side and coming on as a substitute, did you have any expectations for yourself?
A, I thought this was my chance. During my U-18 days, I had injuries, so I felt that my chance had finally come, and losing this match makes me even more frustrated.
Q: Your teammate scored their first professional goal right in front of you. While you must feel happy as a teammate, I imagine there's also some frustration. What was it like to watch?
A, to be honest, I felt more regret than joy. On the contrary, it also ignited a fire within me, and I think it was good in terms of being able to elevate each other.
Q: I think this is a time for you to see and learn various things in your first year, but as a player from the academy, what feelings or thoughts do you have about changing the future of the club?
A, I want to change the fact that players from the academy are not involved in matches at all right now. As preparation for that, I believe it's important to maintain good conditioning and also to improve mentally, as I think that's why I'm not able to participate in matches. I am working on the areas where I am lacking after practice, but I want to close the gap with the players who are on the field and ultimately take a starting position.
Q: Has your approach to practice changed by playing in matches?
During the match, I was able to sense the parts where I could compete and those where I could not. I particularly felt that I lacked the ability to finish my shots. On the other hand, I was able to be a starting point and receive the ball to create the rhythm of the game, so I want to continue to develop that aspect.
Q: I think the style of soccer is a bit different from what you have been working on in the academy, but are you eagerly incorporating that into yourself as well?
I have confidence in my ability to adapt. I think I am gradually understanding where the players are on the court and where I should move.
Q: The Levain Cup match against Fukuoka will be the final match, but there are league matches and the Emperor's Cup as well. What do you think will be required from this point in the season? How do you feel about both the playing aspect and the mental aspect?
I think the intensity of the play is completely insufficient. For example, I believe that players like Shuto ABE and Kuryu MATSUKI are expected to play with high intensity while also showcasing their own play, so in order to secure a starting position, I think we need to work on those aspects in our daily practice.
In terms of feelings, there's no choice but to do it, so I think there will be various ups and downs, but in the end, to stand on the pitch, there's no choice but to do it, so I really want to cherish and focus on every day.
Yuki KAJIURA Interview
"Players from the academy must become the face of FC Tokyo"
Q: You had the opportunity to play in the Levain Cup Sec. 1 match against Fukuoka. Did your feelings change before and after participating in the match during your first year as a professional?
A, there was a significant change in my feelings. Personally, I wanted to play in matches from my first year, but it is not such an easy world, and based on my performance in camp, I thought I needed to grow more to be able to play in matches. In that context, being able to participate in matches was a big Prifoods.S for me.
Q: I think I was able to showcase my strengths and put my feelings into it, amidst various emotions like wanting to play in the match and taking it step by step since it's my first year.
I think there are really few chances, so I felt I had to show at least one thing in the limited time. I believe that actively presenting what the coach is looking for led to what I was able to do in that match.
Q: I think we found gaps in the opponent's defense and were very positive towards the goal during that time. I believe this is also one of my strengths, but were you trying to implement what the team needed?
Before entering the pitch, I was told to aim for this, so my thought was to first do what the team required before showcasing my own strengths, and I played with the team's concept in mind.
Q: You had the opportunity there, and then you had several chances in the subsequent Levain Cup, where you scored a goal in the match against Iwata. You started in that match, but don't you think there has been a change in your mindset?
In the previous match against Shonan, I played for a long time but couldn't do anything, so I felt regret going into the match against Iwata. Since I started from the beginning, I thought that if I missed this opportunity, there wouldn't be another one, so I was really focused, and my mindset to achieve results was different from other matches.
Q: Aside from feelings, has your approach to practice changed through experiences such as participating in training, preseason practice matches, and scoring in the Levain Cup match against Iwata?
Until then, I didn't have that much confidence, but by playing 90 minutes in the match, achieving results, and gaining various experiences, I became clearer about what I can and cannot do, and I gained confidence.
That has also allowed me to communicate more with the players around me, and my mindset has changed quite a bit. However, I believe we first need to be recognized, and only after that can we finally stand at the starting line.
Q: Did you actively change things yourself, or did they change naturally?
A, as the distance has become closer, I have become more able to initiate conversations, so I have strengthened my awareness of taking the initiative. I have been particularly conscious of this during practice, and the opportunities to ask questions when I don't understand something and to express what I would like have been gradually increasing.
Q: Has it become proactive instead of passive?
Until the match against Iwata, there may have been a feeling of just doing what was told. However, after the match against Iwata, there was a change in awareness during practice.
Q: Among the players from the academy, when looking at the starting lineup in the league matches, I think there are often players who have gained experience in other teams. How do you feel about that as a player from the academy?
I think that players from the academy need to play more matches and become the face of FC Tokyo. Rather than pressure, I believe there is a necessity to achieve that. We need to perform well and inspire the academy players to want to be promoted to the top team, so I think there is still a lot to improve.
I want to play in the matches myself, become the face of FC Tokyo, and win the league championship. I truly hope to introduce FC Tokyo to more people. As someone from the academy, I think it would be even better if I could contribute to that.
Q: Is there a difference between the experience gained at the top last season and your sense as a professional this season?
A, last season, being in the U-18 category, I thought I could just participate in practice and gain experience without knowing the professional world. In the recent match against Iwata, we lost a game that we had to win, and I missed my chance as well. Through that experience, I realized that the responsibility as a professional is completely different from what I felt in U-18. We have to win, and it's not just about my own feelings; there are also the emotions of the fans and supporters, so I felt that I had to carry all of that and fight. Every moment is a life-or-death struggle, and each one is focused on competition to a degree that is incomparable to U-18, so I finally understood that this is the professional world. I think we haven't reached that level yet, so it was a match where I felt the harshness even more.
