TOKYOism

In the J League YBC Levain Cup, Kojiro YASUDA, who was promoted from U-18 this season, was appointed, and Yuki KAJIURA also scored a goal. In addition, academy graduates Renta HIGASHI and Naoki KUMATA, who were registered as 2nd division players, have been given opportunities to play, and the performance of academy graduates in the top team has become more noticeable than ever before. This time, we spoke to YASUDA and KAJIURA, who have been promoted from the academy and are experiencing their first season as professionals, about their changes after scoring their first professional goal or making their first professional appearance, and their thoughts on the club as academy graduates.

Interview with Kojiro YASUDA
"I am expected to play with high intensity while still playing my own game."

Q, I got a chance to play in the Levain Cup match against Iwata. Did you feel any changes within yourself during the limited time you had?
A, I was happy to be able to play in the game because I couldn't play in the game. It was the first time in a while to play a game in a stadium with fans and supporters, so the result was disappointing, but I was able to play with joy.

Q, During the training camp, I think it was frustrating not being able to join the team despite practicing. Did you have any thoughts during that time?
A, of course, the level is different from U-18, so at the camp, I was desperate to get used to the pace of play and keep up with everyone.

Since it is a world of competition, we must not be obsessed with the results. I was prepared to play in the game, so I am glad I was able to participate this time. That's why I wanted to achieve results. After the game, I was a little disappointed, but I decided to switch my mindset and move on to the next one.

Q, Did you have the mindset of wanting to play in the game, even if it was your first year and you couldn't play?
A, There are differences in both ability and experience, and there were times when I felt the gap while playing, but I always had the mindset that I had to do it. While constantly thinking about how to fill that gap, there are of course many days when things don't go well, but by continuing, I am gradually improving. I hope to reduce my mistakes and continue to appeal myself more and more.

Q, Did you have any expectations when you stood on the pitch and entered the game as a substitute?
A, I thought this was my chance. In my U-18 days, I had injuries, so I was finally able to play in a game where I thought my chance had come. Losing in that game makes me even more frustrated.

Q, your teammate scored their first professional goal right in front of you. How did you feel watching it, both happy as a teammate and also feeling a bit of regret?
A, the feeling of frustration was bigger than the feeling of joy. On the other hand, it also lit a fire within me and I think it was good for both of us to be able to improve each other.

Q, I think it's a timing to see and learn many things in the first year, but as a player from the academy, what kind of emotions and thoughts do you have about changing the future of the club?
A, I want to change the fact that academy-trained players are not involved in the game at all. In order to do that, I need to maintain a good condition and also mentally prepare myself because I feel like I am not able to play in the game yet. I am working on the areas that I am lacking after practice, but I want to catch up with the players who are playing in the game and eventually take the starting position.

Q: Has your approach to training changed since playing in matches?
A, I was able to feel the parts where I was able to make use of myself and the parts where I was not able to do so through the game, and what I couldn't do was, for example, I felt that I was particularly lacking in being able to score a goal. On the other hand, I was able to create opportunities and set the rhythm of the game by receiving the ball, so I want to improve on that.

Q, Do you also incorporate the style of soccer that is a little different from what you have been working on at the academy into yourself with greed?
A, I have confidence in my adaptability. I think I am gradually understanding where the players are on the court and where I should move.

Q, The Levain Cup will end with the Fukuoka match, but there are also league matches and the Emperor's Cup. What do you think will be required from here on in the season? How do you feel about both the playing and mental aspects?
I think the intensity of our play is not enough at all. For example, (Shuto) ABE or (Kuryu) MATSUKI, we need to be able to play with high intensity and still show our own play. In order to become a starter, I think we need to work on these aspects in our daily practice.

I think there will be ups and downs as there is no other way but to do it, but in the end, I want to cherish and focus on every day because there is no other way but to stand on the pitch.

Interview with Yuki KAJIURA
"Academy graduates must become the face of FC Tokyo"

Q, I got a chance from the first round of the Levain Cup against Fukuoka, but did you have any change in your feelings before and after playing in your first year as a professional?
A, there was a big change in my feelings. Personally, I had the feeling of playing in games from my first year, but it's not such a sweet world and I thought that I wouldn't be able to play in games if I didn't grow more in my performance at camp. In that situation, being able to play in games was a big plus for me.

Q, I think I was able to show my strengths and put my heart into it while having various feelings such as wanting to play in the game and being in my first year.
A, I think chances are really limited, so I thought I had to show something even just one thing in a limited time. I think what the coach was looking for was actively shown, and that led to what I was able to do in that game.

Q, Did you try to find gaps in the opponent's defense and move forward, and do you think the team was very positive towards the goal during that time? I think it's one of my strengths, but were you trying to put into practice what the team is asking of you?
Before entering the pitch, I was told to aim for this spot, so my first thought was to do what the team needed before showing my strengths, and to expand my options. I also played with the team's concept in mind.

Q, I got a chance there, and then I had a few chances in the Levain Cup afterwards, and I scored a goal in the Iwata match. I played in that match as a starter, but I think there was also a change in my feelings.
In the previous Shonan match, I played for a long time but couldn't do anything, so it was a frustrating match against Iwata. Since it was my first start, I thought if I missed this opportunity, there wouldn't be another chance, so I was very motivated and had a different mindset compared to other matches.

Q, Is there a difference between gaining experience and your feelings? For example, have your training methods changed through experiences such as participating in training camps and preseason matches, and scoring in the Levain Cup match against Iwata?

A, until then I wasn't able to have that much confidence, but by playing for 90 minutes in the game and leaving results, I was able to gain confidence by experiencing various things and clarifying what I can and cannot do within myself.

That's why I can talk more with the players around me, and my feelings have changed a lot. But I think we need to first gain recognition, and only then can we finally start from the starting line.

Q, did you actively change yourself or did you change naturally?
A, as the distance has become closer, I have become more proactive in initiating conversations and have strengthened my awareness of taking the initiative. During practice, I am particularly conscious of this and if there is something I don't understand, I ask and gradually have more opportunities to express what I want.

Q, has it become not passive?
A, There may have been a feeling of doing what was said until the Iwata match. After the Iwata match, there was a change in consciousness during practice.

Q, Among the players who came from the academy, when you look at the starting lineup for the league match, there are also many players who have experience playing for other teams. How do you feel about that as a player who came from the academy?
I think that more players from the academy should play in the matches and become the face of FC Tokyo. It's not so much pressure as it is something that must be done. We have to show that we can perform and make the academy players want to be promoted to the top team. There is still a lot that needs to be improved.

I also want to play in the game and become the face of FC Tokyo, and I really hope that more people will get to know FC Tokyo. I think it would be even better if I, as an academy graduate, could contribute to that.

Q, Do you feel any difference between the experience you gained last season as a top player and your current sense as a professional this season?
A, Last season, because I was in U-18, I participated in practice without knowing the professional world. I thought that if I could gain experience, it would be enough. In the recent game against Iwata, we lost in a game that we had to win, and I also missed my chance. Through that, 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 our own feelings, but also about the feelings of the fans and supporters, so it was a game where we had to carry all of that and fight. Everything is desperate and each one is not comparable to U-18, so I finally realized that this is the world of professionals. It was a game where I felt the severity even more because I don't think we have reached that level yet.