J1 League 300th Win Commemorative Legend Discussion
Amaral x Lucas x Naohiro ISHIKAWA
"Tokyo's Victory and Tokyo-ness as Told by Legends"
Tokyo achieved their 300th win in the J1 League against Kashima Antlers. How do you feel about the weight of this number, which has been engraved in the club's history, once again?
Ishikawa
I honestly don't know how much I contributed to these 300 wins, but I have experienced my 100th win and have been involved with FC Tokyo for a long time. I have always played with a strong sense of having seniors like Amaral and others, who have been with us since our days at Tokyo Gas Soccer Club. So, I felt how many of the current players were aware that there are such seniors and that we are here at this milestone of 300 wins. Also, there was a word from Ryo Watanabe that he wants to continue to add to this and reach 400 or 500 wins, so when I hear that, I feel that it is being conveyed.
Amaral
I think Tokyo is a club worthy of the number 300 wins. We played against Yokohama F.Marinos in the first match of the J1 League and scored a goal to win the game in our own flow. That game was the start of our history. I think we have reached 300 wins because we have been seeking victory in every game. I want to say to the club again, congratulations.
Lucas
I'm the only one who doesn't speak Japanese. Amaral, please translate (laughs). It's really exciting that Tokyo has reached 300 games. I think we all contributed to that achievement.
Ishikawa
After Amaral left the club, we needed a forward who could score, but it wasn't easy for Lucas because Amaral was great. Lucas had the ability, but it wasn't easy for him to adapt to Japan at first. However, I saw him struggling and playing with the same passion as Amaral. There were also times when things didn't go well, but everyone wanted to help Lucas and he himself felt the desire to achieve results here. We won the Nabisco Cup in the midst of such struggles in the 2004 season. Although there were times when things didn't go well at first, he became an indispensable presence for the team and we could rely on him. He left the team once, but he came back in 2011 and I think we couldn't have been promoted to J1 in just one year without Lucas. I am grateful to Kazunori Iino, the interpreter who contacted me.
Lucas
When I first transferred, it was really difficult for me to adapt to Japan, but Naohiro Ishikawa was young at the time, but he really helped me. Not only Naohiro, but also Yoichi Doi, Jean, and Kelly were like that. Amaral himself was playing for Shonan Bellmare at the time, but he took me to various places in Tokyo and invited me to go bowling and eat together. On the pitch, I was helped by Japanese players, but I never gave up. As Naohiro said, we were able to win the title in the 2004 season.
Everyone has a strong attachment to Tokyo, even though our playing styles may differ. How do you look back on the days you spent in Tokyo?
Amaral
He is someone I am proud of. Not only on the pitch, but also off the pitch, I think he recognized the dedicated attitude I showed. I am also grateful for the opportunities the club has given me. And I am grateful to my teammates as well. Football cannot be played alone, and I believe that the history I left at the club was achieved together with my teammates.
Ishikawa
When I was with Marinos, my image of Tokyo was definitely symbolized by Amaral, and that didn't change even when I came here to play together. The reason is that Amaral himself loved Tokyo and the fans and supporters, and even when he couldn't participate in practice due to injuries, he always gave 100% or 120% on the pitch, which is also a symbol of Tokyo. So when Amaral left the club, I couldn't become Amaral, but I firmly believed that I could inherit that feeling and do my best. We achieved 300 wins, but in terms of the soul being passed down, it doesn't matter if it's Japanese or Brazilian nationality, it should be passed down as a tradition of Tokyo.
Amaral
Thank you very much.
Ishikawa
Do you understand Japanese? (lol)
Amaral
Basically, right.
Lucas
What Amaral, who led the club to J1, was able to do, and I think Naosan is probably the most important player on the club's Japanese team. I came to Tokyo after Amaral left, but thanks to what he was able to do, it was easier to do various things.
Please tell us about your memories and memorable events during your time together with three people.
Ishikawa
Amaral also suffered from injuries, but when we played together, it was really fun. I attacked from the side, crossed the ball, and Amaral headed it in. It was fun and reassuring. Speaking of memories, it was the last game when Amaral left the team.Kashiwa Reysol match, I think.
Amaral
We learned a lot from Naoya. He had a period of injury, but we could see his professionalism in his efforts to return to the pitch at the gym. It was also easy to play with him on the pitch. We know that he can win 1-on-1 battles on the side and provide crosses. Naoya, you had an injury and came back, and then you had another injury. But you never gave up. That's important, and it was a learning experience for us to see you come back stronger.
Ishikawa
Amaral has been doing that. The figure that Amaral shows. Not only injuries, but also not giving up until the end even in a losing situation, the most important part of Tokyo is exactly what I wanted to learn from Amaral and pass on to the next player, and it was the most important part for me.
Lucas
For me, when it comes to memories with Nao-san, I don't know the exact number, but he was the player who assisted me the most during my time at Tokyo Verdy. In the semifinal round of the Nabisco Cup against Verdy, Nao-san assisted me twice. It was a crucial match for us to advance to the final against Urawa, and it's a game that remains in my memories. Off the pitch, Nao-san was also a very friendly amigo (friend) who I went out for yakiniku (grilled meat) with.
Ishikawa
Lucas was a really easy player to play with. When I entrusted him with the ball, he would keep it well and score points. He also scored points with headers from the side, so he was really reliable. When Amaral left and we were wondering who would take on his presence, of course I also played with that in mind, but fans and supporters always have high expectations for new foreign players, and we also had high expectations for Lucas, who played while carrying that expectation. I think it was tough for him, but he expressed himself through his play.
When looking back at the foreign players who have played in Tokyo, I think there are many players with excellent human qualities as well as playing abilities. Isn't Amaral the one at the origin of that?
Ishikawa
Well, that's exactly right. With Amaral, I played with Jean, Kelly, and Lucas, but even though Amaral was a foreign player, he fought with the spirit of a Japanese player. Without that, you can't play in Tokyo. The strengthening department chooses players like that, and when I saw Amaral talking with Brazilian players at the Japan National Stadium the other day, I could see that his presence is still being carried on. Diego (Oliveira) also has that kind of spirit.
Amaral
Including myself, all the Brazilian players who followed have played with a sense of responsibility, and when I was playing in Tokyo, I was always conscious of giving my all. As the first Brazilian player, I felt a duty to open the door for my juniors. I think Kelly, Jean, and Lucas, who came after me, all did a great job. That's why I think Tokyo has become a club that feels like home for Brazilian players.
Lucas
I love researching about soccer, and I have seen Amaral play for Ituano and Palmeiras during his time in Brazil. However, back then, the internet was not as developed, so I didn't know how important he was in Tokyo. But after getting to know him, I quickly understood why he is so loved by fans and supporters. I only played against him once in a preseason match against Shonan in the 2004 season. But it was an honor to play with him in the 2018 season (in an alumni match).
Ishikawa
What Amaral and Lucas have in common is that they are more Japanese than Japanese people (laughs). They are truly devoted and even work hard to learn Japanese in their private lives. They have a willingness to reach out to others, and I have always respected them as both people and players. Their never-give-up, fighting spirit has been passed down to Tokyo, and the original players of that spirit are Amaral and Lucas.
Everyone who has contributed to our 300 wins, please tell us about the most memorable game.
Ishikawa
I don't remember how many wins I had in the games I played, but the first game I was welcomed as a member of Tokyo in the league was the Sanfrecce Hiroshima game in the 2002 season, but I wonder if Amaral remembers. It was the game where Toda scored a hat-trick. I played in the Nabisco Cup at the time of my transfer, but the league was interrupted by the World Cup, and in the resumed league games, I was hoping to be recognized as a member of the team. I was able to play the way I wanted to in the Hiroshima game, and we won the game, and it was at the Ajinomoto Stadium. That game remains in my memory as the first game where I was finally recognized as a member of Tokyo in the league. It was a fun game, and I felt that I could improve in this team and become stronger in the future. That game was like a Brazilian Day that I experienced for the first time.
Amaral
It was a samba night.
Ishikawa
I thought, "I'm going to do this kind of thing" (laughs).
Amaral
300 wins is an amazing number, isn't it? There are many memorable games for me, but the first game in J1 was probably the Marinos game. I got a PK and TUTO made a great kick to score. I was chosen as the Man of the Match, but the whole team was good.
Lucas
When I first transferred in the 2004 season, I wasn't in good shape and I was thinking of going back to Brazil. But in the June Nagoya Grampus game, we won in a come-from-behind victory and I also scored 2 goals, one of which I was able to score by dribbling past 5 or 6 opponents. It's not because I scored that it left an impression, but because we won and I started to fit in with the team after that game.
When talking about Tokyo's 300 wins, the presence of fans and supporters is essential. Please share your thoughts on the passionate support they provide.
Ishikawa
First of all, there are a lot of people who are knowledgeable about soccer. I was also with Marinos, and there were famous players and women cheering, but in Tokyo, you can hear a lot of male voices in the stadium, and they also like to tease the opponents (laughs). Kawaguchi Nokatsu-san gets angry and the fans and supporters tease him (laughs). There are a lot of people with a sense of humor, and it was annoying when they were enemies, but if they were on your side, they were very reliable and passionate.
Amaral
You can see the colors of South America, right? I think Tokyo fans and supporters are passionate and truly amazing.
Lucas
It's nostalgic to have fans and supporters like that. They supported us with such a loud voice, showing their passion as the 12th player. As Brazilians, we know the passion of fans and supporters, but Tokyo's fans and supporters are different from the Brazilian goal end, they always sing like Argentinians and are truly enthusiastic.
300 wins is a milestone for FC Tokyo. What kind of club do you want Tokyo to become in the future?
Ishikawa
It is natural that new people, including players and staff, will come in from now on, but there are things that should not change. As Tokyo challenges overseas as the capital club, the starting point to return to is what Amaral and Lucas showed us, believing in the teammates I have shown and never giving up until the end. And above all, loving the team. These two were trusted and loved by the fans and supporters because they loved the team. We must show a figure that does not shame these two as a club.
Amaral
As Nao said, Tokyo is already prepared. What we need now is continuity. I want the club to continue to be like a family and to continue to be warriors. I want a team that never gives up and has a strong sense of belonging to the club.
Lucas
Amaral, I am happy. The club has already established an identity as a family and has a strong connection with Brazilian players. There are also wonderful stadiums, but the most important title, the league title, has not yet been won. I think that continuing to win such titles will make the club even greater. My dream is for Tokyo to win the J1 league title soon. If we can achieve that, I believe the club will become even bigger.
Text & Translation by Shimosono Masaki (Soccer Writer)
