J1 League 300th Victory Commemoration Legend Talk
Amaral × Lucas × Naohiro ISHIKAWA
The Legend Speaks of Tokyo's Victory and Its Uniqueness
Tokyo achieved its 300th victory in the J1 League against Kashima Antlers. For everyone who has made their mark in the club's history, how do you feel about the significance of this number?
Ishikawa
To be honest, I don't know how much I contributed to this 300 wins, but I have experienced my 100th win myself, and throughout my long involvement with FC Tokyo, I have played with a strong sense of being part of a legacy that includes Amaral and the seniors from the Tokyo Gas soccer team era to now. Therefore, I felt that among the current players, there were those who thought about how we are here because of those seniors, especially with this milestone of 300 wins. Also, since there were words from (Ryoma) Watanabe about wanting to achieve 400 and 500 wins from here, I feel that the message is getting through.
Amaral
I think Tokyo is a club worthy of the number 300 wins. We fought against Yokohama F.Marinos in the first match of the J1 League, played the game in our own flow, scored goals, and achieved victory. Since that match, we have been building our history. Reaching 300 wins is the result of seeking victory in every match. I want to say it again to the club. Parabéns (congratulations).
Lucas
I don't speak Japanese (in Japanese). Amaral, please interpret for me (laughs). I'm really happy that Tokyo has reached 300 matches. I believe we have contributed to that journey as well.
Ishikawa
After Amaral left the club, we needed a forward who could score, but since Amaral was great, it wasn't easy for Lucas. Lucas had the ability, but it didn't seem easy for him to adapt to Japan at first. However, I watched him work hard and passionately, just like Amaral. There were long periods when things didn't go well, but everyone wanted to help Lucas, and Lucas himself felt the desire to achieve results here. Amidst that struggle, we won the Nabisco Cup in the 2004 season. Although there were initial struggles, he became an indispensable and reliable presence for the team. He left the team once, but he came back in 2011, and I believe we wouldn't have been able to promote to J1 in a year without Lucas. I'm grateful to the interpreter Kazunori IINO who contacted me.
Lucas
When I transferred, it was really difficult for me to adapt to Japan, but Naohiro (Naohiro ISHIKAWA) was young at that time, yet he helped me a lot. Not only Naohiro, but also Yoichi DOI, Jean, and Kelly were there for me. Amaral himself was playing for Shonan Bellmare at that time, and he took me around Tokyo and invited me to go bowling and have meals. I was helped by Japanese players on the pitch, but I never gave up. As Naohiro said, we were able to win a title in the 2004 season.
Everyone has a strong attachment to Tokyo, even though their playing styles may differ. How do you reflect on the days spent in Tokyo?
Amaral
He is a presence I can be proud of. I believe he has been recognized for his dedicated attitude both on and off the pitch, and at the same time, I am grateful for the opportunities the club has given me. I also appreciate my teammates. Soccer cannot be played alone, and I believe the history I have left at the club has been achieved together with my teammates.
Ishikawa
When I was with Marinos, the image I had of Tokyo was undoubtedly symbolized by Amaral, and that has not changed even after I joined and played here. The reason is that Amaral himself loved Tokyo and its fans and supporters, and even though there were times when he couldn't participate in practice due to injuries, he always expressed 100 percent, 120 percent of his play on the pitch because he was committed. That is also part of what makes him a symbol of Tokyo. So when Amaral left the club, I thought that while I could never be Amaral, I could carry on that spirit and do my best. I achieved 300 wins, but in terms of the spirit being passed on, it doesn't matter whether you have Japanese nationality or Brazilian nationality; it should be inherited as part of Tokyo's tradition.
Amaral
Thank you very much.
Ishikawa
Did you understand Japanese? (laugh)
Amaral
Basically.
Lucas
Especially what Amaral achieved in leading the club to J1, and I believe that Mr. Nao is probably the most important Japanese player in the club. I personally came to Tokyo after Amaral left, but thanks to what he accomplished, many things became easier.
Please share your memories and memorable events from your time with the three of you.
Ishikawa
Amaral also suffered from injuries, but I had a lot of fun when we played together. I would attack from the side, cross the ball, and Amaral would head it in. It was enjoyable and reassuring. Speaking of memories, it was during Amaral's last match before leaving the team against Kashiwa Reysol.
Amaral
We learned a lot from Nao as well. He also had periods of injury, but I felt his professionalism in the effort he put in at the gym to return to the pitch, and it was easy to play with Nao on the field. I know he simply challenges one-on-one on the side and wins, then delivers crosses. Nao, you had injuries and came back, and then got injured again, right? Nao is a player who never gives up despite that. That's important, and it was a learning experience to see him come back stronger.
Ishikawa
Amaral has been doing things like that. The way Amaral shows himself. It's about injuries and not giving up even in losing situations, fighting until the end. The truly important part of Tokyo is exactly what I wanted to learn from Amaral and pass on to the next players. It's the part I valued the most.
Lucas
For me, when I think of my memories with Nao, I don't know the exact numbers, but he was the player who provided me with the most assists while I was in Tokyo. In the Semifinal Round of the Nabisco Cup against Verdy, Nao provided 2 assists. It was an important match for advancing to the Final Round against Urawa, and it's a match that remains very memorable. Outside the pitch, Nao was really friendly and an easy-going amigo (friend), as we went out for yakiniku together.
Ishikawa
Lucas was really an easy player to work with. If you pass him the ball, he will hold it well and score. He also scores with headers from crosses, so he was really reliable. When Amaral left, there was the question of who would inherit that presence, and of course I played with that thought in mind, but fans and supporters have expectations for the new foreign players, and while Lucas played carrying that expectation, I think we also had overly high expectations of him, which made it tough, but he expressed it through his play.
Looking back at the foreign players in Tokyo's history, it seems that many of them not only excelled in their play but also had outstanding character. At the core of this is Mr. Amaral, isn't it?
Ishikawa
Yes, that's really true. Amaral was there, and I played alongside Jean, Kelly, and Lucas, but even though Amaral was a foreign player, he fought with a spirit like a Japanese person. He showed that without that, you can't play in Tokyo. Of course, the strengthening department selects such players, but the other day when Amaral was at the Japan National Stadium, I saw him talking to a Brazilian player, and indeed, Amaral's presence has been passed down to the present day. You can feel that same spirit in Diego OLIVEIRA as well.
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. I had the duty to open the door for my juniors as the first Brazilian player. I think Kelly, Jean, and Lucas, who came after me, all did a great job. That's why I believe Tokyo has become a club that feels like home for Brazilian players.
Lucas
I enjoy researching about soccer, and I had seen Amaral play for Ituano and Palmeiras during his time in Brazil. However, unlike now, the internet was not developed back then, so I didn't know how important Amaral was in Tokyo. But after getting to know him, I quickly understood why he is so loved by fans and supporters. We faced Shonan in a preseason match during the 2004 season, which was the only match I played against him. However, it was an honor to play together 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 themselves (laughs). They are truly dedicated and even work hard to learn Japanese in their private lives. They take the initiative to reach out, and I have respected them both as people and as players. Their fighting spirit and determination to never give up have been passed down in Tokyo, and the original players embodying that are Amaral and Lucas.
To everyone who has contributed to the 300 victories, please tell us about the match that remains the most memorable for you.
Ishikawa
I don't remember how many wins I had while playing in matches, but the first time I was welcomed as a member of Tokyo was in the league match against Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the 2002 season. I wonder if Amaral remembers that. It was the match where Toda scored a hat trick. I had transferred and participated in the Nabisco Cup at that time, but the league was interrupted due to the World Cup, and I wanted to be recognized as part of the team in the league matches after it resumed. In the match against Hiroshima, I was able to play as I had hoped, and we won the match, plus it was at Ajinomoto Stadium. That match remains in my memory as it was the first time I was recognized as a member of Tokyo in the league. It was a fun match, and I felt that I could improve with this team and wanted to make it even stronger. That match was like the Brazilian Day that I experienced for the first time.
Amaral
It was Samba Night.
Ishikawa
I thought, 'They're doing something like this' (laughs).
Amaral
300 wins is an amazing number. I have many memorable matches, but the one that stands out is the first match in J1 against Marinos. I received a penalty kick, and TUTO made a fantastic kick to score. I was chosen as Man of the Match, but the whole team performed well.
Lucas
At the beginning of the 2004 season, I wasn't in good form and thought about returning to Brazil. However, in June, we had a comeback victory against Nagoya Grampus, and I scored two goals, one of which I managed to score by dribbling past five or six opponents. It's not just because I scored that it left an impression on me; we had a comeback victory, and I believe that match was when I started to fit into the team.
When talking about Tokyo's 300 victories, the presence of fans and supporters is indispensable. Please share your thoughts about the passionate support from fans and supporters.
Ishikawa
First of all, I have the impression that there are many people who are knowledgeable about soccer. I was also with Marinos, and there were famous players who made the women cheer, but in Tokyo, the male voices resonate strongly in the stadium, and they tend to tease the opponents quite a bit (laughs). Mr. Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi gets quite fired up and angry, and then the fans and supporters tease him back (laughs). There are many people with a good sense of humor, and while it can be unpleasant if they are your enemies, they are very reliable and passionate if they are on your side.
Amaral
You can see the South American flair, right? I think the fans and supporters in Tokyo are passionate and truly wonderful.
Lucas
It's nostalgic to have fans and supporters around. They supported us with such loud voices, showing their passion as the literal 12th player. As Brazilians, we know the intensity of such fans and supporters, but Tokyo's fans and supporters are different from those behind the goal in Brazil; they always sing in an Argentine style and are truly enthusiastic.
300 wins are a milestone for FC Tokyo. What kind of club do you hope Tokyo will become in the future?
Ishikawa
It is natural that new players and staff will be coming in, but there are things that must not change within that. As a club based in Tokyo, which is the capital, the foundation we must return to is what Amaral and Lucas have shown us. Inspired by that, I have shown the importance of believing in my teammates and never giving up until the end. And above all, it is about loving the team. These two were trusted because they loved the team, and they were loved by the fans and supporters as well. We must show a form that does not shame these two as a club.
Amaral
As Nao said, Tokyo is already prepared. All that is needed is continuity. I want the club to continue being a family, and I want it to continue being a warrior. I hope it remains a team that doesn't give 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 the connection with Brazilian players is strong. There are wonderful stadiums, but the most important title, the league title, has not yet been achieved. I believe that consistently winning such titles will make the club greater. My dream is for Tokyo to win the J1 League title soon. If we achieve that, I think the club will grow even bigger.
Text & Translation by Masaki Shimozono (Football Writer)
