It was a quiet accumulation of days. He has already achieved a total of 438 J1 matches, ranking 16th in history. With 12 more matches to go, he is approaching becoming the 14th player in history to reach 450 J1 matches. When this season ends, his professional career will have reached half of his life. Masato MORISHIGE said, "I can't believe so much time has passed," as if savoring the moment.
That 18th year as a professional coincided with the 30th anniversary of the J-League. A young soccer player who experienced the initial excitement of the league looks back on that time, saying "I collected player cards and even wore training shoes with mascot illustrations." Soccer popularity was reignited at the World Cup held in Qatar at the end of last year. The momentum to revive that excitement from back then is definitely growing. As a player who was raised in this league, I can say this with confidence.
"After the World Cup ended, I felt a strong desire to liven up the J-League. In order for Tokyo to become even bigger, we need to increase our exposure and put more effort into it. Because I have been playing in the J-League for a long time, it has become a part of my daily life. However, when I look at it from a broader perspective after the World Cup, there are still parts that haven't become a part of this country's culture. We need to make it cool for people to wear team uniforms in the streets. That's why we need to send out various messages from the capital, Tokyo, and liven things up. Tokyo players also need to take on the responsibility of branding and elevating the status of the J-League."
As the opening of that memorable year approaches, the team's longest-serving captain in his 14th year has spent his days unchanged. However, there were also different daily routines.
"It was a great camp where young and veteran players communicated with each other more enthusiastically than ever before, and the team atmosphere was also great. There were also many things to learn from the young players, and the young players were able to learn from the players who have been playing in Tokyo. I think there was a good synergy effect. It's fun to talk to these young players, and they're kind of cute."
Energetic young players make fierce appeals, and veterans also demonstrate their own strength in response. Such days were repeated in Okinawa and Miyazaki. In the second year of the Albert regime, we will take a good position to continue and evolve positional play, which we have been working on since last season, and challenge ourselves. We will also review the team's challenges and achievements that are updated daily and discuss our progress and challenges.
"It is important to focus on the upcoming game and not make excuses. It is crucial to be able to share opinions in order to create this soccer, and it is important for everyone to work together without running away in order to win. Everyone has the same desire to win, and players who cannot play in the game will naturally come out in the future. However, instead of complaining and leaving, players who cannot play in the game should be able to say "Let's do our best!" in order to play in the game. I think that is the good thing about our team right now."
And before the opening, there was a word that remained vivid in my memory because it was unfamiliar. Morishige definitely said, "I'm excited." Since the pandemic, there have been limited restrictions lifted, but vocal support has been prohibited in principle. Finally, it will return to normal this year.
"I've always loved Tokyo. But in my 14th year here, I feel like I love it even more. Maybe it's because I've been here for so long, but I have a strong attachment to this city. I've started to feel a lot more about wanting to achieve results with this team, or how happy I am to be a part of this team, in the past year or two. The fact that we have fans and supporters hasn't changed since the beginning of the pandemic. However, I've forgotten what it was like to have fans cheering us on. There are also players who haven't experienced that. There are many players who don't know what the atmosphere is like in Tokyo Stadium. Just imagining that atmosphere, or the feeling of singing "Yuruneba" together after a win, naturally motivates me. I'm sure it will give me goosebumps. I hope that all the pent-up emotions will explode in a positive way. I think it will feel even more fresh, and things that used to be taken for granted will become motivating factors. In that sense, I'm just excited and looking forward to it."
Those words, of course, are also tied to our big goal. That's because our goal, which we all aim for, is nothing but the league title. That amazing atmosphere will return to Ajinomoto Stadium. Morishige said, "It's definitely exciting, isn't it?" as he put it on.
Mori Shige said he wants to keep his promise at Ajinomoto Stadium in the 2019 season and said he wants to win this season without giving up. My mother's friend from the neighborhood told me, "People who don't give up are hated, you know." But even though he is such a man who never gives up, the number of people who love him is increasing year by year. I want him to prove to the old ladies that he spent half of his life as a professional and to correct them. If you don't give up, your wishes will come true someday.
Text by Yohhei Baba (Freelance Writer)
