Finally, the pride of his sprinting ability shines on the pitch.
DF 99 Kosuke SHIRAI
Special content introducing the all-blue-red warriors who will challenge the 2024 season. What are the players, who are approaching the opening, thinking and preparing for the year? The players' stories, filled with club love, desire for titles, aspirations for success, and the roles they must fulfill. Entering his second season since joining the club, Kosuke SHIRAI. With the confidence that his own strengths match the team's fighting style, he himself has high expectations for his performance in the 2024 season.
Is this the difficulty of joining in the middle of the season? As manager Peter CKLAMOVSKI struggled to steer the team in the second half of the league, Kosuke SHIRAI, who joined from Kyoto SANGA F.C. in August, also couldn't fully demonstrate his potential. With Hotaka NAKAMURA, known for his driving force, being out for a long time, there were high expectations for him to fill the gap and make a significant impact. However, with a change in leadership midway through the season and an unsettled playing style, it was difficult to fully utilize the new player.
Still, they were beginning to find a way out. In the late stages of the 2023 season, the team reaffirmed their strategy of pressuring from the front and pushing the opponent's defense back, and began to practice plays that would exploit the opponent's backline from the right side. This caught the attention of coach Kramowski, who praised the team's efforts. In the final home game against their former team, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, in the 33rd round of the Meiji Yasuda Life J1 League, they came on as a substitute and started in the final round against Shonan Bellmare. They contributed to a resounding victory as a key member of the team, seemingly shaking off their previous struggles.
Once the way of fighting is determined, one can properly control how to make use of oneself. The team reflected on the fact that while their ball possession had increased throughout last season's battles, they still had issues with finishing once they entered the opponent's territory. They organized what needed to be done and approached the season's opening camp with Shirai shining even more. And in the practice match against FC Ryukyu, he scored a goal. The speedy number 99 said, "It has become a common understanding for the team to push forward with numbers when we can break through the side. Whether as a fullback or a winger, I want to push forward and when I thought that, a good ball came and I was able to score."
Building up from the back line, they attack with a passing game that breaks through the center via Riki HARAKAWA, who also joined mid-season last year. On the other hand, the 2024 version of Tokyo also has an attacking style that can quickly penetrate behind or deep into the sides with long balls. They have made this characteristic clear. "One of the things that has become clear is the forward propulsion and the ability to make runs behind the defense. That's where my sprinting ability will definitely come into play. I believe this is a team where I can showcase my abilities," he says with high expectations. It's time for Kosuke SHIRAI to show his true abilities.
Text by Katsu Goto (Freelance Writer)
