The young new captain full of fighting spirit faces the competitive 2024 season
MF 7 Kuryu MATSUKI
A special content introducing all the blue and red warriors challenging the 2024 season. What are the players thinking as the opening match approaches, and with what determination are they preparing for the year? The stories of the players, who hold in their hearts their love for the club, their thirst for titles, their aspirations for success, and the roles they must fulfill──. For Kuryu MATSUKI, the 2024 season may be a significant turning point as a football player. In his third professional season, he has been leading the team with his play and has been named one of the team captains. As he aims for the Paris Olympics as part of the U-23 Japan national team, he clearly expresses his desire to join the Japan national team, challenging the new season as the true flag bearer of blue and red.
This preseason, the intensity unleashed by Kuryu MATSUKI was extraordinary. It could be said that the number 7 has always been at the center of the team building. In his third professional season, MATSUKI is on the verge of becoming the face of Tokyo in both name and reality.
In the training match held in Okinawa and Miyazaki, TERRY wore a yellow armband on his left arm. There was no sense of discomfort; rather, it felt just right. Since last season, I had felt a significant difference in the attacking momentum and intensity with or without him on the pitch, but this season, there is clear leadership added to that. Having served as captain at Aomori Yamada High School, entering the pitch at the front and performing the coin toss was second nature to him. His ability to survey the field widely and raise his voice during the match marked a moment when one answer emerged to the recent challenge of finding a new leader in Tokyo.
After returning to Kodaira following about three weeks of camp, the "flow" further accelerates. In training matches, he continues to wear the captain's armband and leads the team. In one particular match, the energy on the pitch clearly changed with or without Matsuki, proving the significance of his presence. During the prayer for victory, he wrote words on an ema as a representative of the players, and he also attended the J League PR event announcing the start of the new season. Alongside Masato MORISHIGE and Kei KOIZUMI, his appointment as captain for this season was announced. It was a natural progression.
Surrounded by the buzz of being the 'young captain', he remains extremely calm. He speaks calmly, saying, 'I wear the captain's armband on the pitch, but outside of that, it's good if I can share things with my teammates, so it doesn't change much.' Regardless of the title, his determination as a key player this season is strong. He understands that in the 2024 season, where he may be used more not only as a defensive midfielder but also as an attacking midfielder, greater results will be expected.
"In order for the team to move in a better direction, my own results are important. If I can pursue that, then..."
The captain, Kuu, has become the true center of the team. He continues to demonstrate his commitment to victory and passion on the pitch, leading the blue-red army to unseen vistas.
Text by Daisuke Suga (El Golasso)
