TOKYOism

This season, a goalkeeper from the academy has been promoted to the top team for the age-specific national team. He won the Best Goalkeeper Award at the 2023 AFC U17 Asian Cup. A young talent who shows exceptional strength in saving and high balls. Currently aiming for the world as a member of the U-19 Japan national team, Wataru GOTO. We asked him about his current feelings and his enthusiasm for challenging the professional stage.

——How did you feel when you heard about the promotion to the top league?
When I compared my abilities with those of the senior players on the top team, I didn't have any certainty that I could definitely rise to that level, so I was surprised when I first received the offer for promotion to the top team.

——Goto started his career in the academy at FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa. When did you start to become aware of the possibility of being promoted to the top team?
When I was in the first year of junior high school, I couldn't get involved in matches at all, and even when I moved up to U-18 in my third year of junior high, I wasn't really conscious of it. I started to specifically want to move up after I began participating in the top team's practices in U-18.

——Are you a humble person?
I'm not the so-called "Ora Ora type" with an overly confident and aggressive personality. I've focused on pursuing my abilities and concentrating on what I can do, so I haven't thought much about whether my level is high or low. I believe that the results I've achieved now are connected to the practice I've done to prepare for the next match and continuing to deliver results when called up to the national team.

In the 2023 AFC U17 Asian Cup, he contributed to the victory with many big saves and received the Best Goalkeeper award of the tournament with 2 goals conceded in 5 matches. Did it boost your confidence?
I was happy to have received the award, and it gave me a bit of confidence, but when I think specifically about the Asian Cup, I don't feel that I played as well as I could have, so I wondered if I really deserved it. Personally, I felt that I played better in the FIFA U-17 World Cup and had a strong sense of my capabilities.

——What are your strengths once again?
I am good at saving shots and dealing with high balls. I can win when a high ball comes.

——How do you want to strengthen your physical abilities?
Since my weight is still light, there is one aspect that I need to increase. I need to thicken both my upper and lower body a bit more to be able to compete, so I am thinking about how to do strength training. I have to start by increasing my weight and building my body; if I don't do that first, I won't be able to continue with the next steps. I also want to improve my agility, but that will be my next priority. Yuji MATSUBARA, the physical coach who was in charge of the top team, is now in charge of the U-18 team this year, so I think we will continue with the current efforts.

——The top team has many seniors, including Taishi Brandon NOZAWA, who has been selected for the Japan national team and the U-23 Japan national team for the Paris Olympics, making it a position with a strong player depth.
I knew that the top team's player depth was strong, and I was considering how well I could perform while participating in practice. Competition is tough no matter where you go, so I am prepared for that.

——How do you envision your days with the top team from now on?
I think I still have a lot to improve in terms of skills and mentality, but I want to play in matches from my first year, and I am looking forward to it and eager to get started. I don't know if I will be able to play in matches in the first year, but I want to grow day by day. Building trust is also necessary, and it might be difficult, but first, I want to aim for a starting position in the opening match.

——Please tell us about the differences you feel between the top team's training and the academy.
First of all, the top players have very high basic skills including catching, passing, and saving, and the finer aspects such as positioning are also of high quality, making it difficult for any player to easily score a goal. In comparison, I often make simple technical mistakes or allow shots, and I feel a difference in that regard.

——While there is a clear difference, do you feel that it is not so far apart that it cannot be closed?
Certainly, each difference may be small, but with many small differences and slight deficiencies, it feels like there is a significant gap in overall ability. I want to continuously improve each individual's skills in top-level training, so I want to fully commit to the camp from the very beginning.

——The point to overturn the gap with the seniors.
If I can't participate in the matches, I believe I have no choice but to continue showing what I can do in practice. There's no point in being down, and I think I won't earn trust unless I approach my seniors with a strong mindset. Therefore, I believe I must carry myself with a strong attitude, including my behavior.

——Such reliability was likely required even in international tournaments representing the country.
Regarding the mentality at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the enjoyment prevailed, and I didn't feel any tension in a good way. The atmosphere of the venue and the exhilaration I felt when I heard the national anthem and thought, 'Let's do this!' was incredible.

——Who are the players in the football world, including representatives, that you are concerned about?
This is Araki from Gamba Osaka Youth. He is a goalkeeper who is one year younger than me and is competing for a position in the U-19 Japan national team. He can reliably stop shots and participate in build-up play. He is capable of handling breakaways (when an opponent gets behind the defensive line), which makes me inevitably compare myself to him. I have a strong desire not to lose to someone younger, so he is a player I am quite conscious of.

——Which player do you pay attention to in Tokyo?
Masataka KOBAYASHI has played together for two years in U-18, and we have been rivals competing for the same position. We were also selected together for the U-19 Japan national team, so I don't want to lose to him.

——Finally, how would you like to be called by fans and supporters?
Whether it's 'Goto' or 'Wataru'... On the team, I am often called 'Wata' or 'Wataru'. I would be happy to be called by either name, but first, I hope you can remember my name. Since I want to be able to showcase my play well from my first year when I get to play in matches, I look forward to your support.

♢Wataru GOTO Profile

Date of Birth: May 8, 2006
Height/Weight: 192cm/83kg
Hometown: Chiba Prefecture
Career: FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa → FC Tokyo U-18
Representative history: U-16 Japan national team, U-17 Japan national team, U-18 Japan national team, U-19 Japan national team

Text by Katsu Goto (Freelance Writer)