As the team continues to prepare for the opening, they wrapped up their 21-day Okinawa camp on February 1st and moved on to the final phase in Kodaira. What did the players, who now share the same path as new coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI, feel and how did they change under the coach's words and passion in Okinawa? What is the potential of "Matsuhashi Tokyo" that the reporters who accompanied the entire Okinawa camp saw in the players' new efforts?
The scenery of Okinawa, which I should have visited for coverage every year, looked a little different in recent years. The 2025 season, which welcomes Rikizo MATSUHASHI as the new coach and approaches with a new system. It seems that the "opening" until entering the main topic was important. Perhaps the new commander first stimulated the players by reminding them of the original scenery when they started chasing the soccer ball one by one.
There were many scenes where players talked about their dedication to one play and conveyed their mindset. They were encouraged to take proactive action and grow. Each player seemed to reflect on the people they met and the words they heard during the process of developing their own soccer philosophy. By spending this time, by the end of the camp, a completely new team code of conduct had been established.
Among them, there were noticeable changes in the words and actions of each player. The most notable example was the extra training that started with Keigo HIGASHI and Kei KOIZUMI at the beginning of the camp. Kei KOIZUMI, who will turn 30 this season, started this training by asking for advice from Keigo HIGASHI, saying "I want to learn how to pass from Keigo-kun." In response, Keigo HIGASHI gladly accepted.
"If the level of my rivals improves, it means I have to do more and it leads to growth. It's lame to say 'I don't want to' when asked to teach (bitter laugh). But on the other hand, it's different from forcing someone to practice. It's nice to have the desire to learn. So I'll teach you without hiding anything, that's my stance. If there's something I can teach from what I've learned, I want to share it not just with Kei, but with everyone. It's fun to do and it also helps with my own practice."
After the full team practice, the two of them started to focus on training for the lofted middle pass that drops between the opponent's last line and the goalkeeper. East player shared his career-long approach to passing and his soccer perspective with Koizumi player without holding back.
"I told Kei that it would be better to play soccer widely for 90 minutes. He is good at details, so we need to make more use of the full pitch. Starting from there, we can also have long balls and aim for the back. We need to link up and always put the ball in a good place, otherwise we won't be able to kick it to a good place. That's what makes the game, I told him in my own way. I don't know how much it's resonating though (laughs)"
And by working on it every day, we gradually began to see results in our training in real game situations. We started to create opportunities to use Marcelo RYAN's speed to our advantage and send through balls behind the opponent's last line of defense. Then, Tota TOKIWAI joined the training that was originally just the two of us, and Takahiro KO also started to show up, expanding the circle. This made Toyo HIGASHI smile as well.
"In order to play as a midfielder, it is necessary to create the game. In addition, they have mobility. If they add that, they can become even better players. It's difficult for me to improve my mobility at this age, so I have to polish other areas and compete. That's why I'm talking to the midfielders about doing this training throughout the season."
If this circle continues to expand, the ripple effect will be enormous. Not only individual skill improvement, but also another by-product is expected. During the current camp, coach Matsubashi has repeatedly said, "Let's synchronize our timing." It may be the solution to that.
For example, if the receiving player joins this practice, the number of players who can naturally draw the same picture should increase. Diego OLIVEIRA, who retired at the end of last season, showed a movement to aim for the back when the East player had the ball. However, when the number 10 was not on the pitch, the number of times that happened suddenly decreased. While the harmony and trust cannot be built overnight, it is essential to break the opponent while holding the ball and taking the lead.
Tokyo player says, "It takes time to synchronize. It's difficult if the second, third, and fourth players don't have the same consciousness. You also need to understand the feeling and character, and use your head. You have to look at the opponent and judge even when you don't have the ball. Even if you keep passing close to each other, the situation won't change. Unexpected passes and switch passes are important, and the number of players who can make them must increase."
The moment I thought was from here. In fact, there were scenes where players like Yuto NAGATOMO and Masato MORISHIGE, who have a seeker-like back, would call out to players who were practicing shooting at the end of the camp and ask for their cooperation, and create an impromptu drill menu with multiple people involved. There are also veterans like Tokyo who involve many people and make the team stronger. It was also a camp where I reaffirmed that such players are also one of the assets that this club possesses.
To excite the viewers, it is best to plan together while teasing each other's mischievous hearts with a large group. That must have been one of the original scenes they saw while chasing the ball. Player East said with a motivated expression.
"I'll do it, I will. I have to raise awareness within the team and get everyone involved. The coach praised me for every single play I have been focusing on in practice since the first day of camp. It may have made others realize something as well. It was great to see Kento and Yan (Takahiro KO) join in and convey their desire to learn from everyone. I hope this will continue to spread in the future."
This is also an example, and the players have already begun to notice as various initiatives become more active. Coach Matsubashi has been watching these changes from the sidelines. When asked about the number of players participating in that practice, which initially started with just Koizumi and Higashi, the coach nodded and narrowed his eyes, saying, "It has increased towards the end of the camp."
"It has increased, hasn't it? I have also experienced various things, and I think that such a team will inevitably become stronger. At first, I think there are many things to accept for the first time, but I really started to think that this is necessary. The moment that vector matches, the number of people working together increases at once. Just that alone makes our thoughts and feelings come together. It's the same in the game, when the route we saw is blocked, we look for another route, but when everyone can make the same choice at the same time, I think the ball will be connected firmly. I think we have to do it over and over again."
The coach had this to say at the end of the 21-day Okinawa camp that started on January 12th.
"We have come to the point where the scenery changes."
Can we deepen our commitment to one play and show a new view of the rolling ball? And can we come up with creative ideas? The countdown to the start of the 2025 season has begun. Coach Matsubashi said, "It's not about something starting in the opening game, it's already started. I want them to pursue it until the end as they walk through their soccer lives," he reflected.
"There is a wonderful phrase from Kazushi KIMURA, whom I met during my time at Yokohama Marinos, 'Soccer is always about pursuit.' That phrase has always stayed with me. I believe it is a phrase that remains in the hearts of the players I played with at that time. Those who lead the top always continue to pursue. That phrase struck me deeply. It still remains with me and I want to continue saying it from time to time. I also want them to continue pursuing in that way."
There is a future beyond our present. Each player will continue to chase after their own back, never-ending pursuit. There is no end to the desire to learn and grow.
The world of competition is never sweet. However, if this "Makura" is able to add a surprising "Sage" to the soccer that is being created from here, it should be called a great success.
Text by Kyohei Baba (Freelance Writer)
