FOCUS ON
Keita ENDO tells himself, 'Tighten your helmet strap after winning.'
In the 2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League Sec. 12 match against Gamba Osaka, they achieved their first league victory in 9 games, but in the following match against Shimizu S-Pulse, they were involved in conceding goals and lost 0-2.
The previous match against Albirex Niigata was approached with a heavy heart. The team secured a 3-2 victory, but Endo shook his head.
"The ball came to the left side in a good position. The place and timing to receive it were good, so I wanted to be able to finish the attack myself. I want to deliver high-quality balls, and I also have the desire for Kei KOIZUMI to be involved in the goal and for myself as well."
If the ball is passed smoothly on the right side, the left side naturally opens up. The second goal scored by Koizumi in the 7th minute of the second half against Niigata started from picking up the rebound of a cross raised by Endo.
"I was conscious of entering the space slightly late rather than too early. I want to make the most of that opportunity."
And we will not make the same mistake again.
"Even though we won, we must never become complacent. Only by winning the next match will the previous victory truly matter. It’s precisely because not everything was perfect that we can’t be satisfied as we are. Otherwise, we won’t be able to surpass ourselves from that day. I want to deliver a level of passion, competitiveness, and performance that exceeds that day, and I want everyone else to strive for that as well."
Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI, his mentor, has always said, "The enemy right in front of you is the greatest enemy." To surpass the self he was that day, Endo updates himself and the team daily. What he aims for in the match against Vissel Kobe on the 10th is the best performance of his career.
(Honorifics omitted in the text)
Text by Kohei Baba (Freelance Writer)
