Q: After about a two-week interval, the second half of the league will begin. First, could you look back on the first half of the league?
A, it's just one word: pathetic. Since I joined Tokyo, I haven't often experienced being in this position at the end of the first half of the league, so I have a strong sense of crisis.
Q. The last match of the first half of this season was against Kyoto SANGA F.C. The final match of the 2010 season, which was also a major turning point for Tokyo, was also against Kyoto. At that time, only Morishige from the current team has the experience of rising from the frustration of that match to winning the Emperor's Cup and making the first appearance in the ACL. Do you have any thoughts, reflecting on that time, on how the team can rise from here?
A, that experience at that time was significant for me. Neither we nor those around us thought we were the kind of team to be relegated, and we approached the season aiming for the championship. The team had several Japan national team players, and there was an atmosphere of "Well, it should be fine," yet we ended up in that situation. I think there was some complacency and overconfidence deep down. With a strong determination to reconsider that within myself, I started over from the next season, but even then, at first, we struggled to win in the J2 League. We can't win if we are complacent. Even though we should have realized that in the 2010 season, most players remained in the 2011 season, and with further reinforcements, the atmosphere became one of "This lineup should be fine."
If you have even a little bit of that feeling, you cannot win in soccer. I have personally felt that it is not just about technical or tactical aspects, but such things determine the outcome in soccer. That is why, before tactics or methods, I always think it is important to cherish the fighting spirit and the essential nature of soccer.
Q. Based on your experience at that time, how do you feel about what you want from the team now and what is expected of you?
A, from this season, with Rikizo MATSUHASHI as the new head coach, the tactical aspect inevitably took precedence due to his past achievements, and I believe people around us were expecting that. However, fundamentally, tactics should be built upon our own foundation, and the essential parts that form that foundation—such as passion and a strong mentality—had not been fully expressed by us until now. Balancing this is difficult, and with Coach MATSUHASHI's arrival, the idea of playing good soccer tactically is always in our minds, and of course, as a team, we want to express that well. But I think everyone has realized over the past six months that tactics alone are not enough to win. Conveying that and expressing it on the pitch and in daily training is also my role. This is something I want to demand from both myself and the team as we approach the remaining half of the season and consider how to fight on.
Q. After the match against Kyoto, how did player Morishige feel receiving the continuous support from the stands behind the goal?
A, even in a situation where the team couldn't win and it was understandable to be booed, the support from behind the goal really gave us strength and courage. For me, it was my first start since returning, so I wanted to somehow deliver a victory, but it ended in such a frustrating result, and the whole team has been in a frustrating situation for a long time. Still, the fact that the fans and supporters are cheering so powerfully is the only consolation, and that's how I felt inside. I deeply felt our own inadequacy, and at the same time, I strongly thought that we must stand up and fight once again for these people. It was right after the match ended, but I was able to feel that way immediately because the fans' and supporters' cheering and actions made me feel that. I felt they are an extremely reliable presence.
Q. From here on, how do you plan to approach the second half of the season?
AOf course, it is important to raise the individual soccer skills of each player, but more than that, how the team fights together and what they focus on is crucial. From here, how many points we can accumulate is important, so everyone must desperately defend, and everyone must desperately try to score. If the people watching can feel that attitude, the results will naturally follow. First, I believe we must thoroughly pursue the essential aspects of soccer.
This applies even when considering only the second half of the league, but it is something we must not forget if Tokyo is to seriously pursue the goal of winning the championship going forward. I believe it is also something the entire company must not forget as the essence of the sport of football. Everyone must keep this in mind— the president, the GM, the business staff, the field staff, the players, and the fans and supporters alike— and all must be unwavering on this point.
Q. Please give a message to the fans and supporters as we head into the second half of the league.
AEven when the team can't win, everyone's cheers truly give us strength, and no matter the situation, I believe Tokyo's fans and supporters are fighting alongside us. Sometimes booing might be necessary, and other times, like after the Kyoto match, there might be ways to encourage the players and give them courage. The players must respond to that. As professionals, they must express themselves on the pitch and achieve results. The players bear that responsibility, and how well they can convey it and turn it into points. We want to show that to all the fans and supporters.
