"We just have to talk it out thoroughly."
The guardian who first became a member of the FIFA World Cup from the blue and red always said so. During practice and matches, he constantly kept calling out. If there was a problem, he would hold an impromptu meeting and immediately resolve it. The solid defense back then was undoubtedly supported by the voice of Yoichi DOI. Nearly 20 years later, I recalled it through my son's words.
Lost 2-3 in the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Sec. 17 match against Urawa Reds. What the team lacked might have been precisely the daily effort and the voices.
In the 32nd minute of the first half, when leading by one goal, the scene of the first conceded goal. When the ball was passed to the right side from the opponent's counterattack, Doi closed the near side on the ball side.
However, the marking behind became unclear, and exploiting that gap, Okubo from the second line made a run and connected with a header.
"In this situation, the defensive midfielder did not communicate whether to follow the cross ball or pass it on. That was the lacking part. This way of conceding goals has happened many times this season, and we also conceded in that manner in the Yokohama FC match (Sec. 22)."
The header shot hit the bar, but Ishihara pushed in the rebound to equalize the score.
They scored an additional goal to pull away, but couldn't get a third after that. "The build-up play was good, but overall, we weren't running enough."
It was the 35th minute of the second half when the entire team started to lose momentum. The ball spilled from a corner kick and was picked up on the left side, then crossed again in front of the goal. In the end, it hit Matsumoto and they managed to equalize.
"The timing to go for the second ball after this corner kick was delayed. We must also reflect on the fact that it was easily crossed, but the marking inside the area was inconsistent, with some players using zonal marking and others man-marking, so we needed to clarify that as well."
Looking back, the match against Urawa two months ago was full of defensive issues. In the end, during additional time, a loose ball from a left corner kick was picked up, and Yuto NAGATOMO and Masato MORISHIGE blocked the shot with their bodies, but finally, the ball coming up from the left side went over Doi's head. In the zone defense, there should have been someone behind, but there was Matsumoto waiting alone, unmarked. Doi stretched out his right foot but couldn't reach the ball. The final round goal was conceded, and all was lost.
The three goals conceded were due to the ambiguity of the zone defense and a lack of communication. Doi sighed, "As a center back, you still have to defend in that situation."
After that, the team could not stop conceding goals from crosses, so during the June break, they changed the system to a four-back formation. As a result, they say, "Since switching to two center backs, marking players has become clear."
However, since the system change, Doi himself has been warming the bench more often. Accepting the current situation, he said, "I have no choice but to show my abilities in practice," and continued.
"After all, if I can increase the number of times I win the ball in defense more than Alexander SCHOLZ and Masato MORISHIGE, and from there connect to the attack, it will catch the eye of Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI. I want to be particular about that."
Before the rematch with Urawa, Doi once again uttered words that made you realize he really is 'that person's' son.
"First of all, as a defensive player, the most important thing is to deal with crosses and not concede goals from set pieces. It was the same in that match against Urawa, but I think we lacked spirit and concentration in the last 10 minutes, and I also feel there are few players who raise their voices at that time. That becomes crucial in the closing moments of the game. Since switching to a four-back system, marking assignments have been established over the past few matches. However, there have been instances where players have not fully tracked back or failed to close down opponents during conceding situations, so we need to tighten up those areas more. To do that, I think we need to communicate more vocally."
It was the same nearly 20 years ago. After practice, he would look at me and say, "You again?" while repeatedly talking about soccer. At first, he would say, "That's enough," but he patiently explained until I understood. Even though he had reached the veteran level at the time, I admired his attitude of striving to learn soccer deeply every day.
Talking with Kanta, who seems easygoing unlike his father, sometimes brings a sense of nostalgia. This is because glimpses of his underlying passion and competitive spirit can be seen in his words.
Just like that passionate guardian who never stopped shouting from the very end, the man who inherits his blood is also walking the path to become the boss who leads this blue and red defense.
For that, "We just have to talk it out thoroughly."──.
(Honorifics omitted in the text)
Text by Kohei Baba (Freelance Writer)
