Thank you for your generous support in the 2022 season.
We would like to report on the achievements of the academy in 2022, supported by our club support members.
□Report from the secretariat
The 2022 season marked a time when we finally began to regain our daily lives after the COVID-19 pandemic. Although we could not fully return to the state before the pandemic, the restrictions on hosting home games were gradually eased, allowing many club support members to attend and providing significant support to the club. We sincerely thank you once again. The head coach of the top team has become Albert PUIG ORTONEDA from the 2022 season, but the club's policy regarding academy development remains unchanged. The U-18 players participated mainly in the Levain Cup matches, showcasing a united front of the club. Furthermore, for the 2023 season, four players from the U-18, Naoki KUMATA, Kanta DOI, Kota TAWARATSUMIDA, and Renta HIGASHI, will be promoted. Your support is the strength of the club. We would like to report the financial results for the club support members for the 2022 season, supported by your annual fees, as follows.
Now that we have a new club structure, top team coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA also values the academy highly. As a result, many U-18 players have been called up for regular training and official matches, leading to an increase in their utilization. Therefore, by having the U-18 team work towards the same direction as the top team, we believe that playing at the top level will become smoother. We have been mindful of having a common understanding, including the system. Achieving this would be a shortcut to the top team, and this season has been approached with that sense. While there has been trial and error in how to bring out the players' individuality during critical moments, I have the impression that the balance has improved over time.
Additionally, at the beginning of the season, one of the goals we set during discussions with the players was to regain a strong FC Tokyo U-18. I felt that the players had a somewhat negative mindset, thinking that they were not strong. That is why, not only focusing on results but also on the mental aspect, we aimed to become a team that gathers wonderful players and inspires admiration. Furthermore, my personal goal was to ensure that "everyone can become a professional." Four players were promoted, and including those who will go on to university, I feel that we were able to cultivate a mindset that no one would be left behind in reaching professionalism from here.
There, I believe it is the result of the third-year students truly struggling to establish the standards of FC Tokyo U-18, emphasizing the importance of the team coming together, the spirit of never giving up that FC Tokyo has always cherished, as well as the discipline both on and off the pitch, and their behavior in daily practice, school, and home life. Players who have changed in that way have been able to express themselves more on the pitch. I feel that everyone has grown and finished the year with a sense of accomplishment.
Furthermore, the club support members have truly supported us both materially and spiritually. The financial support has been significant, but more than anything, the goals of the academy have clearly changed since the establishment of the club support members. Instead of just striving to be promoted to the top, we now aim to be at the center of the top. Contributing to title wins and aiming for the world from there is no longer a mere dream. I sincerely thank you for your support in various challenges.
This year, Fukagawa had many more offensive players who could move towards the goal while valuing the ball. While utilizing that characteristic, it was a year aimed at mixing Fukagawa's identity with the style promoted by the top team.
The last 'Takamado Cup All Japan Youth' leaves a sense of regret regarding the results, but that's football; it doesn't always go perfectly. Under new challenges, I have learned a lot myself, and including both the gains and the issues, I was able to have a fulfilling and good season.
Specifically, I conveyed to the players that they should aim to surpass the opponent not only in the number of goals but also in the number of shots and ball possession rate. I also asked players in any position to actively look for opportunities to enter the opponent's penalty area. However, in the summer national tournament 'Japan Club Youth Championship', we became rigid and entered the game in a passive manner. When we shrink back, the opponent's momentum increases. The higher the tension, the more we must play actively; otherwise, we allow the opponent to showcase their strengths. I feel that experiencing and understanding this aspect of soccer, and being able to reflect on it, contributed to our first victory in the 'Kanto Youth (U-15) League Division 1'.
The third-year students are friendly players who have been kicking the ball together before and after practice since their first year, until we tell them they can go home. They are a cohesive team and have achieved certain results, but from here on, it will be an individual competition. Once they advance to high school, they will definitely be seen with the perspective of having come from 'FC Tokyo,' and a tougher competition awaits them in the U-18 category. I emphasize the importance of how to express themselves in their respective environments.
We are grateful to all the club support members and everyone who came to cheer for us at the national tournament. Especially for the third-year students, they have hardly had the chance to cheer out loud over the past three years. They couldn't go to Ajinomoto to learn the chants and enjoy cheering for the upperclassmen and underclassmen together, or go to Ajinomoto to sing together... I feel sad about that, but I hope they will not forget the spirit of Fukagawa and grow strong.
What Musashi aimed for was to achieve consecutive victories in the 'Japan Club Youth Championship', to grow throughout the league season while battling through, and to conclude the season by winning the final tournament 'Emperor's Cup All Japan Youth'. It was a year of challenge towards a dynamic style, based on Musashi's characteristics of strength in ball contests and hard work, while taking the initiative in both offense and defense.
The beginning of the season started with three consecutive losses in the league, and in the national tournament, we were unable to achieve our goals, which certainly made us face the difficulties of team management and the nuances of competition. However, the players have a strong sense of the steady progress they have made. Especially towards the end of the league and in the 'Emperor's Cup All Japan Youth', they embodied a style of play that values the ball and connects confidently even against high-intensity opponents. I feel a significant growth there.
This year's team truly had serious and hardworking players. I had the desire to develop a "player who steps forward and stands out," but it was unfortunate that we couldn't support each other or enhance our sense of unity during expeditions and training camps over the past three years due to measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under those circumstances, there were some changes in the team's fighting style and tactics over the year, but what I conveyed to the players every day has not changed. What I valued was, "Everything is to become a professional." Right now, you wear the FC Tokyo emblem, but you are not professionals. If you are not always prepared to give your all for the future, there is no path ahead. I have sometimes conveyed painful truths, emphasizing that it is up to you to seize the opportunities given to you.
I believe that the passion of the coaches had a significant impact on me during my developmental years.
We will continue to inherit the history of Musashino, and everything is for the purpose of becoming a professional. We want to show our passionate and dedicated attitude, always giving our best effort.
