NEWS
Koizumi: “We still have more games to play. We want to do our best to cherish each game in front of us.”
On December 3rd, after the match against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in the 34th round of the Meiji Yasuda Life J1 League, Kaho Yoshio Koizumi talked about being on the pitch with Shinji Ono in his last game as an active player, her thoughts on finishing this season's J1 League, and the AFC Champions. He expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming competition, which continues with the league and the FIFA Club World Cup.
(Today was Shinji Ono's last game as an active player, and it was an official match, but how does it feel to be on the pitch with him?)
``I didn't know how many minutes we would be able to play together, so I was trying to make the most of the time we had together.Other than Shinji himself, I was definitely the one who was the most enthusiastic. We were so excited that there were some difficult moments in the first half, but it was a really happy time to be on the same pitch."
(Supachock player was preparing from around 15 minutes, but he took a free kick from Ono's own pass and created a highlight while extending his playing time. Although he was an opponent, he was able to catch Ono's play in the end.) (Isn't it?)
``That's right. I would have liked him to play a little more, but he touched the ball many times in that short period of time and created chances, so I thought he was a different actor, and he was really good at it. It was also a time when I realized that there was no one better at controlling the ball."
(How was your own performance while Ono was on the pitch?)
“It was a bit of a difficult time for us as a team. (Hokkaido Consadole) Sapporo is special, so it was a difficult time, but we hoped to endure in the first half and get a point somewhere. I thought it was a matter of how well we could convert the chances the moment we faced them.While we were very fired up, we were keeping a calm head and thinking about what we needed to do to help the team win, so in the first half, I was playing thinking I had to be patient.”
(The first goal was a penalty kick, but isn't the Reds' strength in exploiting the opponent's gaps?)
“If we can take control of the game, things like that will unfold and we will have opportunities like that.This year, we have been accumulating points through that, so in the end we were able to express how we fought. I'm glad you did."
(I think he really wanted to be on the pitch with Ono in today's game, and he said he wanted to shake hands with him on the pitch, but when we shook hands before the game, it wasn't much different than usual. (It seemed like that. What was his actual state of mind?)
``Deep inside my heart, I felt a lot of emotions, but Shinji wasn't the only one for me (lol).He must be a special person to the fans and supporters of the Reds, as well as the players, fans, and supporters of Sapporo.'' I think he is a very special person to us.I didn't feel like I was the only one, but I personally had a very special feeling for him.''
(Were you able to talk directly after the game?)
``I couldn't do it right away, so I just went there to say hello and ask, ``Could you exchange my uniform?'' He said that he had taken it to various places, so It was decided that it would be mailed at a later date (lol).It's a treasure.''
(The focus is on the Reds and Sapporo, but for Koizumi and Ono, there is FC Ryukyu, and this is something that only the two of them know about here.)
``It's a strange feeling to play soccer together in the farthest reaches of the south and end up here in the north.I've said it many times, but if I hadn't met Shinji in Ryukyu, I don't know if I would be here now.'' I think I would have become a different soccer player.I owe a huge debt of gratitude to him, and I really felt that he was a big human being.That's why so many people joined us in the final game. I think there are probably a lot of players who came to watch it. I think it's a great asset that we were able to experience that up close because we played on the same team. Today was a happy time."
(I don't know what a genius play is, but is there anything important that you learned from Ono that you would like to learn from him?)
``When I think of the Reds' No. 8, it's Shinji for me, so my goal has always been to get as close to that number as possible.However, I don't think I'll be able to be like Shinji.The same goes for his play, but as I said earlier, I think Shinji's unique personality, his ability to have a positive influence on those around him, his ability to make everyone he interacts with happy, are really great.We're on the same team. Being able to play there was a real asset, so I'm grateful to Shinji, and I'm also grateful to fate for that coincidence.''
(After this memorable match, what about the next competition in Asia and then the world?)
"We still have matches to play. We don't know what will happen in the ACL (AFC Champions League), and in the (FIFA) Club World Cup, there are so many things we don't know until we play. It's hard to imagine. I want to cherish each and every game ahead of me with all my might.”
(What kind of tournament do you want the Club World Cup to be?)
``Not much. I think it would be fun to play against (Manchester) City, but it's not the time to watch that, it's just the first game.Personally, I think the Mexican national team's soccer is interesting.'' I'm interested in seeing what kind of team Mexico's club (Club León, our quarterfinal opponent) is.I think it's a country that is often compared to Japan, so I'm interested.''
(I think it was a season where a lot of things happened, but do you feel rewarded by winning in the final round of the J1 League?)
``I don't feel like I was rewarded, but I'm glad that we were able to end the league with a victory, and I remember that we've never won in the final game since I joined, so I'm glad that the league ended with a sense of relief.'' is"
(You finished this season's J1 League in 4th place, but do you have any thoughts now on how you want to improve next season?)
``It's difficult to talk about next season because we don't know what the manager will be like or what will happen to the members.Personally, I have challenges and goals, but I think the important thing is mental, so I'll start with the ACL and club world. I want to work on preparing well so that I can compete in good condition as a professional until the Cup.”
(Didn't we now have a base that can accommodate any director that comes our way?)
``I don't get influenced too much by coaches, and I think my good point is the ability to understand the demands of various coaches, so of course I'll continue to improve on that next year as well.What I learned this year, such as defensively, is... There were a lot of things that happened, and I felt that I had grown as an individual.By playing under various managers, you can grow, and by accumulating things like that, you can develop a team with a lot of depth. I want to be a player. I want to be a player with deep pockets and a lot of things to draw from. I think that's the advantage of playing for different managers, and I want to absorb a lot of things. I'm looking forward to that aspect. ”
Other comments and match photos can be viewed on the site members.
■Click here for site members (330 yen per month/tax included) → https://sp.urawa-reds.co.jp/
*REX CLUB LOYALTY members can use it for free.
[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]
(Today was Shinji Ono's last game as an active player, and it was an official match, but how does it feel to be on the pitch with him?)
``I didn't know how many minutes we would be able to play together, so I was trying to make the most of the time we had together.Other than Shinji himself, I was definitely the one who was the most enthusiastic. We were so excited that there were some difficult moments in the first half, but it was a really happy time to be on the same pitch."
(Supachock player was preparing from around 15 minutes, but he took a free kick from Ono's own pass and created a highlight while extending his playing time. Although he was an opponent, he was able to catch Ono's play in the end.) (Isn't it?)
``That's right. I would have liked him to play a little more, but he touched the ball many times in that short period of time and created chances, so I thought he was a different actor, and he was really good at it. It was also a time when I realized that there was no one better at controlling the ball."
(How was your own performance while Ono was on the pitch?)
“It was a bit of a difficult time for us as a team. (Hokkaido Consadole) Sapporo is special, so it was a difficult time, but we hoped to endure in the first half and get a point somewhere. I thought it was a matter of how well we could convert the chances the moment we faced them.While we were very fired up, we were keeping a calm head and thinking about what we needed to do to help the team win, so in the first half, I was playing thinking I had to be patient.”
(The first goal was a penalty kick, but isn't the Reds' strength in exploiting the opponent's gaps?)
“If we can take control of the game, things like that will unfold and we will have opportunities like that.This year, we have been accumulating points through that, so in the end we were able to express how we fought. I'm glad you did."
(I think he really wanted to be on the pitch with Ono in today's game, and he said he wanted to shake hands with him on the pitch, but when we shook hands before the game, it wasn't much different than usual. (It seemed like that. What was his actual state of mind?)
``Deep inside my heart, I felt a lot of emotions, but Shinji wasn't the only one for me (lol).He must be a special person to the fans and supporters of the Reds, as well as the players, fans, and supporters of Sapporo.'' I think he is a very special person to us.I didn't feel like I was the only one, but I personally had a very special feeling for him.''
(Were you able to talk directly after the game?)
``I couldn't do it right away, so I just went there to say hello and ask, ``Could you exchange my uniform?'' He said that he had taken it to various places, so It was decided that it would be mailed at a later date (lol).It's a treasure.''
(The focus is on the Reds and Sapporo, but for Koizumi and Ono, there is FC Ryukyu, and this is something that only the two of them know about here.)
``It's a strange feeling to play soccer together in the farthest reaches of the south and end up here in the north.I've said it many times, but if I hadn't met Shinji in Ryukyu, I don't know if I would be here now.'' I think I would have become a different soccer player.I owe a huge debt of gratitude to him, and I really felt that he was a big human being.That's why so many people joined us in the final game. I think there are probably a lot of players who came to watch it. I think it's a great asset that we were able to experience that up close because we played on the same team. Today was a happy time."
(I don't know what a genius play is, but is there anything important that you learned from Ono that you would like to learn from him?)
``When I think of the Reds' No. 8, it's Shinji for me, so my goal has always been to get as close to that number as possible.However, I don't think I'll be able to be like Shinji.The same goes for his play, but as I said earlier, I think Shinji's unique personality, his ability to have a positive influence on those around him, his ability to make everyone he interacts with happy, are really great.We're on the same team. Being able to play there was a real asset, so I'm grateful to Shinji, and I'm also grateful to fate for that coincidence.''
(After this memorable match, what about the next competition in Asia and then the world?)
"We still have matches to play. We don't know what will happen in the ACL (AFC Champions League), and in the (FIFA) Club World Cup, there are so many things we don't know until we play. It's hard to imagine. I want to cherish each and every game ahead of me with all my might.”
(What kind of tournament do you want the Club World Cup to be?)
``Not much. I think it would be fun to play against (Manchester) City, but it's not the time to watch that, it's just the first game.Personally, I think the Mexican national team's soccer is interesting.'' I'm interested in seeing what kind of team Mexico's club (Club León, our quarterfinal opponent) is.I think it's a country that is often compared to Japan, so I'm interested.''
(I think it was a season where a lot of things happened, but do you feel rewarded by winning in the final round of the J1 League?)
``I don't feel like I was rewarded, but I'm glad that we were able to end the league with a victory, and I remember that we've never won in the final game since I joined, so I'm glad that the league ended with a sense of relief.'' is"
(You finished this season's J1 League in 4th place, but do you have any thoughts now on how you want to improve next season?)
``It's difficult to talk about next season because we don't know what the manager will be like or what will happen to the members.Personally, I have challenges and goals, but I think the important thing is mental, so I'll start with the ACL and club world. I want to work on preparing well so that I can compete in good condition as a professional until the Cup.”
(Didn't we now have a base that can accommodate any director that comes our way?)
``I don't get influenced too much by coaches, and I think my good point is the ability to understand the demands of various coaches, so of course I'll continue to improve on that next year as well.What I learned this year, such as defensively, is... There were a lot of things that happened, and I felt that I had grown as an individual.By playing under various managers, you can grow, and by accumulating things like that, you can develop a team with a lot of depth. I want to be a player. I want to be a player with deep pockets and a lot of things to draw from. I think that's the advantage of playing for different managers, and I want to absorb a lot of things. I'm looking forward to that aspect. ”
Other comments and match photos can be viewed on the site members.
■Click here for site members (330 yen per month/tax included) → https://sp.urawa-reds.co.jp/
*REX CLUB LOYALTY members can use it for free.
[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]
