Finally, on Apr 29 (Fri, Holiday), Tokyo will play its first J-League match at the new Japan National Stadium.
At the National Stadium before renovation, we have played many official matches since our first year in the J.League. There were memorable super plays and impactful events. Since achieving our long-awaited title, Tokyo has won all titles at the National Stadium, symbolizing the deep connection between Tokyo and the National Stadium.
Our National.
Before taking a new step at the National Stadium, let's look back at the footprints and memories left at the previous National Stadium with photos from that time.
2007 Hiradona's 5-man dribble
【Match Information】
2007 J.League Division 1 Sec. 25
FC Tokyo 2-0 Yokohama FC
By searching for "Sota Hirayama 5-man dribble" on digital media, the excitement of that day easily comes back to life at your fingertips.
"Kaique" was a sufficient time even for just 5 minutes at "Kunitachi Kan". Hirayama stood on the familiar pitch in the 40th minute of the second half, leading 1-0. Immediately after that, he received the ball near the center line and checked the final line of Yokohama FC. "I felt that the opponent's line was high and I could go for it," and the attack of the monster striker begins.
One by one, he knocked down the opposing players and finally dribbled past the goalkeeper to score. Until the end of the game, the chant honoring number 13 echoed throughout the National Stadium, and the goal celebration imitating Nicolas Anelka, who was the ace striker of the French national team at the time, became a nostalgic part of the memories.
He was a man who suited the national pitch more than anyone else. He recorded 24 goals in total at Kokumitaka High School and continued to score memorable goals at FC Tokyo. Without a doubt, this five-person dribble will be counted as one of them.
Hirayama was crowned the top scorer for two consecutive years at the National High School Soccer Championship, and his total of 17 goals still remains as a record in the tournament. He dominated every title in the high school age group and earned the nickname "monster".
After that, he went on to study at Tsukuba University and at the age of 20, he moved to Heracles Almelo in the Dutch first division. He immediately showed his talent by scoring 8 goals in his first season, and it seemed that the future of Japanese football was on a smooth path. However, the following year, he was suddenly forced to return to Japan. The language barrier and unfamiliar living environment were just some of the many obstacles he had to overcome, but he lost the motivation to do so. He has clearly stated that he has no recollection of this time.
"My goal stopped until I went abroad. That was my responsibility. I was too naive as a professional."
Hirayama has repeatedly said in many interviews, "I don't think of myself as a monster, neither then nor now." I think that's like him, but I want to deny it. His extraordinary play and unexpected behavior were undoubtedly monstrous. I have never seen a Japanese player as strong and flexible as him, except for Sota.
Confession, but during my university days, I watched the finals of the National High School Soccer Championship for two consecutive years starting from 2002, specifically to see him. That was the last game I paid to watch domestically. The bald-headed goal scorer was not only special to me, but also to many soccer fans.
The video flowing from my device tells me that. To be honest, when I look back at the original manuscript, I can't help but sigh at my lack of word sense, as I described it as "Hiradona" at the time. With self-reflection, that was also one of the things I learned from him.
For me, Sota Hirayama's 5-man dribble on the National pitch is still one of my favorite goals selected from FC Tokyo's archive, and it will never fade away.
Text by Tadashi BABA (Freelance Writer)
