A young and spirited new captain prepares for the 2024 season of battles.
MF 7 Kuryu MATSUKI
Special content introducing the all-blue-red warriors who will challenge the 2024 season. What are the players thinking and what kind of determination are they approaching the year with as they prepare for the opening? The players' stories, filled with club love, thirst for titles, aspirations for success, and the roles they must fulfill, will be revealed. For Kuryu MATSUKI, the 2024 season may be a major turning point as a soccer player. In his third professional season, he has been named one of the team captains, leading the team with his play and his back. He has also expressed his desire to represent Japan as a member of the U-23 national team and become a member of the Japan national team, making him the true leader of the blue-red team as they enter the new season.
This preseason, there was an incredible heat unleashed from Kuryu MATSUKI. It could be said that the number 7 was always at the center of the team building. In his third professional season, MATSUKI is trying to become the face of Tokyo in both name and reality.
In the training match held in Okinawa and Miyazaki, Matsumaki's left arm was wrapped in a yellow armband. There was no discomfort there, and it fit perfectly. Since last season, I have felt a big difference in the driving force and power of the attack depending on whether he is on the pitch or not, but this season, clear leadership has been added there. As he was also the captain at Aomori Yamada High School, it was easy for him to enter the pitch at the front and do the coin toss. His actions of looking around widely and raising his voice during the game were the moment when a new leader was born in Tokyo, which has been a challenge in recent years.
After finishing a three-week camp and returning to Kodaira, the "flow" only accelerated. In training matches, he continued to wear the captain's armband and led the team. In one match, it was clear that the intensity on the pitch changed depending on whether Matsuki was present or not, proving his significant presence. As a representative player, he wrote characters on an ema for good luck and also attended a J League PR event to announce the start of the new season. And alongside Masato MORISHIGE and Kei KOIZUMI, he was announced as the captain for this season. It was a natural progression.
While everyone around him is making a fuss about him being a "young captain", he remains extremely calm. "On the pitch, I wear the captain's armband, but other than that, I just want to do my best while sharing with my teammates, so it doesn't really change much," he calmly explains. Whether he has a title or not, he has a strong determination to be a key player this season. Not only as a defensive midfielder, but also as an attacking midfielder, he understands that he will be expected to produce results in the 2024 season.
"In order for the team to go in a better direction, one's own results become important. If we strive for that, we can continue to move forward."
"Captain Kuse, who has become the center of the team both in name and reality. He continues to demonstrate his passion and determination for victory on the pitch, leading the blue and red army to unseen heights."
Text by Daisuke Suga (El Golasso)
