After the announcement of the new structure on January 10 (Friday) and the team's initiation at Kodaira Ground on the following January 11 (Saturday), Tokyo will start its Okinawa camp from the 12th. Under the newly appointed head coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI, the team is rapidly preparing for the new season over a 21-day period until February 1 (Saturday). What will the coach, who sincerely faces football, instill in Tokyo, and what will he demand from the players? As we have just passed the halfway point of the Okinawa camp on the 22nd, we will provide an interim report on the new coach's efforts and the current state of the team.
What we seek is "initiative"
The annual schedule for the 2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League has been announced, and the season opener is eagerly awaited. Tokyo will face Yokohama FC away on Feb 15 (Sat), and will host FC Machida Zelvia at home Ajinomoto Stadium on the 22nd (Sat).
To endure the long season of all 38 matches, the newly appointed coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI has been diligently building each day with all the players and staff at the Okinawa Kunigami camp. The coach reflected on those days.
"Every day is a challenge, and since the players are human, there are ups and downs. However, I believe that the range of those fluctuations is small and stable. We are also working on controlling that, so in that sense, I would like to express my gratitude for their attitude once again."
In the 11 days so far, the players have been breathing in fresh air to the fullest. That is the impression. Although signs of fatigue are gradually becoming more apparent, smiles stand out even more, and a sense of fulfillment is conveyed through their comments. Ariajasuru HASEGAWA, a former club member who retired from Gainare Tottori at the end of last season and was visiting Tokyo for coverage, also seemed eager, saying, "The practice looks fun, and I want to join in too."
Each of the training menus incorporates rules and settings with tactical elements. With each training session, the new team has naturally tried to instill what is important to them and their commitments. The commander stated, "Their level of fulfillment is more important right now, and we are gradually incorporating the essence into the training. I believe that if it permeates and becomes ingrained in everyone, they will naturally flow in that direction (the desired direction)."
Even when mistakes happen during practice, the coaching staff often encourages us with phrases like "Let's keep going." This is intended to prevent players from stopping due to self-judgment during matches and to ensure the intensity of play. From the first day of camp, we have focused on the fundamental techniques of stopping and kicking, demanding initiative from each player. The words of the coach that symbolize this are "Surpass your current self."
"Just doing what I'm told is absolutely not enough, and I don't think that makes a good player, and I think they would find it boring too. Repeating what the coach or manager says without questioning it, that might be important, but in the end, it won't help you surpass your limits."
To ensure that growth does not come to a halt, one must step out of the comfortable psychological space, or "comfort zone," where stress and anxiety are absent. Coach Matsuhashi demands "subjectivity" rather than "autonomy" from the Tokyo team. Although these two words are similar, "subjectivity" means to make decisions and act on one's own. The responsibility and the determination of roles within the team lie with oneself. On the other hand, "autonomy" involves consciously acting within the framework set by someone else's instructions. In that case, one cannot surpass their current self.
Explaining the mindset and gathering play ideas from the players. In continuing these efforts, I called out, 'Let's not just raise our spirits with voices, but also with quality.'
"Everyone can do things like 'Waiwai Gayagaya' and I think it's natural to say, 'Let's do our best.' However, there are various ways to energize or get excited. When there are truly consecutive super plays, moments that take your breath away are created, and at the same time, a sense of tension also runs through. If a childish mistake occurs in that context, it stands out, doesn't it? How much we can enhance the quality of linking our own play with the whole team and maintain our concentration is an important point for the team. So, saying 'OK, let's go, let's do our best' is, of course, valid. I think it's important. At the same time, we should energize through the quality of our play. Making everyone gasp or say, 'That's amazing.' I believe that kind of excitement is also important for raising the quality of our play."
To create a new football
As I continued to cover the camp, I heard the coach say multiple times, "We are not doing anything special." At the stage of further implementing tactics, there was a phrase, "Always look to attack. Be aggressive in both offense and defense." Always seeking the ball, everyone plays while connecting with each other. He said, "I think it is necessary as a method to bring out their strengths rather than the soccer I want to play," and continued like this.
"It's not that everyone doesn't have the eyes to see (the play). I believe there are no football players who don't want the ball. I always want to be in touch with the ball, and I want the ball to always be with us. With that in mind, there is both offense and defense, and I think seeking that is not something special, but rather something normal. If we can create a lot of good connections in the attacking part, good goals will come from good relationships, and even if we lose the ball, if we are compact, we can defend quickly. While those aspects are two sides of the same coin, I want to cherish that."
Spending time with the players chasing the ball with joy, Coach Matsuhashi says, "Everyone is a bundle of potential."
"I believe that whether you widen or narrow that scope is a matter of mindset. It's more important to think about how to organize your mindset rather than how to change it. In that sense, I convey various messages here and there. How they think about that and how they incorporate it into themselves is their task."
Each person is reflecting on the message from the coach and facing themselves. New players like Marcelo RYAN and Kento HASHIMOTO, along with those who have returned from loan, are demonstrating the skills they developed during their training. There is no distinction between starters and substitutes, and the competition remains level. Therefore, there is no fluctuation in motivation. Everyone is a valuable asset, and the atmosphere of building together is starting to take shape. It is not the football that has been played at Albirex Niigata; rather, all the players and staff here are trying to create a new style of football that is characteristic of Tokyo. The blueprint for that has begun to take form.
Half of the Okinawa camp schedule has passed, and the team is entering the final stage towards the opening. Coach Matsuhashi is looking for "surprise" next.
"There are games from here. One aspect is how we prepare for those games, and I want to bring out the challenges and good points from those games. Also, I think there will be some surprising elements, right? I expect that such 'surprises' will emerge from the individual strengths of the players during the games."
While improving the errors that occurred in actual combat, the full picture of what the commander himself mentioned right after the team started, "I am thinking of new things," is still not visible.
The world is one of ups and downs. That’s why, "Since it definitely won't always be on the rise, I hope that by understanding that there is a solid growth curve, you can take even a small good step forward. I want to be of help in that way," and continue to build a careful daily life.
And let's not forget that Coach Matsuhashi is also one of those trying to surpass his own current self. "I still have a long way to go. I need to learn more and more. I have to be of help to them."
Next to the new challenge that has begun in Tokyo, this phrase should always resonate.
"Surpass your current self"
Text by Kohei Baba (Freelance Writer)
