The scene ahead of the upward gaze remains vividly etched in my mind even now. Masato MORISHIGE said, "I remember," and spoke about the event from three months ago.
"I got goosebumps, or rather, I really felt their passion coming through."
It was after the Sec. 19 match of the 2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League on May 31, held away against Kyoto Sanga F.C. The team suffered a heavy 0-3 defeat, marking their third consecutive loss. Lowering his gaze, biting his lip, and with heavy steps, he headed to greet the away goal supporters. What was released from there was the passionate cheers of the fans and supporters.
"They could have jeered at us, maybe. But they cheered us on there. Among those cheers, there might have been anger as well. I believe it was a cheer that expressed their frustration, and that feeling came through. Along with the fans' and supporters' anger and frustration, I also felt their desire saying, 'Do more,' and 'Let's keep pushing together.' Personally, that's how I felt about that support."
Shaking his head, Morishige says, "We still haven't fully responded to that support."
This season has been one challenge after another, a continuous series of difficulties. The team has been unable to fix the lineup due to a surge of injuries and illnesses. Even in terms of coordination, the unspoken understanding has not fully taken root. Still, they have fought desperately. Morishige describes this struggle as follows.
"Even though we were uncertain, we have steadily built up what we need to do. With the change in formation, the gears shifted into a good place. It felt like the cogs meshed well, so since then we've been able to play without hesitation. Rather than becoming overly intellectual, we've come to see that if we clarify this and that, things will improve even more."
A glimpse of light, confidence beginning to take hold... Just when it seemed these would lead to results, the team continues to stall. Morishige himself missed three league matches due to poor condition. He has just made his return in the 2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League Sec. 28 match against Nagoya Grampus. With this reliable man back, the team will make a fresh start from here.
"Right now, we are starting to grasp a certain momentum, so in order not to lose it, we need to train rigorously and also demand that from those around us. Because we experienced so much frustration in the first half of the season, even if we achieve two or three consecutive wins here, a desire to push further will naturally arise. We won’t be satisfied, and we must not forget that frustrating first half of the league. To avoid losing this upward momentum, we have to become mentally more hungry and driven."
When the September break ends, matches that naturally ignite passion continue against Tokyo Verdy and Kawasaki Frontale. The man who has long equated himself with Tokyo reflects on the cheers from that time, questioning himself about his response.
"While steadily fueling the frustration from the first half of the season, I want to overcome heat with heat. To keep this passion from cooling down, I want to be the player who radiates the strongest heat on the pitch."
There are 10 league matches left. The man fighting with passion keeps fueling himself, saying, "It's still not enough."
(Honorifics omitted in the text)
Text by Kohei Baba (Freelance Writer)
