Despite being battered by the relentless cold rain, he kept shooting repeatedly with pendulum-like movements. The players who participated in the Scotland match finished their training early and headed for interviews. However, having unexpectedly fallen behind in this national team activity and finally arriving at his first training session in Europe, he faced a special training menu after the regular session. This was a one-on-one session with coach Hiroshi NANAMI, with the cooperation of goalkeepers Keisuke OSAKO and Tomoki HAYAKAWA, all under the watchful eye of manager Hajime MORIYASU.
The 19-year-old, who appeared in the interview area after a long and intense extra training session, broke into a smile and said, slightly softening his serious expression, "It was fun."
Ryunosuke SATO, aiming to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026 from the blue and red. His major goal is to play in the World Cup as a teenager. He was called up as the only domestic field player for the European tour, which would be his last activity before the final squad announcement for the tournament. Ahead of this national team activity, he left a comment saying, "The most important thing is to demonstrate my strengths and give it my all in this last chance."
After finishing Sec. 8 of the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League EAST Group on March 22, he departed Japan the following day, March 23. He was scheduled to participate in the Japan national team’s European tour, heading to Glasgow, Scotland via London. However, he reported feeling unwell at the transit point and separated from the national team. After a rest day in London, he moved to Glasgow the next day, but continued to miss team training sessions thereafter.
He was finally able to join the team meeting the day before the Scotland match. He moved his body with machine training at the gym, prioritizing recovery first. Although he had fallen behind since the start of activities, he was able to join the long-awaited practice during the training two days before the England match, which was the first practice in London.
This European tour can be called the “final selection” stage leading up to the main tournament. While aiming to make the squad through a comeback, it ended in a departure that cannot be regretted enough. Perhaps there has never been a time when he wanted to kick the ball this much before. That is precisely why his desire to shine in the place he has finally returned to—the Japan national team—must have grown even stronger.
In the mixed zone after practice, when he said, "It's a fortunate situation that there are still matches left," his words reflected a genuine joy at having a remaining chance to make a final appeal.
The training on the 29th, his first day joining the team, saw him wearing a bib and mainly playing as the right inside half in a 3-4-2-1 formation. Although the session also served as recovery, he fully participated in tactical drills. Then, after the full team practice, the intense "pendulum shot" training he undertook with Coach Naganawa demonstrated the coaching staff’s aim—and great expectations—to rapidly improve his condition with the full cooperation of the team. It even seemed like an effort to get him ready in time for the England match.
“The team has been putting in extra effort and cooperating to help improve my condition, so I want to live up to those expectations. I want to make the best possible preparations for the England match. The team played a very good game from the first half in the Scotland match, and it made me even more eager to play there soon. I also felt that I have to work much harder to be able to step onto the pitch,” he said, looking down at his feet as he reflected on his own growth.
The dreams nurtured since childhood, the responsibility as a member of the Japan national team, and the attitude of enjoying soccer. It seems that various feelings were poured onto the pitch on the first day of joining the team.
“The days spent as a national team player even during practice are special, and there is so much to gain. In that sense, I really wanted to cherish today’s practice, and I also feel that it’s not something to be taken for granted. I think it was a good training session.”
Wembley Stadium, where the match against England will be held, had sold out all advance tickets by the 29th. The game against a strong team ranked 4th in the FIFA rankings and considered one of the favorites to win the tournament is expected to be filled with a crowd of 90,000 spectators. Given the delayed integration into training so far, it is understandable that whether he will get playing time remains uncertain. Since this is an important match that also serves as a simulation for the main tournament, it may be difficult to field him considering his current condition.
However, even so, all we can do is do our best and await fate. A comeback. "It’s an important match for the team, but personally, I want to focus more on myself and, if given the chance to play, I want to give everything I have. I want to connect this opportunity to the next one, no matter what form it takes," he said, solidifying his resolve for the future despite the late start.
At the end of the mixed zone interview, when I briefly asked him, who had an impressive smile during practice, "It looks like you had fun," he replied with a smile, "I had an absolute blast." Cherishing that feeling and fully appreciating that it’s not something to be taken for granted, I hope he shines brightly on the pitch.
Hoping that the game at the “holy ground” proud to the birthplace of soccer will become the stage where his dreams are woven.
(Honorifics omitted in the text)
Text and Photos by Tomoo Aoyama
