FC Tokyo enters the new season with a clear goal of "winning the championship." The key to the style that head coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI aims for—dominating both offense and defense—is the defensive midfield position, which serves as the team's heart. This time, we present a dialogue between Tokiwa Kouta, who rapidly increased his playing opportunities in the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League, and Takahiro KO, who vows to make a comeback after a challenging six months plagued by injuries. In the first part, they discussed the new team's readiness and potential for the 2026/27 season.
──Please review the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League, where the team finished in 4th place overall.
Tokiwa Kouta Until now, the club as a whole had not publicly declared a clear goal, but for this special tournament, from the start date, we clearly set “winning the championship” as the objective. Everyone constantly challenged themselves with a strong awareness toward winning, but in the end, we finished 4th, leaving a feeling of regret.
Takahiro KO Although we did not reach the goal of winning the championship, overall I think there were many very positive games. In that sense, I feel the direction the team is trying to take has become very clear.
──Although Takahiro was sidelined due to injury for a period, how did you view Kouta’s rise during that time?
Takahiro I thought it was a very good thing for the team. Competition raises the overall level of the team, and I felt it was working positively in many ways. Personally, it was a great stimulus for me.
Kouta In my first season after joining, I was naive and things didn’t go as I had hoped. Taking that into account, I took the off-season to sort everything out and approached the training camp from day one with full focus. I thought, “This camp is my only chance,” so my mind and body aligned well, and I was able to get off to a good start. Although it was a short half-year season, I feel it was good that I was able to finish strong until the end.
──What kind of season do you want to make it in the upcoming new season?
Taka As a team, our goal remains unchanged: to win the league. Having experienced the frustration in the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League, we have no choice but to aim for the very top. We want everyone on the team to align their focus and take on the challenge together. Personally, I struggled with injuries over the past six months, so first I want to get my condition right, reflect on myself, and return to my roots once again.
Tokiwа It’s true that I was able to play in matches during the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League, but I still feel like I’ve only properly played as a professional for half a year. That’s why I want to forget about the Century Vision League for now, refocus, and start the competition from zero again. The defensive midfield position doesn’t have a deep roster, so losing even one player is a big blow to our strength. I want to be careful about injuries and fight with a spirit that won’t lose to anyone. Even if the matches come in quick succession, I’m determined to play full-time in every game and take on the challenge boldly. As a team, we absolutely want to seize the championship.
──What kind of soccer will FC Tokyo show in the new season?
Taka As Coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI mentioned in meetings, it will be important for the players on the pitch to take the initiative to change the course of the game depending on the match situation, score, and the opponent’s approach, and to work backward from winning. Also, since the season is long and spans an entire year with various phases, flexibility and toughness to adapt to any situation will be crucial.
Tokiwa The broad framework, including match situations, has been presented, but the finer details and methods are entrusted to us. That’s why it’s important that everyone plays with a shared understanding. I’m not sure if this expression fits, but I feel we need to become a more mature, more grown-up team. For example, what to do when leading 1-0—Coach Matsuhashi has given us a step further in guidance, and to choose soccer that follows that, I think we need to become a more grown-up team one level higher.
Takahiro KO: I often talk with Kyota during training matches while we play. We frequently have conversations like, "Since the game is developing this way now, let's do this," or "When one of us moves out, the other should fill the position," and I feel that our balance has become very good as we play more matches.
Kyota Tokiwa: This is something I want to keep a secret, but we actually found a good rotation pattern that we both felt was "good." It's important that when we think we've made a good play, we share the same feeling. If one thinks it's good but the other doesn't feel the same, it doesn't mean much. However, with Yan-kun (Takahiro KO), that alignment happens quite often. Not just in one play, but if we can increase the number of scenes where our senses match and we feel "this is it" in various situations, it should spread to the whole team. So, I want to start by fine-tuning this kind of understanding from our close positional relationship.
Takahiro KO: In that sense, the whole team is able to push each other well. The issues that arose in the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League were pointed out by Coach Matsuhashi and the staff, and those have been incorporated into the training menu in this camp. Everyone is positively absorbing them, and there are actually many opportunities to talk during each play and between training sessions. I think such communication is happening in all situations.
Kyota Tokiwa: Since Coach Matsuhashi took over, in the past year and a half, the style of soccer we want to play and the overall framework have solidified, and I feel everyone's focus has aligned. In this camp, there were many menus specialized in finer details, and I felt the training was easier to do. The training consists entirely of exercises that will improve the issues presented, and I think everyone is engaging positively. I feel that "if we can improve this a little more, we can go even higher," and I believe it is having a positive effect mentally.
──You two have similar playing styles and characteristics, and your ways of thinking are close as well. How do you see each other?
Taka There are quite a few parts where we "click." When we played together in the opening match of the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League, I thought we had a good balance. Even in daily training and practice matches, I feel that our senses match well, including passing and positioning, and we talk about various things within that.
Tokiwa Indeed, our sense of "I want you to be here at this timing" is very close. So, conversely, when Yan-kun has the ball, if I am in the place where I want to be, that choice usually matches. We always think while playing, but often moving instinctively leads to the right decision, so there is no stress. Also, since both of us are expected to contribute in the final third, we want to raise that level one step further. If the defensive midfielders can get involved in scoring, the team will have an easier time. I want to be conscious of the numbers, and I intend to play thinking of him as a rival.
Taka The season in which I scored the most goals in the past was 3 goals, so I want to aim for 4 or more goals this new season. I scored 3 goals in the 2024 season when I joined Tokyo, and 2 goals the following season, so I want to surpass that.
Tokiwa Then I’ll say 5 goals.
Taka That’s a clear goal (laughs).
Tokiwa I want to be involved in 5 or more goals including assists.
Taka So that’s a total of 5. Shouldn’t it be 10? But 10 might be difficult. In my 2024 season, I had 3 goals and 2 assists, I think.
Tokiwa My 2026 season was 0 goals and 0 assists. Whatever you multiply by zero is zero. So first, I want to get at least 1.
──In this camp, the speed of transition after losing the ball stands out, and there are many scenes where players react before anyone even calls out.
Taka Right now, we are in the phase of improving our condition, so everyone is consciously switching quickly within the limited time. Personally, I spent a lot of time watching from the outside during the Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League, and I felt that the speed of transition is Tokyo’s lifeline. When we are ahead of the opponent in that aspect, naturally the rhythm becomes ours and the momentum comes, and I think everyone has ingrained the feeling that they must do it. Both Kyota and I have the ability to win the ball, which is a weapon possessed by all of Tokyo’s defensive midfielders, so how we connect the recovered ball to a goal and whether we can carry it through to the finish is extremely important. However, since Tokyo’s fullbacks push forward aggressively, managing the risk behind them is absolutely essential. When we can play good matches, I feel that the time spent thoroughly managing those risks and pressing the opponent into their half is longer.
Tokiwa Defense and attack are two sides of the same coin, so the better the attack, the better the spacing. Even the moment the ball is lost, defense becomes easier, and in training matches during the camp, our defensive awareness was high, transitions between offense and defense were quick, and the tempo and spacing during attacks were good. Because of that, we were able to immediately recover the ball right after losing it many times. There were several scenes where we applied high pressure and won the ball near the opponent’s goal. I once again felt that good defense and good attack are always connected. The reverse is also true: if we think about attack and defense without separating them, and if we can eliminate the boundary between offense and defense without stopping our play or thinking, the number of times defensive midfielders play closer to the goal should increase. We want to be conscious of that.
Taka It is our role as defensive midfielders to give instructions to the whole team on when to apply high pressure or when to hold back. We are very conscious of those coaching voices, and it is also important to keep the team compact. If we can close down the center and build a solid defense, I believe the probability of conceding goals will naturally decrease.
The latter part is here
(Honorifics omitted in the text)
Text by Tadashi BABA (Freelance Writer)
