The lit fuse is slowly burning toward that moment──.
The path Kota TAWARATSUMIDA walks is by no means smooth. Though repeatedly bounced back by walls, he rises again and moves forward. His steps are exactly like his play, boldly pushing through any rugged terrain.
This season has been a continuous series of such days. That day was no different. On March 1, the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Sec. 4 match against Kashima Antlers took place. On that day, Tawaratsumida said, "My physical condition was really good."
True to his words, the highlight footage preserved in the archives frequently shows him. At the 25th minute of the first half, Yuto NAGATOMO took a right-footed shot after the ball was crossed back to the center inside the penalty area. However, it was blocked by an opposing player and did not shake the net. Ten minutes later, a shot by Teruhito NAKAGAWA was deflected off the bar. Just before that, it was Tawaratsumida who exchanged passes with Nakagawa.
Just after the start of the second half, Teppei OKA received a feed in a difficult position and took a shot from a cut-in move he calls his "strongest," but this was also blocked by the opposing defender.
Then, at the 11th minute, Marcelo RYAN competed with the opposing goalkeeper for a loose ball that rolled in front of Kota TAWARATSUMIDA. The goal was unguarded right before him. However, the shot with his left foot missed the target, and he bit his lip.
“There were times when I couldn’t finish what I started, and like the other players, although we created chances, we couldn’t convert them into goals.”
Then, the strong-willed Kashima bares its fangs. They conceded goals through penalty kicks and set pieces, and the team suffered a defeat. From that frustration, Tawara Tsukida let these words out.
"I think we lost in a regrettable way last time, so this time I really want to finish it off. Recently, the team has been scoring goals, so this time I want to score a lot and finish without conceding any goals."
He said this because he feels confident. The team has been steadily improving, with 6 wins and 1 loss in the last 7 official matches.
“As a team, everyone is now able to work with a strong sense of unity. Compared to the start of the season, there is more cohesion, and I think the fact that everyone can smoothly do what needs to be done is a big factor.”
The team, having lost to Kashima last time, then went through a tough period of eight matches without a win, including five winless games starting from the Sec. 17 match against Urawa Reds on May 17. During that time, even when I received the ball, there were few opportunities to face forward, and there were quite a few matches where I couldn’t show my specialty of dribbling breakthroughs. Right after the Sec. 15 match against Yokohama F. Marinos on June 25, which became a turning point for the team’s upward trend, I talked about this.
"Last season, even if the shape wasn’t good, I was able to take on challenges because I was receiving the ball facing forward. But this season, we haven’t been able to build up well, so we’ve been talking among ourselves. Things like, ‘Can the center backs take a slightly higher position?’—we’re communicating like that and working on it as a whole team. It’s not just me; (Keito) Sato also plays better when facing forward, and I think the meaning of building up play is how we can pass the ball to the forwards. We have to keep improving as a team. If that improves, I believe the chances of scoring will increase even more."
During the difficult times, they demanded from each other and searched for a breakthrough with their teammates. That was by no means in vain. Triggered by the 3-0 victory in the match against Yokohama FM, the quality of the build-up improved, leading to an increase in goals as anticipated. Tawara Tsukida uses forward-facing players and says, "If we can peel off one defender, we can break down the opponent’s block no matter how they set it up."
"To build up play that breaks through that one layer, the whole team needs to align their mindset and direction. If we can do that, there is absolutely no opponent we can't beat."
Receiving the ball carried by everyone facing forward and breaking through that one layer is supposed to be Tawaratsumida's true forte.
There was a significant change here. After returning from his first activity with the Japan national team this June, the impression of his previously "self-centered" style of play seemed to have shifted somewhat. When asked, "Did your mindset change after going to the national team?" Tawara Tsukida responded. We had expected him to say, "I want to be selected again," but instead, a slightly different expression came out.
"My determination to lead Tokyo has grown stronger. My desire to be selected for the Japan national team has never changed since I was in elementary school; it’s something I’ve always thought about. Of course, I want to be selected for the national team again, but considering the current team situation, it’s really not the priority. Above all, I have a strong feeling that we must win."
Perhaps because of hearing that, the will to "bring the ball everyone delivers closer to the goal" has become strongly conveyed through his play as well.
Now, it's the rematch against Kashima. That frustration is surely engraved in his heart.
"I have the impression that matches against Kashima are always difficult, but if we can beat a team competing for the championship, we can ride the wave even further from there. I want to win such an important match. Breaking through individually is my strength, so against an opponent fighting for the title, I want to break through from my side and contribute to the team."
And to be honest, the following comments were somewhat forcibly drawn out from him, who is shy and not very talkative. However, I only asked him to comment using the word "passion."
"I want to win here and ignite Tokyo with excitement."
Without that determination, he wouldn’t say it. The lit fuse is surely approaching that moment.
That is, both Tawara and the Red and Blue at the same time.
(Honorifics omitted in the text)
Text by Tadashi BABA (Freelance Writer)
