J1 League 300th Win Commemorative Legend Discussion
Amaral × Lucas × Naohiro ISHIKAWA
"Legends talk about Tokyo's victory and Tokyo-ness"
Tokyo achieved their 300th victory in the J1 League against Kashima Antlers. How do all of you who have left your mark on the club's history feel about the significance of this number?
ISHIKAWA
I honestly don't know how much I contributed to these 300 wins, but I myself have experienced the 100th win and have been involved with FC Tokyo for a long time. I played with a strong sense that there are seniors like Amaral and others, as well as seniors from the Tokyo Gas soccer department era to the present, and that we are here. So, I felt how many players on the current team understood that there are seniors like that and that we are here, as a milestone of these 300 wins. Also, when I heard Ryoma WATANABE's words about wanting to continue and achieve 400 wins, 500 wins from here, I also felt that it was being conveyed.
Amaral
I think Tokyo is a club worthy of the number 300 wins. We played against Yokohama F.Marinos in the first match of the J1 League and won by scoring a goal in our own flow. We have built our history starting from that match. I think reaching 300 wins is the result of seeking victory in every match. I want to say it again to the club. Parabens (congratulations).
Lucas
I'm the only one who doesn't speak Japanese (in Japanese). Amaral-san, please interpret (laughs). I'm really happy that Tokyo has reached 300 games. I think we have also contributed to that progress, including ourselves.
Ishikawa
After Amaral left the club, we needed a forward who could score goals, but it wasn't easy for Lucas because Amaral was great. Lucas had the ability, but it wasn't easy for him to adapt to Japan at first. However, I saw him struggling and working hard with the same passion as Amaral. There were also times when things didn't go well for him, but everyone had the desire to help Lucas, and Lucas himself felt the determination to achieve results here. We won the Nabisco Cup in the 2004 season amidst such difficulties. Although there were times when things didn't go well at first, he became an indispensable presence for the team and someone we could rely on. He left the team once, but he came back in 2011, and I think we couldn't have been promoted to J1 in just one year without Lucas. I am grateful to Kazunori Iino, the interpreter who contacted me.
Lucas
When I transferred to Japan, it was really difficult for me to adapt, but Naohiro Ishikawa was young at the time, but he helped me a lot. Not only Naohiro, but also Yoichi Doi, Jean, and Kelly were the same. Amaral himself was also playing for Shonan Bellmare at the time, but he took me to various places in Tokyo and invited me to go bowling and eat together. On the pitch, I was helped by Japanese players, but I never gave up. As Naohiro said, we were able to win titles in the 2004 season.
Everyone has a strong attachment to Tokyo, even though our playing styles may differ. How do you look back on the days you spent in Tokyo?
Amaral
He is someone I am proud of. I think he recognized the dedicated attitude I showed not only on the pitch but also off the pitch, and I am grateful for the opportunities the club has given me. I am also grateful to my teammates. Football cannot be played alone, and I believe that the history I have left at the club is something that I have achieved together with my teammates.
Ishikawa
When I was with Marinos, the image I had of Tokyo was definitely represented by Amaral, and that didn't change even after I joined and played here. The reason is that Amaral himself loved Tokyo and the fans and supporters, and even when he couldn't participate in practice due to injuries, he always gave 100% or even 120% on the pitch, and that is also a symbol of Tokyo. So when Amaral left the club, I couldn't become Amaral, but I firmly believed that I could inherit that feeling and do my best. We achieved 300 wins, but in terms of the soul being passed down, it doesn't matter if it's Japanese nationality or Brazilian nationality, it should be inherited as a tradition of Tokyo, right?
Amaral
Thank you.
Ishikawa
Do you understand Japanese? (lol)
Amaral
Basically, yeah.
Lucas
Especially Amaral, who led the club to J1, and I think Naosan is probably the most important Japanese player in the club. I came to Tokyo after Amaral left, but thanks to what he achieved, many things were easier to do.
Please tell us about your memories and memorable events during your time together with the three of you.
Ishikawa
Amaral also suffered from injuries, but it was really fun when we played together. I attacked from the side, crossed the ball, and Amaral headed it in. It was enjoyable and reliable. Speaking of memories, it was the last match when Amaral left the team, the Kashiwa Reysol match, I guess.
Amaral
We have learned a lot from Nao. There was a time when he was injured, but we could see his professionalism in his efforts to return to the pitch at the gym. It was also easy to play with Nao on the pitch. We know that he can win in a simple 1-on-1 situation on the side and deliver crosses. Nao, you had injuries and made a comeback, right? Nao is a player who never gives up. That is important, and it was a learning experience to see him come back stronger.
Ishikawa
Amaral has been doing that. The figure Amaral shows. Even when injured or in a losing situation, he never gives up and fights until the end. That is truly an important part of Tokyo. I wanted to learn from Amaral and pass it on to the next player, it was the most important part for me.
Lucas
For me, when it comes to memories with Nao-san, I don't know the exact numbers, but he was the player who provided me with the most assists when I was with Tokyo Verdy. He gave me 2 assists in the semifinal round of the Nabisco Cup against Verdy. It was a crucial match for us to advance to the final round against Urawa, and it's a game that I remember very well. Off the pitch, Nao-san and I went to yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) together, and he was a really friendly amigo (friend).
Ishikawa
Lucas was a really easy player to play with. If you entrusted him with the ball, he would keep it well and score goals. He also scored goals with headers from crosses, so he was really reliable. When Amaral left and we wondered who would inherit his presence, of course I played with that in mind, but fans and supporters naturally expect new foreign players who come in, and we had high expectations for Lucas, who played while carrying those expectations. I think it was tough for him because we expected too much, but he expressed himself through his play, didn't he?
When looking back at the foreign players who have played for Tokyo, it seems that there are many players who not only excel in their play but also have excellent character. Isn't Amaral the one who is at the origin of that?
Ishikawa
Yes, that's exactly right. Amaral was there, and I played with Jean, Kelly, and Lucas. Even though Amaral was a foreign player, he fought with a soul like a Japanese player. He showed that without that, you can't play in Tokyo. Of course, the strengthening department chooses such players, but the other day when Amaral was at the Japan National Stadium, I saw him talking to Brazilian players, and it's clear that Amaral's presence has been passed down to the present. Diego Oliveira also has that kind of spirit.
Amaral
Including myself, all the Brazilian players who followed me have played with a sense of responsibility, and when I was playing in Tokyo, I was always conscious of giving my all. As the first Brazilian player, I felt obligated to open the door for my juniors. I think Kelly, Jean, and Lucas, who came after me, all did a great job. That's why I think Tokyo has become a club that feels like home for Brazilian players.
Lucas
I like to research about soccer, and I had seen Amaral playing for Ituano and Palmeiras during his time in Brazil. However, back then the internet was not as developed, so I didn't know how important Amaral was in Tokyo. But after getting to know him, I quickly understood why he is loved so much by the fans and supporters. I played against him only once in a preseason match against Shonan in the 2004 season. However, it was an honor to play together with him in the 2018 season (in an alumni match).
Ishikawa
What Amaral and Lucas have in common is that they seem more Japanese than Japanese people themselves (laughs). They are truly dedicated and even made an effort to learn Japanese in their private lives. They have a willingness to bridge the gap and I have always respected them as both individuals and players. Their never-give-up attitude and fighting spirit have been passed down to Tokyo, and Amaral and Lucas are the players at the core of it all.
Everyone who has contributed to the 300 victories, please tell us about the most memorable match.
Ishikawa
I don't remember how many wins I had in the games I played, but the first game I played as a member of Tokyo in the league was the Sanfrecce Hiroshima game in the 2002 season. I wonder if Amaral remembers. It was the game where Mr. Toda scored a hat-trick. At that time, I was playing in the Nabisco Cup after transferring, but the league was interrupted due to the World Cup, and I wanted to be recognized as a member of the team in the resumed league. In the Hiroshima game, I was able to play as I had expected, and we won the game, and it was at Ajinomoto Stadium. Finally, I was recognized as a member of Tokyo in the league. That game remains in my memory. It was a fun game, and I felt that I could improve in this team and wanted to make it stronger. That game was like a Brazilian Day that I experienced for the first time.
Amaral
You were a samba night.
ISHIKAWA
I thought, "They're doing something like this" (laughs).
Amaral
300 wins is an amazing number, isn't it? There are many memorable matches for me, but I think the Marinos match, which was my first match in J1, stands out. I got a penalty kick and TUTO made a great kick to score. I was chosen as the Man of the Match, but the whole team played well.
Lucas
There was a time when I wasn't in good shape and I was thinking of returning to Brazil when I first transferred in the 2004 season. However, in the June match against Nagoya Grampus, we won the game in a come-from-behind victory, and I also scored 2 goals, one of which I was able to score by dribbling past 5 or 6 opponents. It's not just because I scored a goal, but I think we were able to fit in with the team and start performing well after that game.
When talking about Tokyo's 300 wins, the presence of fans and supporters is indispensable. Please share your thoughts on the passionate support from fans and supporters.
Ishikawa
First of all, there are many people who are knowledgeable about soccer. I was also with Marinos, and there were famous players and women cheering, but in Tokyo, the voices of men echo in the stadium, and they also tease the opponents (laughs). Nōkatsu Kawaguchi gets angry and the fans and supporters tease him (laughs). There are many people with a sense of humor, and it was unpleasant to be enemies, but if they are on your side, they are very reliable and passionate.
Amaral
You can see the South American influence, right? I think Tokyo's fans and supporters are passionate and truly amazing.
Lucas
I miss the presence of the fans and supporters. They used to cheer us on with such loud voices, showing us their passion as the 12th player on the field. As Brazilian players, we know the intensity of such fans and supporters, but Tokyo's fans and supporters are different from the ones in the Brazilian stands. They sing like the Argentinians and are truly passionate.
300 wins is a milestone for FC Tokyo. What kind of club do you want Tokyo to become in the future?
Ishikawa
It is natural for new people, including players and staff, to come in from now on, but there are things that should not change among them. As Tokyo challenges overseas as the capital club, the starting point to return to is what Amaral and Lucas have shown, believing in the teammates I have shown and never giving up until the end. And above all, it is to love the team. These two were trusted and loved by the fans and supporters because they loved the team. We must show a figure that is not ashamed of these two as a club.
Amaral
As Nao said, Tokyo is already prepared. What we need now is continuity. I want the club to remain a family and continue to be warriors. I want a team that never gives up and has a strong sense of belonging to the club.
Lucas
Amaral, I'm happy. The club has already established its identity as a family and has a strong connection with Brazilian players. There are also wonderful stadiums, but we haven't yet won the most important title, the league title. I think continuously winning such titles will make the club even greater. My dream is for Tokyo to win the J1 league title soon. If we achieve that, I think the club will become even bigger.
Text & Translation by Masaki Shimozono (Football Writer)
