It was a quiet accumulation of days. He has already achieved a total of 438 J1 matches, which is already the 16th in history. With just 12 more matches, he will approach the 14th person in history to reach a total of 450 J1 matches. When this season ends, his professional career will have reached half of his life. Masato MORISHIGE said, "I didn't realize that so much time had passed," as if savoring the moment.
That 18th year as a professional coincided with the 30th anniversary of the J-League. The soccer boy who experienced the initial enthusiasm of the league recalls, "I collected player cards and wore training shoes with mascot illustrations." Soccer popularity was reignited at the World Cup held in Qatar at the end of last year. The momentum to revive that enthusiasm from those days is definitely growing. As a player nurtured in this league, I put it into words like this.
"After the World Cup, I felt a strong desire to energize the J-League. In order for Tokyo to grow even bigger, we need to increase exposure and put more effort into it. The J-League feels like a normal everyday thing to me because I have been playing in it for a long time. However, when I look at it from a broader perspective after the World Cup, there are still parts that I feel haven't become a part of this country's culture yet. We need to make it cool for people to wear team uniforms in the streets. That's why we have to send out various messages and energize it from the capital, Tokyo. Tokyo players also need to take responsibility for branding and elevating the status of the J-League."
The team's longest-serving captain, in his 14th year, has been living the same daily life as always as he prepares for the opening of that memorable year. However, there have also been different daily routines.
"It was a good camp, with both young and veteran players communicating in a way that we haven't seen before. The team atmosphere was great as well. There were many things to learn from the young players, and the younger players were able to learn from those who have been playing in Tokyo. I think there was a good synergy from this. It's fun to talk to the young players, and they're kind of cute."
Energetic young players make strong appeals, and veterans showcase their own abilities in response. Such days were repeated in Okinawa and Miyazaki. In the second year of the Albert system, we will take a good position that we have been working on since last season and challenge the continuation and evolution of positional play that holds the ball. We will review the team's challenges and achievements that are updated daily and discuss the sense of accomplishment and challenges.
"It is important to focus on the game in front of you and not make excuses. It is important for everyone to be able to share their opinions in order to create this soccer, and it is important for everyone to work together without running away from that in order to win. Everyone has the same desire to win, and of course there will be players who cannot play in the game in the future. However, instead of complaining and leaving, players who cannot play in the game should be able to say 'Let's make an effort to play' in order to play in the game. I think that is the good thing about the current team."
And before the opening, there were words that remained vivid in memory precisely because they were unfamiliar. Morishige definitely said, "I'm excited." Since the COVID-19 pandemic, although there have been limited easing of restrictions, vocal cheering has been prohibited as a general rule. Finally, it will return to normal this year.
"I've always loved Tokyo. But in my 14th year here, I feel like I love Tokyo even more than before. Maybe it's because I've been here for so long, but I have a strong attachment to this place. I've started to feel a lot more about wanting to achieve results with this team, and how happy I am to be a part of this team. The fact that we have fans and supporters hasn't changed, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I have forgotten what it was like to hear the voices and cheers of the fans. There are players who haven't experienced that. Many players don't know the atmosphere of Tokyo's stadiums. Just imagining that atmosphere, or the feeling of singing "Yuruneba" together after a victory, naturally boosts my motivation. I think it would give me goosebumps. I hope that all the pent-up emotions will explode in a positive way. I think it will make me appreciate things that used to be taken for granted and become a source of motivation. In that sense, I'm just excited and looking forward to it."
Those words, of course, also apply to our big goal. It's because our goal is nothing but the league title that we aim for together. That amazing atmosphere will return to Ajinomoto Stadium. Morishige said, "Of course, it's exciting, isn't it?" and nodded.
Mori Shige said he would keep his promise at Ajinomoto Stadium in the 2019 season and once again expressed his desire to "win the championship" this season. I was taught by a friend of my mother's who lives nearby, "People who don't give up are disliked, you know." But even though he is such a persistent man, the number of people who say they love him has been increasing year by year. I want him to prove to those old ladies that he spent half of his life as a professional and ask them to correct their mistake. If you don't give up, your wishes will come true someday.
Text by Kohei Baba (Freelance Writer)
