As part of the strengthening activities for academy players, from Dec 11 (Wed) to Dec 24 (Tue), 2024, two players from FC Tokyo U-18, Shoei SASAKI and Divine OTANI, have gone on a short-term study abroad to Real Sociedad U-19.
Immediately after finishing the final match of the Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Soccer Premier League 2024 EAST, they left Japan. It was a long journey, but after safely arriving at their destination, they went straight to watch the UEFA Europa League match between Real Sociedad and FC Dynamo Kyiv. Watching high-level players, including Takefusa KUBO, up close filled them with excitement about their skill level, and at the same time, they were thrilled about the opportunity to participate in training with the U-19 team, which is connected to these players.
At Real Sociedad, players from the first team to U-13 gather day and night for training at the club's vast training facility 'ZUBIETA' (2 artificial turf fields and 8 natural grass fields).
Both players donned Real Sociedad training gear and joined the players in the locker room.
The first challenge is the communication barrier. In annual overseas tours conducted by teams, there are opportunities to compete against foreign players, but within the team, communication can be done in their native language. However, in individual participation, foreign players become teammates. Within their own team, they find themselves in the position of being a 'foreign player.' Without interpreters and with minimal support from accompanying staff, they are placed in an environment where they must take action themselves and resolve each issue one by one.
Once training begins, it would be wonderful if we could solve everything with skill even without communication, but soccer is not that easy. Of course, there are moments where we can perform on equal or better terms in specific situations, but there were also instances where we fell behind due to a lack of communication within the different soccer culture and understanding compared to our daily lives. In such situations, reflecting on what we feel and how we can succeed becomes a significant source of growth.
The daily routine involves taking a bus from the accommodation to the training facility in the morning, conducting training (if timing allows, observing activities of other grades), and returning to the accommodation to prepare for the next day, which is a simple lifestyle. There is ample time and environment to immerse oneself in soccer. Aside from the stadium tour, no specific activities are planned, and free time is to be thought out and scheduled by the participants themselves.
At Real Sociedad, there is a pathway from the U-19 team to the C team, B team, and first team, and both players have been able to join the C team. Here, they experienced a much higher intensity and quality than U-19, and it seemed they were greatly stimulated. While they were able to progress well in Japan, they will struggle and fight through challenges on site.
Both individuals have become more proactive in communication as time has passed, and they are now able to do much more compared to the beginning. During these two weeks, they have experienced many things, such as being in an environment where they cannot do what is taken for granted in Japan, struggling to keep up with the confident pace, and being unable to convey what they want to express. I hope they can utilize these experiences in their future activities.
Additionally, the Real Sociedad U-19 team that participated this time secured a place in the top four during the league matches held during the participation period, earning the right to compete in the Copa del Rey. They will face FC Barcelona in early January. We can't help but look forward to the performance of the players and staff who have spent the last two weeks together.
Both players returned to Japan on December 24 and have already joined the team activities starting from the 26th. We hope you look forward to both players, as well as the future FC Tokyo U-18, which they are sure to bring a positive cycle to.
Comment from Shoei SASAKI
"First of all, I am grateful for the opportunity to experience overseas players and environments through individual study abroad. It was a very good experience. The U-19 players we participated with are rapidly advancing and performing in higher categories. I felt that in order to go further myself, I need to be not just 'competent for my age group' but 'outstanding for my age group.' It was a good opportunity to understand how I compare to overseas players. I also learned a lot about the mental aspect beyond just playing. There was a moment during practice when I made a simple mistake with a vertical pass. It was at the end of the match, so I don't know what happened afterward, but I felt a fear that this could lead to not receiving passes anymore. I experienced the professional awareness and tension that one mistake is not allowed, which made me feel a stronger sense of responsibility for each play. Additionally, I felt the difficulty of playing without being able to communicate well, especially as a center-back, where it is important to move those around me. I realized I need to study the language more, but I think I was able to communicate to some extent by using gestures and learning simple English and Spanish. Being in a different environment made me realize the importance of such small adjustments.
I learned a lot about how I compare to overseas players and the difficulty of bringing out my maximum potential in a different environment, things that I can only truly feel by going abroad and playing with foreign players. I am really grateful to have been able to experience such valuable lessons at the age of 17. While I feel that I still have a long way to go, I also believe that I can achieve more. I will humbly work hard every day to repay this gratitude with results.
Comment from Divine OTANI
"During this personal study abroad, I was able to once again feel the difference in intensity with the world. During my time in Spain, I participated in practices and watched matches across various categories such as U-19, C team, and B team. I felt that while I could compete in my own age category, I was completely lacking in intensity when it came to higher categories. Whether it was in duels, transitions, or maintaining sprinting ability in the final stages of the match, I realized that with my current standards, I could not compete at all with players from higher age groups abroad. I thought that I would have to raise my standards in practice and seriously work on the intensity aspect. Nevertheless, I found that my strengths, such as the quality in front of the goal and my physical abilities, were sufficient to compete with players from higher age groups abroad, which gave me a lot of confidence.
I want to give back this experience to the team and do my best to achieve good results both as an individual and as a team.