The soccer World Cup Qatar tournament is about to begin.
Over the past year, Aoi Tanaka has become an integral part of Japan's midfield.
When she closely covered Japan's World Cup participation "leader", she was struggling against a wall and was aiming for a big stage.
(Yoshihiro Takeda, sports news department reporter)
[BS1] November 14, 9:00 p.m.-"Sports x Human"
"Japan's Brain" Towards Further Evolution ~Japan National Soccer Team, Midori Tanaka~
The “leader” who saved Japanese soccer from a predicament
About a year ago, when Japan's participation in the World Cup for seven consecutive tournaments was in doubt, midfielder Aoi Tanaka, who was 23 years old at the time, stood out.
This is the situation at the time.
In order to qualify for the World Cup, they had to finish in the top two in the Asian Final Qualifier, which was a six-team round-robin.
However, Japan finished 3 out of 10 games with 1 win and 2 losses.
We were in a tough situation where we couldn't afford another loss.
The 4th match in October last year, the match against Australia, was truly a match on the edge of the ring.
Tanaka was appointed as a starting lineup for the first time as a corner of the midfield.
“I was nervous, but I played with confidence,” he said. Despite the pressure, he scored the opening goal in just eight minutes and brought momentum to the team.
In addition to skillful offensive assembly that made full use of his characteristic high-precision passes, he also contributed with a large amount of exercise and a strong defense.
Tanaka took control of the match in the midfield, and Japan regained their breath and won their sixth consecutive victory.
He was one of the key players in saving the team from the brink and qualifying for the World Cup.
Then, "I want to grow more and be in a position to lead the national team," his eyes shined, and he looked forward to the next.
“What kind of person is Aoi?”
Tanaka is from Kawasaki City.
At J1's Kawasaki Frontale training organization, I thoroughly refined the basic soccer movement of "stopping and kicking".
Armed with the high skills he acquired there, he ran up to the top team and played the midfield role in the talented Frontale.
He was entrusted with game making and contributed greatly to the team's J1 victory.
After that, he moved to Düsseldorf in the second division of Germany, where he continues to play.
My hobbies are walking and reading.
In Germany, people sometimes take a walk around their house for an hour or more.
It seems that she often wakes up early in the morning and takes a walk, and she says with a wry smile, "You're already a grandpa, aren't you?"
And, she says, she finds it refreshing to read while she sits slowly on a bench and breathes the fresh air.
I thought that my hobby would lead to my growth in soccer.
I am greedily searching for knowledge that seems to be related to soccer while reading.
For example, at a meal one day.
Tanaka used chopsticks skillfully with his left hand to eat.
I asked, "Why are you right-handed?" "No, I read in a book that if a right-handed person uses his or her left hand, the brain will be activated. After about three months of practice, I became very good at it. ” he replied with a smile.
I was also impressed by his friendly and curious side.
During the interview, when I showed an interest in the cameraman's equipment, I asked, "How much does this weigh? Can I hold it for a while
?" I also received
``There are professionals in every world, and this is how programs are created,''
said Tanaka, who responded to the interview with admiration.
Thanks to that, I was able to keep smiling from start to finish.
“Man who read ahead”
One of Tanaka's features is his ability to "read ahead".
``I don't have high physical ability, nor do I have any special speed or physique.'' As a result of calmly analyzing my abilities, I came up with ``reading ahead'' to make up for what I lacked. .
It is said that it is important to "read ahead" when assembling attacks, which is his specialty.
Observing the movements of allies and opponents, you can make detailed changes in how you pass and your own position while looking ahead many moves like in shogi and chess.
(Aoi Tanaka)
“If I move this way, the opponent will move this way. I felt compelled to play soccer without reasoning, or thinking logically.”
It was in the 4th minute of the first half of the match against Australia in the final Asian qualifiers in October last year that this characteristic came to the fore.
Japan was thinking of building an attack from the right flank.
Right-back SAKAI Hiroki had a high position, but two of the opposing players were wary of him and he was unable to pass the ball, leaving the team in a stalemate.
Then, Tanaka retreated from the midfield to the right side of the final line and exchanged passes with his teammates.
I lured out one of the two by pretending to dribble the ball as it was.
Without missing the moment, Tanaka sent a floating ball with a precise trajectory to Sakai, who received it and broke through the right side to deliver a cross ball in front of the goal.
It opened up a big opportunity.
He says that the play was exactly what he had imagined in his head.
Steady growth despite a difficult year
Tanaka, who has become an indispensable presence in the midfield of the Japanese national team in the past year.
It looks like he's made great strides, but he says he's struggled in the German second division, where he's been playing since last season.
In Germany, Tanaka, who is 1 meter 80 centimeters tall, is also a small person.
In the team's practice, we saw the opponents repeatedly losing the balance and stealing the ball in one-on-one situations.
In the German league, where one-on-one situations are emphasized, I felt that the challenge was how to compete with opponents who surpassed me in physique and power. I was.
(Aoi Tanaka)
"I don't feel like I'm doing anything right, so I have to change my play little by little."
One of the things that changed as we focused on winning in one-on-one situations was our defense.
What I thought about to improve myself was to shift from "a defensive way of waiting for the opponent" to "actively stealing the ball".
(Aoi Tanaka)
“I think it was a big deal for me to think about how I could beat them and learn how to fight. On the other hand, there are some parts where I can't win physically, so I devised a way to compete there."
Last season's 1-1 win rate was about 43% in the first half of the league match, but it increased to about 58% in the second half.
(Aoi Tanaka)
“For me, I think the preparation part is important, and how I can sense what the opponent wants to do and move ahead.
The final finishing touches to the World Cup...
Mid-September this year.
Tanaka was on his way to a training camp before the World Cup squad was decided.
(Aoi Tanaka)
“Of course, in order to survive on the national team, we have to show our individual appeal in every match, but right now, excitement and enjoyment are stronger
. ”
At this training camp, which was the finishing touch to building the team, he was enthusiastic about "showing his own value."
However, Tanaka was left out of the starting line-up in the warm-up match against the United States, which featured the main lineup.
Endo Wataru, who had the highest number of "Duel" wins in the German First Division league for two consecutive seasons, and Hidemasa Morita, who played in Portugal and is also active in the European Champions League, were entrusted with the midfield.
Besides, it was Daichi Kamata, the playwright who scored many goals in the German 1st Division.
Rivals who are performing brilliantly in their respective clubs have made great strides and won the match from a higher rank.
Tanaka stared at the figure from the bench and burned it into his eyes.
(Aoi Tanaka)
“I feel like I have a very clear position, and it would be really frustrating if something like this happened.
In order to "go up"...
Tanaka went out for a daily walk the day after he finished his activities for the national team in September.
I calmly analyzed my own situation, “foreseeing” and sorting out what was necessary for further growth.
(Aoi Tanaka)
"It made me think that I have to simply face myself and grow. Whether it's offense or defense, the team changes depending on my behavior. I have to be a core player, not a piece of the team. ”
Not only to set up the match, but also decide the game yourself.
In order to get revenge, I was particular about the frequency of attack participation.
Last season, he scored just one goal.
From the second half onwards, I thought I should try to improve my running and increase the number of times I was in front of the goal.
(Aoi Tanaka)
“Until now, I thought it would be nice if I could show my value on the pitch and contribute to the win, but my evaluation changes a lot depending on whether I score a goal or not. I'm constantly imagining how to fight the world, and I'm going through trial and error about what I need to do to achieve that."
In October, Tanaka played his first match since the league restart in Düsseldorf.
In the second half, when the score was tied, after handling the ball in the center, he rushed up in front of the goal and kicked a cross ball with his right foot.
He led the team to victory with the winning goal, the first goal of the season.
It was a moment when the attacking participation that I had been consciously working on since last season bore fruit.
(Aoi Tanaka)
“I think things are changing little by little, such as at what intensity I run, and even if I am out of breath, I will continue to play with high quality. As a result, the ball came to me more often.”
Japan will play against Germany and Spain, who have won the World Cup finals.
The primary league is unprecedentedly tough, and if we don't win the top two, we won't be able to reach our goal of reaching the top eight.
No matter how many times he was blown away by tough opponents, no matter how many times he was exposed to the humiliation of not being a starting member, the 24-year-old has grown himself with the ability to "foresee" each time.
I believe that I can be a force for Japan in this tournament, which is full of powerhouses.
(Aoi Tanaka)
"It's a casual point, but I think it's very necessary to accumulate small things like this. I think there are many things that I have to do, but if I can do it, I will be able to overcome the wall and become a new Aoi Tanaka. I don't have much time left, and I don't know if I can become that kind of person easily, but if I face the World Cup like that, I think I can do better than ever.The rest is up to me, Is it only there?"
Sports news department reporter
Yoshihiro Takeda
Joined in 2009 Worked at
the Kagoshima and Fukuoka stations before being in
charge of professional baseball, then in charge of soccer from the summer of 2020