Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 8 Kashima 1-0 Kyoto (April 13, 2024 Kashima)
Kashima・Tomoya Fujii
Photo By Sponichi
Kashima defeated Kyoto 1-0, ending their losing streak at two. Midfielder Tomoya Fujii (25), who started for the first time in three games, has appeared in 100 J1 games in his fourth year since graduating from university. With his characteristic speed, he gave momentum to a team that had not scored in the last two games.
He regained his “character” in this milestone match. This day, he returned to the starting lineup for the first time in three games. Fujii, who was placed in the left midfield position, showed his aggressiveness, saying, “The coach told me to be aggressive and sent me on, so I went without hesitation.” The team’s first shot from a cut-in in the 21st minute of the first half. The momentum continued in the second half, when they switched sides with forward Cavlic and turned to the right. If midfielder Kei Chinen created a decisive opportunity from a cross, he would show off a speedy dribbling breakthrough from a long counter. Although he didn’t score, he continued to pose a threat to opponents.
The final highlight came in the 38th minute of the second half. When he receives a vertical pass in the enemy half, he dribbles diagonally from the right to the center. He lost his balance and even took a shot with his left foot, which led to a corner kick. Immediately after, he went to the bench, but the team continued to press on with two consecutive corner kicks and scored the winning goal one minute after Fujii’s substitution. Fujii, who created the flow, was the first to rush towards the scorer, DF Kimito Nono.
He was left out of the squad for the first time this season in the match against Fukuoka on the 3rd. After practice the day before before moving to enemy territory. He was called up individually by Coach Popovich. “As a soccer player, your value is not shown at all.” His original aggressiveness disappeared as he focused on the accuracy of crosses and shots after dribbling. “As a result of thinking about how to place the ball to improve accuracy, there were many times when I couldn’t make it.However, if I hit a few shots, I would be able to hit.If the probability of hitting the ball goes up, I can become an even more feared player.”Fujii says. When he looked at himself calmly, he was able to open up again.
“Today, I caught many crosses and broke the line, but I thought that was the way to go. That style of play is who I am. I ran to the point where the opponent thought I was persistent, and before I knew it, I was pressing back. After talking with the coach, I realized that I want to become that kind of player.” The playing time was 84 minutes, tied for the longest this season. Both teams recorded 33 sprints. “It was a game where he showed his full potential.” Coach Popovich, who believed in him and sent him off, also generously praised him. (Hiroto Sakamoto)
Show more
2024-04-13 13:20:00
#Kashima #Tomoya #Fujii #reached #state #rejuvenation #100th #game #Sponichi #Sponichi #Annex #Soccer
