reporter Chen Wei reported that was hot in August, and the second Youth International Football Challenge Cup (YICC for short) started again in Shanghai! Eight well-known club U15 teams from home and abroad gathered in Shencheng to perform a wonderful showdown. The Youth International Football Challenge Cup is a top youth professional football IP event jointly created by Shanghai Lucky Star Football Club Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Fuyu Culture Communication Co., Ltd. The second event is hosted by Shanghai SIPG Football Club, and Shanghai Football Association is the event guidance unit.
The eight teams participating in this YICC are: Shanghai SIPG, Hubei Football Association of China, Wolves, Anderlecht, Brazilian Barana Athletics, Kashima Antlers, Japanese Osaka Sakura , Japan S.T.FC Honda Keiyu Football School. After 6 days of fierce competition, the final rankings of the second YICC were Anderlecht first, Wolves second, S.T.FC Honda Keiyuki Football School ranked third, Barana Athletics ranked fourth, Hubei Football Association ranked fifth, Osaka Sakura Sixth, Kashima Antlers ranked seventh, and Shanghai SIPG ranked eighth.
In this competition, the best scorer was awarded to Kashima Antler No. 18 Kumazawa's No. 18, and Kashima Antler's assistant coach was former Japanese international Manoka Ogasawara. At the end of last year, Mitsuo Ogasawara suddenly announced his retirement, which shocked many Japanese players, but he himself felt that he still wanted to change the environment and do a good job in Kashima Antlers' youth training.
Born in 1979, Manoka Ogasawara is the "golden generation" of Japanese football, as famous as Nobuji Ono and Jun Inamoto. At the club level, he was the Japanese footballer who won the J League three consecutive championships in the history of Kashima Antlers in 2009. He has contributed to 17 of the more than 20 titles Kashima Antlers has won so far. As a former Japanese international, Ogasawara Manoka participated in two World Cups and won the AFC Champions League last year with Kashima Antlers. Taking advantage of the opportunity of Kashima Antlers participating in YICC, our newspaper interviewed this Japanese football legend.
▲Ogasawara Manto
◆"Football": Why did he choose to suddenly retire at the end of last year and become the youth training coach of Kashima Antlers?
Ogasawara Manoka: I am already 39 years old, and it will be more difficult to play in the game. I want more young players to have more room to play. Although I still want to continue my career as a player, I finally chose to change to a new development path.
◆Have you ever thought about developing like Miura Chirokami ?
Takara Miura is very powerful. It is certainly a choice to continue running on the field like him, but compared to this, I prefer to be the youth training coach of Kashima Antlers, and I prefer to teach children to play football. When I was considering retirement, I actually received invitations from other teams, but I prefer to stay at Kashima Antlers. I hope I can cultivate future professional players in Kashima Antler Club, which is my wish.
◆ Looking back on your career, you have won many championships and have the reputation of "Japan Beckham". What do you think is the reason?
I have played for Kashima Antlers for more than 20 years and won 17 championships. This is a very beautiful memory in my life. Kashima Antlers team has many Brazilian players and coaches in . The training is more professional and may be more exquisite in footwork.
◆ Among so many champions of Kashima Antlers, which champions do you have the most impressed?
has two championship records and is quite impressive. One is the three consecutive championships in the J League from 2007 to 2009, and the other is the 2000 League, League Cup and Emperor Cup triple championships.
▲The 2000 season's triple crown Kashima Antlers (via Kashima Antlers official website)
◆ What is the approximate level of Kashima Antlers' youth training?
Kashima Antlers' first team is very strong, but youth training is not very good. I hope to let young players aged 15 to 18 in the echelon develop in the career direction, which is also my current job. I hope that Kashima Antlers can become a club with a developed youth training system like Ajax . We want to send young players to Europe to study abroad and make them better professional players.
◆Your descendant of Kashima Anbe Yukui joined Barcelona B team. Did he get out of Kashima Antler youth training?
In fact, Yu Ai Ai came from Honda Football School and entered Kashima Antlers at the age of 18.
◆ How to evaluate Kashima Antlers’ performance in Weifang Cup ?
It’s a pity that the team failed to advance. The opponent is very strong, and Kashima Antlers want to win. If we have the chance, we are willing to participate in the next Weifang Cup.
◆ This time your team competed with SIPG. How do you think about SIPG’s performance?
Shanghai SIPG was training in Japan in July before, and their performance this time was a little stronger than in July. Several players left a deep impression on me, namely goalkeeper Wang Tonghe, No. 3 Li Jinjian, No. 8 Wu Zhiyuan, and No. 11 Sun Zejia.
▲Katama Antlers U15 participated in YICCh
◆"Football": When you were a player, you once represented Kashima Antlers to fight Shanghai SIPG many times in the AFC Champions League and won the championship. What is your impression of SIPG?
Ogasawara Manoka: Both teams in Shanghai have strong foreign players, such as Oscar and Moreno, and the matches between Kashima Antlers and these two teams are very difficult. Local player Wu Lei is also very strong. He is now at Espanyol. He is very fast and is a very good player.
◆ This season, Kashima Antlers reached the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League, and their opponent is Guangzhou Evergrande, but you have three players left the team. What do you think?
Although Kashima Antlers left three people, it doesn’t matter. There are many good players in the team. Guangzhou Evergrande has such powerful shooters as Elkeson and Talisca . I think both teams can compete. Of course, this depends on the on-the-spot performance of the players of the two teams, which is the most critical.
◆ You have played against many Chinese Super League teams in the age of a player. What do you think of the overall strength of the Chinese Super League team? Is there any team that impressed you?
I didn’t pay much attention to the Chinese Super League, but the overall strength of the Chinese Super League is much stronger than ten years ago. The Chinese Super League teams are doing a good job in the defense line now, but they still lack good forwards.
▲The first leg of the 2018 AFC Champions League 1/8 finals, Ogasawara Manta VS Oscar
◆ How to evaluate the Chinese Super League?
is much stronger than before now because many teams have strong foreign players, and they are too strong. If Chinese local players do not seize the pace, it will be difficult to catch up with foreign players.
◆ What is the difference between China and Japan’s youth training?
I am also new to youth training. Many Japanese coaches come to China to engage in youth training. China's football youth training will definitely improve year by year. There is a Weifang Cup in China. Such a game allows many players of the 18-year-old age to get exercise, and Kashima Antlers also come to participate. This form of game is very good, players are trained and coaches can communicate.
◆ In addition to Wu Lei, are there any other Chinese players who left a deep impression on you?
National team captain Zheng Zhi, 38 years old, still playing football, very awesome. Also, Guangzhou Evergrande right back Zhang Linpeng left a deep impression on me.
◆ The current situation of strong foreign players in the Chinese Super League is very similar to the situation in the Japanese professional league 20 years ago. What do you think of this situation?
The advantage is that local players can learn from foreign players from close range. The downside is that foreign players are too strong, and they have taken advantage of the opportunities for some players who can play. Many people will lose the chance to play.
▲Mano Ogasawara accepted an exclusive interview with this newspaper
◆ "Football": How do you view China's naturalized national players? Japan has also had a naturalized national player.
Ogasawara Manoka: From a personal perspective, I don’t like the situation where naturalized player is present.
◆ But when you were still a Japanese international, you also partnered with some naturalized players. Why did you still have this view?
I still think the national team should be all Japanese, and I can achieve real results through my own efforts.
◆ If three Brazilian strikers are naturalized, how do you view the prospects of the World Cup after the Chinese team uses naturalized players?
If all three strikers are Brazilian, I would support the Chinese team very much. If the Chinese team can enter the World Cup, I will still support it very much.
◆ What do you think about the comparison between the Chinese and Japanese teams after naturalization in the future?
If there is a Brazilian, the Chinese team's level will definitely be improved. It is hard to say who will win the Sino-Japanese confrontation. Although the level will improve, it is not good for overall development. The most important thing is to develop youth training, focus on the group of children aged 13 to 15, and cultivate them. Many coaches in Japan also go overseas for training. Will you Chinese coaches do so? So, it’s great to hold this type of competition, and everyone has the opportunity to communicate.
▲Ogasawara Manoka and his naturalized teammate Sanmao (via Alamy Pictures)
◆ When do you think Japan will win the first World Cup championship?
This is too difficult. There are many overseas players in Japan now, and they go overseas to study like Wu Lei. With more and more overseas players, the overall progress of Japanese football will become greater and greater. There are also many overseas players in , Iran and South Korea.
◆ Now many young players in Japan have the opportunity to study abroad to play football. What do you think?
In the past, Japanese players went abroad, just like in China now, and players came back soon after they went out. To develop football in a country, it must always go through these experiences. In the past, Japan was the same, sending young players to Portugal, Spain, Italy, England, and Germany, but the players in these places are too strong, and our players who study abroad do not have many opportunities to play.
Like Wu Lei, it is actually very good to go to a weak team, but you can get a chance to play. It is better to choose a team that is not as strong as it can be played than to play a team that is not as strong as it can.
◆ Now Japan has Yu Ai Ai in Barcelona , and Kubo Kai-shek is in Real Madrid. Who do you most like among this group of Japanese overseas players?
I am more optimistic about Yu Ai Abe. He should be able to advance from Team B to Team 1. I hope he can work hard
▲Mano Ogasawara is more optimistic about Kashima Antlers. It is reasonable to say that the younger generations of Kashima (via Barcelona official website)
◆ What are your opinions or suggestions for the organizers during your trip to China to lead the team?
is not dissatisfied with it. The venue is very close to the residence and is convenient for training. I hope the organizer will invite more strong teams in the future so that everyone can communicate better. To be honest, I don't want to play football with Osaka Sakura or other Japanese teams anymore (laughs). Our Kashima Antlers have often played against them in China. The organizer would be better off asking some strong teams such as Sao Paulo and Juventus. We all hope to learn from strong teams.
