Ryoma Watanabe exhaled deeply, puffing out his cheeks, and then told his teammates:

"In the last two Trial, we've been really good at switching gears after losing the ball. If we can't keep that up, we won't be able to play our Trial. We need to remember that. If we can get a good attacking start, we can definitely win this Trial. Let's fight as a team, shouting loudly."

This happened before Trial against Yokohama F･Marinos in the third round of MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE on February 21st.

Contrary to Watanabe's expectations, the team had to endure a long period of resistance early in Trial, but they outdid their opponents in both running distance and sprinting to win 2-0. Last season, they struggled in three away Trial, but with two wins and one draw (one penalty shootout loss), they accumulated seven points.

Watanabe has been serving as captain since this season, but he has not changed his stance. He has never served as captain before, and he is aware that "compared to the players who have served as captain up until now, I feel that I am inferior both as a player and as a personality." He may also feel that he has played with responsibility and determination even before he was captain.

Still, when watching Watanabe play this season, one can't help but feel that his sense of responsibility and determination has increased even more.

In addition to taking seven shots in the first three Trial, which is the most on the team, he also ran a total of 38.3 kilometers, the longest distance not only on the team but in the league.
In the match against Yokohama F. Marinos, he ran over 13 kilometers. The second-highest distance covered by Yokohama F. Marinos' Yamane Riku was 11.832 kilometers, more than one kilometer less than Watanabe, which speaks to the magnitude of his numbers.

"I think one of the reasons for this is that we have been able to focus on the basics, such as transitioning after losing the ball and getting back faster than the opponents can counter."

He spoke about the reason for the team's decent performance in the first three Trial, but it is Watanabe who is also leading the team in terms of transitions and intensity.

There are also noticeable changes in his behavior outside of playing.

After the match against Yokohama F. Marinos, he showed a stern expression despite the win, and was seen confirming things with Kaito Yasui and Rio Nitta using gestures. At the time of the opening match against Chiba, he said, "It's true that I began to see the team very clearly," but in front of the media, he talks overwhelmingly more about the team than about himself.

From his perspective, this may not have been a conscious change, but there is no doubt that it is behavior befitting a captain.

But even Watanabe has some questions. Why are they able to produce results away from home, a field he struggled with last year? Or perhaps it would be better to ask why they weren't able to win away from home last year.

"I can't find any reason why we had so many away losses last year or why we were winning at home, and I don't think we were winning just because we were playing at home. In fact, we weren't playing consistent football in the first place, so it's possible that we were losing away games by chance."

Still, by giving my all and getting results in these three Trial, I'm starting to get a vague idea of what it takes to win.

"Being at home means we can play with more intensity, and I think we've won three Trial this year because of that intensity, so maybe that's what's important."

The next game will be Watanabe's first home game of the season, and his first as captain. The opponent will be Kashima Antlers, a team Watanabe has yet to beat since joining Urawa Reds.

Five months ago, on September 20th, after the match against Kashima, Watanabe spoke dejectedly in the interview area at Saitama Stadium:

"I think this Trial symbolized our current weakness in every aspect."

So, next time we want to make Trial that symbolizes our current strength.

"It's an opponent that we've had a hard time beating, so if we win here, I think we'll see a different picture."

If we can beat Kashima and see a different view, then beyond that lies the place we have longed for.

Watanabe, who joined the Reds in 2024, played in last year's FIFA World Cup, but has never played in the AFC Champions League (ACL), even while playing for other clubs. This is why, in addition to challenging for the FIFA Club World Cup again later, he had a strong desire to win the Centennial Plan League and qualify for the ACL even before the league began.

This feeling was further strengthened by the messages and chants sent by fans and supporters during the match against Chiba.

"That's really all the players are aiming for, and we're working hard towards that goal. We owe a lot of our support to the fans and supporters who give us that kind of encouragement, so we want to repay them with solid results."

In the match against Kashima on February 28th, Watanabe will be seen shouting, running and fighting for victory while receiving overwhelming support from fans and supporters at Saitama Stadium.

(Interview and text by Masanori Kikuchi)