Keisuke Tsuboi
The hidden scent that made Keisuke Tsuboi decide to
"When you get off the train, it has a unique feel to it. You can smell the scent of Urawa."
Keisuke Tsuboi, while saying it was "difficult to express," still managed to string together his words.
"It's not something tangible. You can't actually smell it. But there is a scent of Urawa. It has an atmosphere that says, 'Our town is a football town.'"
In 2002, Tsuboi joined the Reds. While at Fukuoka University, he had received multiple offers, but he participated in Reds training and watched Reds Trial at Saitama Komaba Stadium (now Urawa Komaba Stadium). Upon returning to Fukuoka, he told the soccer club's coach, Masahiro Inui, the following:
"My job search is over."
Once I experienced Urawa, there was no other option. I could only think of Reds.
"I was captivated by the atmosphere of the stadium, including the fans and supporters, and the atmosphere of the city."
I then spent 13 years in Urawa. And in that "football town," I was often approached by people.
Of course, there were people who were happy about my success. But what I remember most vividly are the comments from the townspeople when I wasn't getting much Trial.
"When I wasn't playing in Trial, I would meet people who would say, 'We want to see Tsubo Trial,' and even when I wasn't on the Trial roster, there were people who would say, 'Tsubo, we're counting on you.' That made me really happy. I felt incredibly grateful that there were fans and supporters who would say, 'We're counting on you, Reds,' even to players who weren't playing."
It's not just the players who are on Trial who support the Reds. The people who reach out to me when I'm not Trial understand that. I could feel their support.
A young man born in Tokyo, who had lived in Gifu, Mie, and Fukuoka but had no prior connection to Saitama, discovered the city and thought, "Urawa is amazing. It's a soccer town." Even now, about 20 years later, that "feel" remains the same.
"I'm just like the fans and supporters now, so I'll still heckle them with love."
While saying this with a laugh, Tsuboi also expressed his hope that the Reds, who embody the "essence" of Urawa, will continue to be strong.
"I want them to show what they're going to do. If things go well, they might play good football and get results. But I don't think that's enough. It's meaningless if they sink the following year. I want them to aim to build a team that can always be at the top, and I want this year to be a year for that."
Those were words typical of Tsuboi, who clearly has a deep affection for Urawa.
[Share Urawa]
