The appeal of player Kaito Yasui.

One of the reasons for this is undoubtedly his strength in tackles and his abundant stamina.

That is certainly one of his defining characteristics.

However, we must not forget that he is also the type of person who thinks deeply about football.

This is largely due to the strong influence of his father, who was a coach at the youth soccer team he belonged to.

Reviewing Trial footage, reflecting on plays, and considering what the right approach was—

That was apparently the "daily life of father and son" on the day of Trial.

"When I was a child, I sometimes found it troublesome and bothersome, but from around high school onwards, I started to appreciate it."

Yasui recalls it that way.

"There are limits to what I can do with just my memory of Trial; things like my movements when I don't have the ball are things I can only understand by watching the video. So I make sure to review the footage. When I review it, I often think, 'Ah, I should have done it a little differently at that point.'"

Yasui said so.

"My personality is such that I don't like to dwell on good Trial; I'm more inclined to watch bad Trial and use them to improve."

He also said that he learned a lot from Samuel Gustafson, especially last season.

"Things like the distance between myself and my teammates and opponents, my positioning, and where to pass the ball—those are things I learned by playing with him and watching him play."

For example, instead of a pass that tries to drastically change the course of the game, like a side change, it could be a short pass that temporarily passes the ball to a nearby teammate.
Yasui describes the type of pass that Gustafsson frequently used as a "playful pass."

"If you don't make a move like that, a 'playful pass,' to draw the opponent in, even if you switch sides in one go, there might be an enemy there. In that case, there's no point in switching sides."

This season in particular, it seems that Yasui himself is intentionally choosing to make those kinds of passes. He himself says, "I've been telling the people around me that I'm going to make those kinds of passes, so I feel like things are going more smoothly than before," expressing his satisfaction with the result.

To put it dramatically, you can catch a glimpse of the changes Yasui has undergone this season.

Last year, he said, "As a middle blocker, I need to be able to show more leadership." This can be seen as one manifestation of that leadership.

At the same time, he also said the following last year.

"Because of my personality, I'm not very good at motivating and leading others with words, so I think doing it through my play suits me better," he said.

Lead the team through your play.

In other words, that feeling could be described as "controlling the game."

And that's precisely the kind of work he's been focusing on this season.

The tasks I'm assigned are slightly different from last year. Therefore, there may be fewer instances where I aggressively go to the front lines.

But as if to compensate for that, he's firmly rooted in the midfield, building the game from there.

From that position, Yasui delivered a single pass.

There is a message hidden within it.

A strong message of trying to control the team and the game.

"It all depends on how much I can do as the one standing in the center. I think that will influence how the people around me move."

On April 5th, the Reds will play against Kawasaki Frontale away from home.

Both teams have accumulated 11 points so far. Urawa is in Pos place and Kawasaki is in 6th place. Moreover, both have suffered bitter defeats in their last few Trial.

Because of the nature of his opponent, Yasui is increasingly wary, saying it will be a "difficult" match.

Nevertheless, he said emphatically, "That's precisely why we have to win."

The appeal isn't just in the duels.

Each and every pass he delivers...

"How to control the game"

He places great importance on that point now.

The message conveyed in that pass will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the outcome of Trial.

(Interview/text/Hideki Kosai)