Catholic My First First Spike The 5th Escudero Akira Fu (Kyoto Sanga FC) Vol.2 "I misunderstood the Urawa era, I remember my 16 year old with a Korean transfer."
Escudero who looks back as "I misunderstood" when I became professional. At such time, what reminded me of the "Argentinian teaching" flowing under, what happened at FC Seoul? Rie Kato
KING GEAR Editorial Department
|
2017/02/08
From vol.1 here
Kato：Even after you decided to fit in perfectly with Japanese customs, there were many things that confused you, right?
Escudero: There are so many! In Argentina, everyone is shirtless in the summer. The same goes for trains and convenience stores. But isn't that bad in Japan? Because I didn't know that...
Kato: No way (lol)! ?
Escudero: I was confused (lol). In Argentina, it is common to spray deodorant after taking a bath. Since I'm sensitive to smells, I'm taught from an early age to take care of my sweat and bad breath. So, even in Japan, I take a shower and put on deodorant before going to school...
Kato: If you're a junior high school student, you'll probably get scolded.
Escudero: It is the first day of junior high school! Although I do not understand Japanese, I kept being scolded, my parents were called. "There are some students who feel sick". Something like morning assembly also gathered many people in such hot weather and said "Autumn came" is not it? It was uncomfortable. Some people are going down and dangerous.
Kato: There were a lot of mysterious customs (lol). That must have been frustrating.
Escudero：When something happened that I didn't like, I would say something bad in Spanish, and then I would laugh and say "fufu" to cover it up (lol).
Kato:Did it take you a while to get along with the kids around you?
Escudero: I went to Ome when I was a second year middle school student, and Saitama when I was a third year middle school student. I went to Saitama Sakae in my first year of high school and quit school in my second year of high school, but I didn't have many friends at that time...well, I don't think I had any friends at all.
Kato：So it took some time for you to completely adapt to Japan. Do you still want to become Japanese?
Escudero:When I was in third year middle school, I saw Argentina beat Japan 4-1 at the Kirin Cup. At that time, I wanted to become Japanese, represent Japan, and defeat strong teams like Argentina and Brazil in the World Cup finals. It would be really amazing if we could do that.
Kato: You wanted to beat Argentina, did not you?
Escudero：Of course I grew up in Argentina... I get really fired up when I play against strong teams. very fun. The stronger your opponent is, the better you can be, and the better your allies are, the better you can be. Everyone on the Japanese national team is at a very high level, but I have weapons that aren't there. If I can do that, I think I can reach an even higher level. I think it can be a box that helps the team become stronger.
Kato:box! ?
Escudero: There are many boxes with various play styles, and this is one of them.
Kato:This is the first time I've heard this analogy (lol). Now let's get straight to the point! Please tell us about Escudero's "My First Spike."
Escudero: Children's shoes with the Urawa Reds mascot on them (lol)
Kato: There was one~ I remember it (lol) Were those spikes?
Escudero: Regular shoes without points. I started playing soccer on a Japanese elementary school team when I was around 3 or 4 years old, but because the field was dirt, I didn't wear spikes.
Kato:I see. So why did you start wearing a spike?
Escudero:When I was about 7 years old, my father saw me play and decided that it would be better for me to play in Argentina than in Japan, so I turned down the job in Japan and went to Argentina. During my first year back, I had to study Spanish, so I practiced futsal only in the evenings, but in fourth grade I joined a club called Haedo Sul nearby. My first spike was Topper, which my grandpa bought me at that time.
Kato：I had the impression that Argentina equals Puma, but was Topper popular?
Escudero: This coincided with the time when colored spikes were becoming popular, and cheap and durable Toppers and Diadora were popular among children. I was given Topper's cheap and big size spikes (lol). Even though she bought it for me when she was in 4th grade, she was able to comfortably wear it in 5th grade! Moreover, if something breaks, they will fix it. At stores like Futaba Sports, you can paste the points that came off.
Kato:Didn't the Escudero family have an environment where if your spike broke, you could buy a new one?
Escudero：My father was a soccer player, so I had a decent standard of living, but I was never raised wealthy. You have to wear spikes for a long time, and if they break, people won't buy them right away. Even if you go out to eat, don't order juice (lol)
Kato: It's solid.
Escudero：In Argentina, there are many people who misunderstand that being a soccer player can earn a lot of money and look at them in a negative way. But truly amazing people are solid... For example, a child in Forlan, Uruguay, plays soccer on the town's dirty field, covered in mud and scratches, and even if his cleats break, he won't buy them right away. Maradona...is suffering a lot (lol). Because of this, my father was strict and didn't give me more than I needed.
Kato:I see.
Escudero:I still cherish my spikes. After the match, they are washed in the bath, and when they are no longer worn, they are sent to Argentina. Even during my time at FC Seoul, people often asked me things like, ``Why do you wash your spikes so much?'' and ``If you break them, you can get new ones.'' But I have a love for those spikes.
Kato: Do you wash it yourself?
Escudero:that's right. With a toothbrush.
Kato: Oh! There are teams that have Hepeiro, right? Also in the Reds era?
Escudero: I didn't do it when I was with the Reds. I had a lot of misunderstandings back then (lol) I became a professional at the age of 16, was well-liked, and even got paid. The Reds are known wherever they go, having won the J League championship, the Emperor's Cup, and the ACL (AFC Champions League). A team that can win without you having to do anything. Just by sitting on the bench, your name will remain. To be honest, as a result of my misunderstanding, I couldn't do anything.
Kato：I'm surprised at how much you've changed since the last time I interviewed you.
Escudero：When I went to Korea, I remembered a lot of things. Korea is like Argentina, they're so intense even during practice. FC Seoul was a great club, but I don't think the people around them would do the same things as the Reds. I thought about many things in Korea. There, I was able to go back to being the 16-year-old me I was, aiming to become a pro. I think that's why I was able to perform well in Korea and China, and was able to express my own style even after returning to Japan.
Kato：Was there a trigger that made you realize all these things?
Escudero: In the 2014 ACL semi-final against Sydney FC, I missed three big chances and was forced to practice with the second team for a month. Every day we have 2nd or 3rd training sessions, and it's all about physical training. He never meets the first team's players or coaches. Staying there for a month required a lot of mental strength, and my father told me, ``You can come back to Japan.''
Kato: It's very frustrating...
Escudero:But at that time, I became clear about what kind of player I wanted to be. If I had been in that situation in the past, I would have gotten angry, gone right after practice, complained at home, and ended up repeating the same thing the next day, but at the time I was enjoying the situation. I was able to go out to eat Brazilian food with the second team several times and have a feast, and I was able to do things like that.
Kato: So you were able to take a positive approach.
Escudero: There is a reason for this to happen, not to blame someone, only to break through oneself. At that time I thought that I was "strange" for myself for the first time. The image of the player I wanted to be clear was clearly visible, so that I could see the surrounding things. I do not have enough, but now I want to become a player to win the team. Without that time, I do not have myself.
<Continued from Vol.3>http://king-gear.com/articles/260
Interview cooperation / Futaba Sports Omiya store
http://www.futaba-sp.com/author/oomiya
Photo / Hidemi Sakuma
Kato：Even after you decided to fit in perfectly with Japanese customs, there were many things that confused you, right?
Escudero: There are so many! In Argentina, everyone is shirtless in the summer. The same goes for trains and convenience stores. But isn't that bad in Japan? Because I didn't know that...
Kato: No way (lol)! ?
Escudero: I was confused (lol). In Argentina, it is common to spray deodorant after taking a bath. Since I'm sensitive to smells, I'm taught from an early age to take care of my sweat and bad breath. So, even in Japan, I take a shower and put on deodorant before going to school...
Kato: If you're a junior high school student, you'll probably get scolded.
Escudero: It is the first day of junior high school! Although I do not understand Japanese, I kept being scolded, my parents were called. "There are some students who feel sick". Something like morning assembly also gathered many people in such hot weather and said "Autumn came" is not it? It was uncomfortable. Some people are going down and dangerous.
Kato: There were a lot of mysterious customs (lol). That must have been frustrating.
Escudero：When something happened that I didn't like, I would say something bad in Spanish, and then I would laugh and say "fufu" to cover it up (lol).
Kato:Did it take you a while to get along with the kids around you?
Escudero: I went to Ome when I was a second year middle school student, and Saitama when I was a third year middle school student. I went to Saitama Sakae in my first year of high school and quit school in my second year of high school, but I didn't have many friends at that time...well, I don't think I had any friends at all.
Kato：So it took some time for you to completely adapt to Japan. Do you still want to become Japanese?
Escudero:When I was in third year middle school, I saw Argentina beat Japan 4-1 at the Kirin Cup. At that time, I wanted to become Japanese, represent Japan, and defeat strong teams like Argentina and Brazil in the World Cup finals. It would be really amazing if we could do that.
Kato: You wanted to beat Argentina, did not you?
Escudero：Of course I grew up in Argentina... I get really fired up when I play against strong teams. very fun. The stronger your opponent is, the better you can be, and the better your allies are, the better you can be. Everyone on the Japanese national team is at a very high level, but I have weapons that aren't there. If I can do that, I think I can reach an even higher level. I think it can be a box that helps the team become stronger.
Kato:box! ?
Escudero: There are many boxes with various play styles, and this is one of them.
Kato:This is the first time I've heard this analogy (lol). Now let's get straight to the point! Please tell us about Escudero's "My First Spike."
Escudero: Children's shoes with the Urawa Reds mascot on them (lol)
Kato: There was one~ I remember it (lol) Were those spikes?
Escudero: Regular shoes without points. I started playing soccer on a Japanese elementary school team when I was around 3 or 4 years old, but because the field was dirt, I didn't wear spikes.
Kato:I see. So why did you start wearing a spike?
Escudero:When I was about 7 years old, my father saw me play and decided that it would be better for me to play in Argentina than in Japan, so I turned down the job in Japan and went to Argentina. During my first year back, I had to study Spanish, so I practiced futsal only in the evenings, but in fourth grade I joined a club called Haedo Sul nearby. My first spike was Topper, which my grandpa bought me at that time.
Kato：I had the impression that Argentina equals Puma, but was Topper popular?
Escudero: This coincided with the time when colored spikes were becoming popular, and cheap and durable Toppers and Diadora were popular among children. I was given Topper's cheap and big size spikes (lol). Even though she bought it for me when she was in 4th grade, she was able to comfortably wear it in 5th grade! Moreover, if something breaks, they will fix it. At stores like Futaba Sports, you can paste the points that came off.
Kato:Didn't the Escudero family have an environment where if your spike broke, you could buy a new one?
Escudero：My father was a soccer player, so I had a decent standard of living, but I was never raised wealthy. You have to wear spikes for a long time, and if they break, people won't buy them right away. Even if you go out to eat, don't order juice (lol)
Kato: It's solid.
Escudero：In Argentina, there are many people who misunderstand that being a soccer player can earn a lot of money and look at them in a negative way. But truly amazing people are solid... For example, a child in Forlan, Uruguay, plays soccer on the town's dirty field, covered in mud and scratches, and even if his cleats break, he won't buy them right away. Maradona...is suffering a lot (lol). Because of this, my father was strict and didn't give me more than I needed.
Kato:I see.
Escudero:I still cherish my spikes. After the match, they are washed in the bath, and when they are no longer worn, they are sent to Argentina. Even during my time at FC Seoul, people often asked me things like, ``Why do you wash your spikes so much?'' and ``If you break them, you can get new ones.'' But I have a love for those spikes.
Kato: Do you wash it yourself?
Escudero:that's right. With a toothbrush.
Kato: Oh! There are teams that have Hepeiro, right? Also in the Reds era?
Escudero: I didn't do it when I was with the Reds. I had a lot of misunderstandings back then (lol) I became a professional at the age of 16, was well-liked, and even got paid. The Reds are known wherever they go, having won the J League championship, the Emperor's Cup, and the ACL (AFC Champions League). A team that can win without you having to do anything. Just by sitting on the bench, your name will remain. To be honest, as a result of my misunderstanding, I couldn't do anything.
Kato：I'm surprised at how much you've changed since the last time I interviewed you.
Escudero：When I went to Korea, I remembered a lot of things. Korea is like Argentina, they're so intense even during practice. FC Seoul was a great club, but I don't think the people around them would do the same things as the Reds. I thought about many things in Korea. There, I was able to go back to being the 16-year-old me I was, aiming to become a pro. I think that's why I was able to perform well in Korea and China, and was able to express my own style even after returning to Japan.
Kato：Was there a trigger that made you realize all these things?
Escudero: In the 2014 ACL semi-final against Sydney FC, I missed three big chances and was forced to practice with the second team for a month. Every day we have 2nd or 3rd training sessions, and it's all about physical training. He never meets the first team's players or coaches. Staying there for a month required a lot of mental strength, and my father told me, ``You can come back to Japan.''
Kato: It's very frustrating...
Escudero:But at that time, I became clear about what kind of player I wanted to be. If I had been in that situation in the past, I would have gotten angry, gone right after practice, complained at home, and ended up repeating the same thing the next day, but at the time I was enjoying the situation. I was able to go out to eat Brazilian food with the second team several times and have a feast, and I was able to do things like that.
Kato: So you were able to take a positive approach.
Escudero: There is a reason for this to happen, not to blame someone, only to break through oneself. At that time I thought that I was "strange" for myself for the first time. The image of the player I wanted to be clear was clearly visible, so that I could see the surrounding things. I do not have enough, but now I want to become a player to win the team. Without that time, I do not have myself.
<Continued from Vol.3>http://king-gear.com/articles/260
Interview cooperation / Futaba Sports Omiya store
http://www.futaba-sp.com/author/oomiya
Photo / Hidemi Sakuma
