Yukinari Sugawara, who came to the Netherlands at 18, is now 22 (photo by AFLO)

Yukinari Sugawara, the "ideal wingback in the modern era," has become the top Japanese player in the Netherlands, thanks to his Olympic Games, injury,

He" scored two goals. It was a complete defeat. ......

By "he" I mean PSV left winger Xabi Simons. 　The 22-year-old Japan international tried to defend the prodigy, who turned 20 on April 21, to the best of his ability. But they conceded goals in the 20th minute of the second half and in the 8th minute of added time. The two goals against AZ brought Simmons' goal tally to 19 and gave him a share of the scoring lead with Greek international Anastasios Duvikas (Utrecht, 23). Simmonds is not so much a winger as he is an inside player. He has technique and speed and is a good footballer. Sugawara's fourth year in the Dutch league came to a close, and although the PSV game was bittersweet, he enjoyed a career-high season with three goals and eight assists in 31 appearances. It was a tough season that started with an injury, but after this season I have grown in some areas and I feel that I need to do more. Exactly one year ago, Sugawara continued to play for AZ with an injury to his right knee, and he had to withdraw from the Japan team for the June series to undergo surgery. As a result, he missed the first two games of the season, and gradually increased his playing time from the third game until he made his first full appearance of the season on the seventh game against Ajax (2-1 AZ win). 　Over the next two months, Sugawara continued to impress at AZ, but was omitted from Japan's squad for the World Cup in Qatar. Another major setback was his omission from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics squad.

How did he deal with his past? I have to face up to the past and say, 'It was right to fail at that time. I have been doing this with the belief that 'the past makes you stronger. 　Of course, I was frustrated. I felt ashamed of myself. That is why I played both last season and this season, thinking, 'Let's look back at those around us. The young man who said, "I was able to come this far," played his 156th official game for AZ on this day, surpassing Hafner Maike's (Vitesse, ADO Den Haag) 155 games to become the top Japanese player for the Dutch club. He became the top Japanese player in the Netherlands with 156 official appearances for AZ on that day. 　In Holland, a country with a wing system, the right-back is attacked by a unique "No. 11 (left winger)" with his hands tied behind his back. Has Sugawara grasped the trick to stop such troublesome speedsters and technicians? I haven't found the right way to stop them yet, to be honest, except in games against left wingers with strong characteristics, such as PSV's Simons, Ajax's (Dusan) Tadic and (Steffen) Verhoeven, and Feyenoord's (Osama) Idrissi. I believe that one-on-one play can only get stronger if you play against strong left wingers such as (Osama) Idrissi of Feyenoord. 　It is important to play one-on-one in practice, but the speed and situation of one-on-one in a match is different. Because it is a match, you have to win every one-on-one. Even so, there are things that can only be grasped by trying and challenging yourself. 　There is no need to be perfect now. At AZ, one of the best clubs in the Netherlands, Sugawara is ranked fourth in European Cup games played (40 games). I've been here for four years," said Sugawara, "but if you don't play any games after four years with the club, you can't get to the top of the rankings. I have been here for four years," says Sugawara. I have never forgotten the feeling of 'I must be on the pitch' amidst the competition within the team. It's all about building on that.

I have played against strong teams, against teams with Japanese players, and even in the semifinals of the Conference League in May. 　However, what I still immediately recall is Sugawara's rookie year in the Netherlands against Antwerp. The match was a playoff to advance to the group stage of the Europa League, and in a completely hostile environment, AZ, who had been favored to lose the game, took the game to overtime with their tenacity and won the match. The Antwerp game is probably the most memorable for me, too. To be honest, I didn't realize how valuable the Europa League was when I came from Japan, but I could really feel how much AZ was committed to making it to the Europa League. 　It's hard to put into words, but when you see them, you can tell that they are putting everything they have into this tournament. I was lucky enough to be in the Europa League twice and the Conference League twice, so I was able to play in European competitions for four consecutive seasons. 　In other words, participating in European cup competitions has become a "benchmark" for AZ and for me. With the creation of the Nations League, it has become much more difficult for the Japanese national team to play friendlies against European countries. Will it become more important for Japanese players in European clubs to play against players not only from Europe but also from other continents in the future? I don't know about that. I don't know about that. Uruguay and Colombia, where we played in March, have players who are playing well in Europe, and Latin American countries also have "European standards. 　Of course, we have to play our own soccer and win against European countries, but that is difficult because of the Nations League. But I also think it is important to play in Europe to know the European standard.

[Yuki is the best right back.

　This is how Sugawara finished his time in AZ this season, but he is preparing for the Japan national team, saying, "I still have national team games to play, so I must not go into off-season mode and switch off. Watching him play, listening to him talk, and observing the changes in his body and facial expressions, I get the sense that he has grown a lot tougher over the past four years.

　So how does AZ feel about Sugawara's development?　Just nearby I saw Director Pascal Janssen, who was an assistant coach four years ago and one of the people who watched Sugawara closely in Holland.

Yuki has grown so much," Jansen said, raising his right arm high in the air. Yuki has grown so much," Jansen said, raising his right arm high in the air, "in other words, his growth has been steady.

He is a modern sideback with technique, speed, and the ability to play many different positions. He can score goals and make assists. From my point of view, he is the ideal modern wingback. He can also play in midfield. He works hard. And clever.

　His communication growth is also remarkable. He could only speak Japanese, so I had a Japanese woman translate for him for six months (at the beginning of the transfer). Those six months were very important for understanding the defense and so on.

　Yuki continued to study English and became able to communicate one-on-one. She has also grown a lot as a person after getting married and having a daughter.

　Sometimes we play against good teams in big stadiums, and Yuki left a good impression in those games. He is the best right back in our team. As long as he is fit, we will keep him in the game."

　Between the ages of 18 and 22, he mastered the AZ style of soccer and began to show his ability without regret in real games. That was Sugawara's four years in Holland.

Source: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/8d34dba261e42b5be8766d05bcc231f8e92dc8b9?