What it means to be an Antlers player
The 2022 season, his first as captain, left him feeling nothing but frustration as both a leader and a player.
Nevertheless, Shoma Doi, who says he has grown as a person, is looking at his challenges and preparing to make a comeback.
Frustration at not being able to lead by example as captain on the pitch
── You lost 0-1 to Kofu in the Emperor's Cup semi-final, missing out on a place in the final. How do you feel about this defeat?
"I believed we could all reach the final of the Emperor's Cup, and I thought it was a tournament we absolutely had to reach the final of, so the shock of the defeat was huge. I want to fully absorb the weight of this defeat, and also accept that this is our current ability."
── I'm sure you received some harsh words from the fans and supporters after the match. As captain, how did you take those words?
"When you lose a match and receive harsh words from the fans and supporters who are cheering for you, I believe that's only natural for a player playing for a team like Antlers. I took it as my responsibility and listened carefully to every single word thrown at me by the fans and supporters. I'm truly sorry that I can only give this answer every time, but we have no choice but to grit our teeth and keep moving forward to win, to keep moving forward. I also feel that there isn't a single player at Antlers who is satisfied with the current situation, and considering that we haven't won a domestic title in six years, I feel that we need to change something."
── Did the Emperor's Cup semi-final defeat make you realize where you currently stand?
"The tendency to lose important matches is not limited to this Emperor's Cup semi-final; it has been increasing recently. In order for us to acquire the winning mentality that Antlers originally possessed as a team, we need to do more in our daily training and confront these issues."
── Looking at the content of the Kofu match, in the scene where we conceded in the 37th minute, Doi went to pressure the opponent's defender from the front when the opponent's forward broke away from a long pass. Didn't you think that if you had stopped the opponent's defender before they kicked the long ball, it wouldn't have happened?
"As a team, our strategy was for the forward players to pressure the opponent's defenders, to a certain extent limit the opponent's passing options, and then recover the ball in the next phase. Up until that point, we had been intentionally letting the opponent's center-backs have the ball and kick long balls, and then picking up the second balls to launch attacks. In that scene, too, I intended to pressure to limit the passing options, but given the result that led to the goal, I did think, 'If only I had been able to block that long pass...'"
── What did manager Daiki Iwamasa say in the locker room after the match?
"Daiki-san (Manager Iwamasa) said that this defeat was his own responsibility as manager. Daiki-san said that, but I personally believe it's the players' responsibility. Looking at my teammates' faces, I think everyone felt the same way. It wasn't one person's fault; I felt that everyone on the team was blaming themselves in their hearts."
── With the Emperor's Cup semi-final defeat, it's now confirmed that this season will end without any trophies. As captain, how do you view this reality?
"To be honest, the Kofu match revealed all of our weaknesses and fragilities this season. This season, we weren't able to thoroughly work on the finer details as a team, and I had the impression that we somehow managed to cope and make do whenever problems arose. For example, even at the beginning of the season when former manager René Weiler was in charge, there were issues that we, as a team, needed to address, but we overlooked them because we were winning matches. As a result, we let things that should have been improved or reviewed remain ambiguous, and they were exposed in the final important match. So, I personally believe that outcome was a consequence of what we had been doing throughout the season."
── This season was your first as captain, Doi. Do you feel frustrated that you weren't able to lead the team?
"Of course I do. I strongly wished I could have played in matches and shown leadership through both my play and my words. However, this season, I was often unable to get on the pitch, and even when I thought about saying something to help the team, I couldn't bring myself to speak because I kept thinking, 'I'm not even playing.' But even in that situation, I thought about what I could do and put my full effort into practice. I never once became discouraged or pessimistic just because I wasn't playing; I just kept giving my all in daily training. Still, since it was my first time as captain, I strongly wanted to do something for the team, to convey something, and I'm left with the frustration of not being able to show captain-like actions or behavior in a tangible way. Just as I was thinking that if I could get my condition back and continue playing in matches, I'd be able to speak up to the team, I suddenly lost my chance to play again, and it felt like my momentum was broken. I feel sorry, helpless, and frustrated that I couldn't stand at the front and convey my feelings to the fans and supporters when the team lost a match or was struggling. In that sense, as captain, I'm left with only the feeling that I couldn't show anything for the team."
── Did you feel frustrated that you couldn't act or speak on behalf of the team because you didn't consistently get opportunities to start?
"I was able to give individual advice and talk at the clubhouse and practice ground, but I couldn't really send a message to the entire team. After all, whenever I tried to say something, I would think, 'What I say won't be convincing because I'm not playing.' At that time, I remembered how (Mitsuo) Ogasawara (Academy Technical Advisor) and (Atsuto) Uchida, when they were in similar situations, didn't say anything but tried to show it through their actions. Now I understand their actions and attitudes very well. I believe that having had such an experience at the age of 30 has allowed me to grow as a person."
── So, you tried to compensate for the frustration of not being able to lead the team through play or words by demonstrating your attitude?
"From midway through the season, if I couldn't lead the team through my play, I started thinking about contributing to the team in other ways. By showing an attitude of diligently working hard in training without complaining, I could give something back to the team. Being able to adopt that mindset myself might be one of the things that helped me grow. At the same time, I also realized that I had accumulated enough experience and reached that age."
Beyond the attitude of fighting and running, there is something extra
── Since Manager Iwamasa took over, the team has been trying out new football. What kind of potential do you see as a player who has played professionally for Antlers for 12 years?
"I feel that for Daiki-san's football vision to take shape, each player needs to be able to do various things. In attack, while having the mindset of attacking quickly vertically, we also need to maintain possession where appropriate. In defense, we are required not just to push opponents to the side or clear the ball in front of the goal, but to win the ball back in any situation. Just as there are such goals, Daiki-san is not aiming for a football that is completely one-sided, for example, counter-attacking or possession-based. Therefore, the players themselves need to develop the skills, flexibility, and team unity to respond flexibly to any situation and any opponent."
── Do you feel that you're becoming more adaptable through practice and matches?
"Daiki-san presents various things in practice, but I feel that there are still many things we can't express on the actual pitch even if we can do them in practice. In practice, we show our faces to receive the ball, but in matches, when the situation becomes difficult, there are times when we can't show our faces. Personally, I believe that if we don't challenge ourselves in matches, we can't change. I think it's necessary for us players to challenge ourselves without fear of making mistakes for the team to change."
── With new coaching staff joining the team, did you, Doi, also have any new discoveries?
"It hasn't been long since the new coaching staff joined, but I'm attracted to Coach Ryuji Suzuki's idea of fusing football and futsal. I myself competed in national tournaments in futsal when I was in elementary school, and I still have opportunities to watch futsal matches. If we can incorporate the attacking patterns seen in futsal throughout the team, I think our attacking variations will expand. Antlers has traditionally had a strong tendency to break down situations with individual strength, so it might take time to build up combinations, but I believe we will gradually change by continuing to do so. For example, looking back at my time at Antlers, if three of us, myself, (Daigo) Nishi, and Yassan (Yasushi Endo) on the right side, could break down opponents with telepathic understanding, then our goal-scoring should also increase."
── While building new football, what do you, Doi, who has been with Antlers since junior youth, think Antlers must not lose?
"At Antlers, there is no match we can afford to lose, no matter what kind of match it is. From the first minute, the first second, every single moment of that match, we must play with all our might. I believe that is something Antlers must never lose. And pursuing victory until the very last second of the match, until the final whistle blows, never giving up until the end—that is what I have been taught since junior youth about what it means to be an Antlers player."
── It seems unlikely that you'll return this season due to injury, but finally, please give a message to the fans and supporters.
"I myself don't think I can end it like this. This year, I haven't had many opportunities to play on the pitch, and perhaps the fans and supporters who were looking forward to my play felt lonely. However, when I recover from my injury and return, I hope to show them a fully recovered Shoma Doi. This season, I challenged myself with various things, but through that, I also had the opportunity to learn how difficult it is to maintain what I used to be able to do. The team is probably the same; not only pursuing ideals, but first, there will be something extra beyond diligently doing what we can, such as "fighting" and "running." I believe that by diligently doing those ordinary things, the results will naturally follow."
