Sadao Furunuma Reveals Untold Stories of Noritake Kinashi & Machida Zelvia’s Tsuyoshi Kuroda

Konuma’s emphasis on solid defense and his commitment to minimizing goals conceded align closely with Kuroda’s coaching philosophy.

“Isn’t it simply the shortest path to victory? There are no absolutes in soccer, but my belief has always been in strong defense and quick counterattacks. In particular, the fundamentals of defense, such as covering, are crucial. If you don’t concede goals, you won’t lose a match. Even in the J.League or the World Cup, have you ever seen an attack-oriented team that says, ‘Even if we concede two or three goals, we’ll just score more and win,’ actually continue winning?”

“I want to be a leader as long as I can.”

After stepping down as Teikyo’s head coach in 2003, Konuma contributed to Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa’s (Chiba) national championship victory in 2007 as a special coach. He continued supporting teams led by his former players, including Otsu (Kumamoto) and Teikyo Nagaoka (Niigata), and has served as an advisor for Yaita Chuo (Tochigi) since 2008.

While taking care of his wife, who suffers from dementia, he still drives nearly 150 km to Yaita on weekends to attend matches.

“Even at this age, I find joy in talking with 17- and 18-year-olds and working together toward a goal. As long as I can, I want to remain a coach. I wouldn’t mind passing away on the field. I just love soccer that much,” he says with a laugh.

Having left behind a legacy of players and coaches, the legendary Konuma continues to pursue victory as a lifelong mentor. (Honorifics omitted in text.)

Sadao Furunuma, former Teikyo High School soccer team coach, “Golden words of a great general: “The best team has a reason to be the best.

From the February 21-28, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”