Kaiyu & Kodai Sano “Aiming to be the First Siblings in History to Make the National Team” Moriyasu Japan’s “Key Players in Offense and Defense” Speak of Their Thoughts on the World Cup

Despair is a chance to grow.

It was a moment.

A moment after the opponent’s dribble went wide, Kaishu Sano took the ball near the center circle without hesitation. He played a one-two with a teammate, ran up the left flank, and finally cut in between two defenders with a flash of his right foot!

On April 9, in the first leg of the European Conference League quarterfinals between Mainz and Strasbourg, the 25-year-old Japanese national soccer team midfielder wowed the fans with a super goal.

After the game, Sano appeared before this writer and calmly reflected on his performance.

I was only able to intercept the ball and make the next play, but now I can get involved in the attack, deciding whether I should attack quickly or take my time.

Sano’s reputation as a defensive midfielder who can break the deadlock and score goals on his own is on the rise. Michael Ebert, Mainz’s correspondent for Kicker, a long-established soccer magazine with the largest circulation in Germany, is full of praise for Sano, saying, “He will be in contention at many big clubs, especially Bayern.

Sano’s abundant athleticism and ability to win the ball have long been renowned. Last season, he moved from Kashima Antlers to German first division club Mainz, where he played 34 games and ranked first in the Bundesliga in total distance, winning 369 one-on-one duels to finish fourth in the league.

However, he is not interested in that, and emphasizes, “The important thing is how you defend in a pinch and how you can get involved in the attack.

Last season was my first year with the team, so I thought I would just run around and improve the quality of my play, but now I am thinking about not running too much. People tend to think that I play by feel, but I review video footage many times, and I am the type of player who thinks and moves. I am the type of player who thinks and moves. I cannot match the top players in Europe in physical ability. You have to use positioning and reading to win the ball. Besides, it is meaningless if you can only play defense. My goal is to be a player who can contribute to the team both offensively and defensively.

Sano’s sights are set on the North and Central American World Cup, which opens on June 11, and he started and played a full part in the Japan national team’s March tour of England, which resulted in a huge win. After the game, Sano’s defensive intensity and ball-winning ability were praised on the Internet as “essential for the World Cup” and “levech,” and he became a trending topic on X. “I don’t do X,” Sano said.

I don’t do X, so it doesn’t ring a bell (laughs), but I’m glad that people have high expectations for me. I’m just going to focus on what’s in front of me and keep doing it.

Four years ago, at the time of the World Cup in Qatar, Sano was a member of Machida Zelvia of J2 (at the time). He was suffering from back pain and was far away from the world stage. However, when he joined the national team in 2011, he rose to become a mainstay of the squad that beat Brazil and England.

He said, “There is still a gap between us and the rest of the world, and that is normal. I myself sometimes feel like there is a wall between us. But I rarely get depressed there. I don’t have violent emotional swings. I am the type of person who sets detailed goals and works hard to achieve them. There are times when I despair because things don’t go the way I want them to, but those are the times when I have a chance to grow. In that sense, what is my weapon may be that I always have the desire to improve and get better.

Japan will face the Netherlands, Tunisia, and Sweden in the World Cup group league, in that order. However, Sano said, “No matter who our opponents are, what we have to do is the same.

It doesn’t matter who we play. No matter where we play, it will be difficult. Right now, I am only thinking about my own growth.

I admire Shinji Kagawa.

While his older brother Kaifu is gaining recognition in Germany, his younger brother Kodai (22) is making his presence felt in the neighboring Netherlands.

He is in his third season with NEC Nijmegen from Fasiano Okayama, and has been a mainstay in the midfield, supporting the team’s rapid progress. Kodai himself is the only field player who has played in every game in the league so far.

In mid-April, when I approached him as he was leaving the clubhouse after team practice, he responded to my interview with a calm expression on his face.

He returned to the national team for the first time in six months during Japan’s tour of England in March, and started in the match against Scotland. Normally he plays mainly in the volantry position, but he has been playing in a more attacking position for the national team, which must have been difficult for him. How did he feel about his performance?

I really wanted to leave my mark on the team. My goal is not to be called up to the national team, but to be a starter. To achieve that, I need to give 100% effort at all times at the club. This season has been fulfilling for me, and I want to maintain this performance until the end. The rest is up to the national coach.

Kodai has longed to play in the World Cup since he was a child. His earliest memory is of the 2010 tournament in South Africa, and when he was 10 years old in Brazil in 2002, “I was watching the tournament with my brother,” he says.

Shinji Kagawa, 37, the ace of the Japan national team at the time, was my idol. We couldn’t watch foreign games on the Internet like we can now, so I used to record “Yabecchi F.C.” (TV Asahi) on Sunday nights and watch it on Monday mornings before going to school. The reason I wear the number 23 (at NEC) is because Kagawa-san was number 23 when he was at Dortmund. I used to copy him a lot.

By the way, Kagawa-san and I share the same agent’s office, and I had the chance to meet him for the first time when I returned to Japan this winter. I was very happy to see him. He had an aura about him that really gave me power (laughs).

If both brothers make the World Cup team, it would be the first time in Japan’s national team history.

It would be interesting if we could make it as brothers!

Itakura Koh: “I’m finally back!” Returning to actual competition after a two-and-a-half month absence, Moriyasu Japan’s “key man” reveals his true feelings.

From the May 15/22, 2026 issue of FRIDAY