Daichi Kamada (front row, third from right) explodes with joy after winning the championship. Makoto Hasebe (back row, fifth from right) was more emotional than the rest (Photo: AFLO)Frankfurt, the team of Daichi Kamada and Makoto Hasebe, beat Glasgow Rangers to win the UEFA Europa League (EL). They are the first Japanese players to win the UEFA Europa League since Shinji Ono, who won the previous UEFA Cup in the 2001-02 season. Kamada played a full part in the match and was the kicker in the penalty shootout, which he deservedly won. After the match, Kamada expressed his feelings about his lack of confidence in the team and described himself as follows: “I have not seen the light of day very often.”  “I remember that I have had a difficult life in soccer without being in the limelight much. I think it is important to keep doing what you are doing, but I was born on a star like that (never seeing the light of day). It was the same in junior high school, high school, and when I entered the pro ranks, and I think I was able to look back at those people who thought I couldn’t do it.” On this day, there was a scene in the game where he missed a looping shot on a crucial opportunity and slammed his fist on the pitch in frustration, and as seen after the game and in these comments, we saw a straightforward and completely different Kamada from his previous impressions. Could not be promoted to Gamba’s youth team Kamada entered Gamba Osaka’s junior youth team and aimed to become a professional player, but at the time he was still small and often injured, and was rated lower than players of the same age such as Yosuke Ideguchi (now with Celtic FC in Scotland), so he was not promoted to the youth team. Since last November, he has not been invited to play for Japan’s national team, but he has scored five goals this season in the EL, which the team won. His total of 11 goals, including those in the past, is the highest among Asian players of all time, and he has continued to produce results. “I am not sure if this is in line with Kamada’s own feeling that he is not appreciated, but he seems to be a type of player who is generally difficult to understand and easily misunderstood, both on and off the pitch.” Frankfurt fans seem to be ambivalent about Kamada’s play as well, and a search of the Transfermarkt.de community section for Kamada reveals both lamentation and love for the player.   In Germany, where physical play is favored, there is also a ranking of the number of one-on-one games won (called “Zweikampf” in German), and for the second year in a row, Japan’s steadfast volleyer, Wataru Endo (Stuttgart), topped the list. He was the top-ranked player for the second year in a row. In comparison, Kamada’s superiority lies in his skill with his feet. His technique, which allows him to pass accurately with one touch even when opposing players are quick to close in on him, seems efficient and unmotivated, depending on one’s point of view. But even so, Kamada has become an indispensable player with four goals in the Bundesliga and five in the EL, plus contributions in areas that do not show up on the score sheet.