What is the charm of soccer, I wonder.During the World Cup, we all cheered and got so excited together, but at the same time, I'm sure there were quite a few people who felt, "If I knew more about the rules and the players, I could have enjoyed it so much more..."I want to like soccer a little more than I do now.Lisa Bayne, a unique soccer female who thrives as a model/artist, gently pushes the backs of such people.

It’s almost been two years since the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics were held, hasn’t it?In the neighborhood near my recently moved house, I often see many little girls kicking a soccer ball.I also played soccer since elementary school, but at that time, it was rare to see other girls doing the same.That’s why, I just can’t help but feel happy.

First, let me talk about my soccer history.Being the youngest of three siblings, I naturally got involved with soccer due to my brother’s influence.I truly realized its charm when I joined a girls’ soccer team upon entering elementary school.There was a parent-child match, and I was happy that my mom was cheering for me while I was playing, and conversely, I also enjoyed watching my mom play.No matter how old you get, you can always be serious, and it’s fun to cheer on someone else.Once I realized that, I felt an even stronger desire to kick the ball.I fought with all my strength in the friendly match against the boys, but I couldn’t win, which was frustrating. However, it has still become a good memory, probably because it was fun.For the next seven years, I lived a life centered around soccer.There was a period when I was away for a while, but I resumed in recent years and am still regularly kicking the ball.When I write like this, I realize that I quite like soccer.

Of course, I was also supporting the Men’s Soccer World Cup that was held last year.I remember being surprised when I was watching a game on my smartphone while riding the train, and at the moment when a goal was scored, all the surrounding passengers couldn’t hide their joy. I realized how many people were so engrossed in it.But, it suddenly occurred to me at that time.Among the people on this train, there are certainly those who are well-versed in soccer, but there might also be those who don’t quite understand why the whistle was blown in that scene.Still, why is it that soccer has captured everyone’s hearts so much?If you could put it into words, I thought it could be conveyed as a point to make those people understand soccer more deeply and like it even more.

What about soccer captures everyone’s heart?I believe it’s because those moments are filled with a sense of cooperation, trust, and patience.This is especially true for soccer in Japan.Enduring and persevering, continuing to defend, and then switching to offense to drive in a shot right after, running until the referee’s whistle blows, the smiles and frustrated tears that the players show.The first step is not to miss such moments and to savor them as much as possible.By doing so, you will surely find a player that you want to focus on within yourself, and by continuing to support that player, you should gradually understand the meaning of their play.I’m sure that like me, you would want to convey the charm of this sport to the people around you.Even though I am neither a current player nor a commentator, I am writing this because I love it so much and find it enjoyable, and I want to convey that.

Another thing, to love soccer even more, it’s important to choose a team to support.I am currently supporting Vissel Kobe and recommending it to those around me.The charm of this team, in my opinion, lies in the balanced mix of veterans and rookies, and in the variety of combinations thereof.That’s why every time you watch a game, you can easily notice the changes and growth in the players and teamwork.When that happens, it makes me want to cheer even more.Through the match, the tenacity to persistently press the opponent and the greediness to not miss the opponent team’s mistake and carry it from the counter to the shot, give us a sense of the cooperation, trust, and patience I just mentioned.

The rookie player I’m personally watching and cheering for is Toya Izumi!I was watching the match where he scored his first goal after his professional debut (against Sagan Tosu on March 18, 23rd year), and seeing him push the ball entrusted by his senior players towards the goal, I felt like I was shown the fun of soccer!”I thought so.”Somehow, it felt like I saw the future of Vissel, which made me want to pursue it even more.By the way, in the interview after the match, Manager Yoshida said, “We didn’t win the match with 11 players, but with the thought of winning with 18 people, including the reserves.” This was really cool!When you hear words like this, it makes you realize that soccer is really great, isn’t it?

People often tell me, “I couldn’t imagine you liking soccer,” but I think that’s a really wonderful and honorable thing.After all, when someone takes the trouble to talk to me about soccer, a topic that seems so distant to me, it conveys their desire to share the joy of soccer.I’m sure the current me is the same.Did everyone become more interested in learning about the fun of soccer?

Lisa Bayne @_lisabayne

A writer/model/artist/gallery assistant who has also contributed essays to the football culture magazine “SHUKYU Magazine”.The reason for having a variety of faces is to personally embody the crossover of expressions that are not confined to any genre.In addition to soccer, it seems that they also like basketball, judo, and rhythmic gymnastics!In university, I majored in arts studies and also showcased my art pieces.

TEXT: LisaBayne