In the sport of soccer and the dramas its matches create, the ace striker is the leading role who carries the highlights. Proportional to the spotlight they receive, the weight of expectations they must live up to is immeasurable. Yuya Osako has appeared in two FIFA World Cups as a member of the Japan national team, played in Germany's professional soccer league the Bundesliga, and is now in his third season at Vissel Kobe. We sat down with him to learn how he has been able to cope with that pressure and keep producing results, time and again over so many years, and find out what the source of his strength is.

Yuya Osako is a natural-born striker.

“Scoring is the greatest thrill. When you score, you get to be the hero. You’re scoring for the team’s victory, and there’s nothing but fulfillment in that for me.”

When he scores, he says, when the team wins, and when everyone celebrates together, an immense joy washes over him that blows away all the hard training and worries he had up until that point. But when he doesn’t score, he becomes a target of criticism.

“Honestly, I couldn’t care less.”

Osako says these words not dismissively, but with firm conviction.

“I’ve reached the point where the criticism genuinely doesn’t bother me at all.”

As an ace, as a striker, he bears responsibility for results and is exposed to criticism. But he does not let this get him to be pessimistic.
“I’m just thinking about how to score. There are times when I can’t score, and when that happens, there’s nothing more to be done. I think it’s all about how much I can improve the next time around ― I just try things and find my own answer before going into the next match.”

He mentioned that a big part of how he came to think this way was his decision to play for Germany in 2014, where getting results was of utmost importance. No matter how hard he played, if he didn’t get points as a striker, it made no difference to anyone. It was a harsh world, but it helped him see what he needed to do.

“In the end, it’s all about how you can contribute to the team. So I set aside things like expectations and pressure, and I only think about what I’m going to do out on the field, and how I can play for the team.”

But sometimes things don’t go as planned, and he ends up with no points. He experienced difficulties in Germany like he had never experienced before. But that just made the joy of scoring all the more greater for him.

“It was tough trying to prove I could be of use out in the field. But that’s also why it felt so great to score points. It was like nothing I’d experienced before. Going to Germany made me love soccer even more than ever before.”

So he focuses on producing results and concentrating on his play.

In 2022, Osako was going through a difficult time. He joined Vissel Kobe in August 2021 and began playing under immense expectations. But because he was sidelined for injuries, he wasn’t able to meet those expectations as the chief scorer, leading the team to face tough battles. During that time, he spent a long period dealing with his injury and also looking inside himself. That helped him remember the feeling that lay at his core.

“I remembered I play soccer because I love soccer.”

As he got older and gained experience, the burden of responsibility on him grew. And he had a strong desire to live up to expectations. But that didn’t change what needed to be done. So rather than looking down, he makes maximum effort for the joy he gets when he scores a goal.

“I’d have already quit soccer if it wasn’t fun. It’s precisely because there’s enjoyment that even at my age, I still feel like I want to keep playing.”

Facing soccer head-on, and enjoying it. The joy of soccer is what drives Osako forward.

“When the team wins, we all get to celebrate together. To me, that’s like nothing else.”

Osako keeps running toward the goal to achieve that moment.

“I want to win a title with Vissel Kobe. For that, I want to score goals and be a force for the team.”

When that wish bears fruit, a future awaits where the team―and the supporters―will celebrate with joy.

INTERVIEW & TEXT: Chiharu Abe