Throughout last year’s battles, the keyword for the team was “passion.”
The battles that fueled them were expressed as a desire to win, creating excitement in the stadium.
This season’s WE ARE GAMBA OSAKA will shine a spotlight on the spirit that lies behind the “passion” of each player. What kind of power will their soul, enthusiasm, courage, and determination give to the team this season?
He repays his family, who are always by his side, and his passionate fans and supporters, through his “play.”
This feeling has always driven Shuto ABE to fight and reach his goal.
“My child was born in August, and my desire to do my best for my family has only grown stronger, and the only way I can live up to the expectations of the supporters who cheer me on is by playing on the pitch. This is soccer, so not everything you do will necessarily translate into results, but as long as I’m on the pitch, I believe I should never lose that desire, even for a minute.”
It was when he was a junior high school student and a member of the FC Tokyo Academy that he first had the desire to become a player that many people would support. The thunderous cheers he heard every time he watched a top team match at Ajinomoto Stadium only strengthened his desire to become a professional soccer player.
“At the time, I watched the games from the stands, always imagining how the players felt playing in front of those cheers. At the same time, whenever I saw the whole stadium erupt in excitement the moment a goal was scored, I remember thinking, ‘I want to be a player who can score in a place like that.’ That’s why I was so happy to be able to play on that pitch as a professional, and it made me even more determined to make the fans happy, to win and share the joy with them. I don’t often have the opportunity to express my gratitude to each and every one of the fans in person, but that’s why I always want to repay them by doing my best on the pitch to win.”
This feeling hasn’t changed since his signing with GAMBA OSAKA was announced in May of this year. In fact, it only grows stronger every time he steps onto the pitch at Panasonic Stadium Suita.
“Panasonic Stadium Suita is the best stadium in Japan. The sense of presence in the stadium, the passion of the supporters, and the atmosphere during the game are all truly amazing. There have been many times when I’ve looked at the stands and been inspired, whether it was when I was entering a game, during a break in play, or when I went to get a drink, and when I heard the voices, I thought, ‘OK, let’s do this.’ I’ve only been playing for six months, but I’m already completely captivated.”
He also remembers the roaring crowd in the J1 League match against Urawa Reds when he scored his first goal since his transfer, and the excitement of the moment he scored the winning goal in the match against Albirex Niigata in the 32nd Sec. match.
“Up until then, I had been sent off after receiving two red cards and causing trouble for the team, so scoring my first goal at Panasonic Stadium Suita was a special moment for me. Also, my goal against Niigata was a comeback goal after we had lost the lead twice, so I felt strongly that I had finally scored a goal to help the team, and that match was the first time I felt like I had truly become a part of Gamba. It’s also memorable as the first time since I came to Gamba that I felt like I was able to give back to everyone who supports me.”
However, these are only the beginning.
“In this final stretch of the season, our motto has been to win every game in order to finish one place higher, so we want to fight tenaciously until the very end, determined to win. The result we end with will undoubtedly have an impact on next season’s battles. We want to continue striving for the team’s growth until the very end, and we want to fight in a way that will raise the expectations of our fans and supporters for next season.”
Passionate, strong, and moving forward. The legend of Gamba’s Shuto ABE will only get hotter from here.
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Text by Takamura Misa
AloJapan.com