Japan had several generation of talents – and the “Silver Generation” is probably the one with the biggest regrets, confirmed by the passing of the time. Players like Yoichiro Kakitani (we wrote about him), Gaku Shibasaki (here), or Ryo Miyaichi didn’t leave the mark that Japanese fans were expecting from them. Among that generation, there was one young prodigy that was probably the most awaited of them all.
There was once a kid who was the symbol of that movement, who had the most immediate success: he was breaking records with the his own club, he moved to Europe before turning 20, being the new standard for the development and success of Japanese football. While national team members were still looking for European gigs, he had that chance even before debuting for the senior team.
Almost 15 years went by, and it seems paradoxical that we feel old about him. He turns 32 in May, and he can surely face three-four years at a decent level. The fact he got the no. 7 – the historical number associated to club legend and national treasure Yasuhito Endo, who just retired at 43 – shows the kind of maturity and accountability he’s ready to take, including the captain’s armband.
But Takashi Usami was never “one among others”. The expectations around him were massive, and this beginning of the 2024 season proves it. He started well, he’s re-inventing himself under Dani Poyatos, and finally bringing back Gamba to a decent level. He’s though a man of two sides, and the good one is finally taking over.
The prodigy in Osaka
Usami is indeed one of the last testaments of Akira Nishino’s era with Gamba Osaka. He was there playing for the youth ranks when the club won the first J.League title in 2005. He debuted at just 17 years old, in 2009, just one year after Gamba won the AFC Champions League, scoring in his debut against FC Seoul. He was destined to break records and set a new bar in terms of expectations.
It’s not an accident if, just one year later, he won the award for “Best Youngster” at the J.League Awards – and rightfully so, since as a 18 years old he was putting together double digits of goals in all competitions. And while the tail of the successful era of Nishino was showing off, Usami took the stage, granting himself a first call to Europe. That stint lasted only 18 months, but taught him some important lessons.
Coming back to Japan, Usami showed all his potential. Once he brushed off the disappointment from the stints with FC Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim, he took the league by storm – just look at 2013: 20 goals in 20 matches, albeit in J2. And he scored 75 goals in three and a half years (133 matches, which meant also a good shape and condition). All of this then generated another chance in Europe, always in Germany.
Another two and a half years went by – and while Usami tried his luck again, a different player came back. He was just 27, but he had seen already so much, and mostly he lost the quickness which characterised the first part of his career. This and a tough injury in 2022 turned him into a different player, shaping the mould of what he was destined to be in the third part of his Gamba history.
The abroad (and Samurai Blue) struggles
The expectations over Usami were enormous. It’s not an accident if FC Bayern Munich were the ones to move for him. But even an environment with less pressure – like Hoffenheim – did not work. It’s a tale of two sides: the first stint was discomforting because they mismanaged him – FCB wasn’t the right place for a teenager (and Philipp Lahm confirmed it a few years later), and Hoffenheim was a mess in 2012-13, changing the whole backroom staff throughout the year to avoid relegation.
The second stint in Germany went slightly better, but you could see the player out of his element. And this time – it was less a problem of environments and more of actually taking chances. Usami played first for Augsburg (where he barely played), and then two years at Fortuna Düsseldorf (first on 2. Bundesliga, and then in top-flight), but only the stint in second division showed the Usami that was seen with Gamba Osaka.
And then there’s Japan. Usami wasn’t considered at all by Zaccheroni (who called him up a couple of times just to bring him on the bench), due to the many options upfront in the cycle leading to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. But when both Aguirre and Halilhodzic gave him chances, Usami didn’t take them. Furthermore, his second German stint overshadowed his growth, and kept him away from Japan’s starting eleven in those years.
Usami did in the end feature in one World Cup – in Russia, for the 2018 edition, where Nishino being the head coach helped him getting a spot -, but even his performance in a dead-rubber game lost against Poland didn’t exactly shine. And once Usami was back in Japan in 2019, Moriyasu wasn’t interested in him, despite the winger being just 27 years old. His score with the national team tells of 27 caps and just three goals.
Reinventing himself to survive
At the peak of his form and career, Usami was a winger, and losing his blasting, speedy pace turned into a normal player. Surely one with a lot of experience, but Usami couldn’t survive in that position. The injury in 2022 put everything into a worst context – what to do when you’re 30 and the trait who made you invincible throughout your best years is gone? You have to start from scratch.
Usami did that – he’s not playing anymore as a winger, but in two other positions. Last year Poyatos tried him in place of Shu Kurata, in the same “mezzala” or no. 8 role who made Kurata solid and reliable as a Gamba player. Usami could work in that role – he’s got the vision, the class to thrive in that zone of the field. His legs might not be as fast as before, but his thinking is, and his shooting skills are still good.
The other is the “falso nueve” role, since Gamba had massive problems since Hwang Ui-jo left Osaka to find a proper replacement. In the end, Tunisian striker Issam Jebali – who joined in 2023 – was doing the same, missing though too many goals. Poyatos could decide also to put Usami up front and let him inspire the run-throughs of other players, becoming a “technical totem”, creating space for others.
And it showed. The start of the season was really good – Usami scored in all the first three games of the season, and showed the importance he could have for the team. Sure, he’s not dominating the game anymore like he used to do when he was in Osaka for his second stint, but that’s not he’s going to be useful at 31 for his team. And there’s more, something intangible.
There’s also another “minor” change – to define it “minor” is probably an understatement: Usami is taking over the legacy of Yasuhito Endo. You can clearly see it in the change of number (who would have the courage and the approval in taking over the no. 7?), in the club’s communication (producing special content around it), and in the fans’ minds. That will last longer than any sporting legacy, for sure.
J. League Regista 