August 16th, 2022 – Yokohama. It’s time for a J2 game, where YFC are hosting Thespakusatsu Gunma. It’s a different era, but Shuhei Yomoda is guiding the hosts. At the end of the year, they will be promoted back to J1, while Thespa will avoid relegation to J3… for now. Meanwhile, that day, two destinies are starting to intertwine.
In a 1-0 away loss, the guests opted to experiment with a debuting striker, who joined just eight days prior. He was playing in the first division of the Kanto Soccer League with Tokyo United FC, but back then Gunma head coach Tsuyoshi Otsuki knew him because the kid used to be in the youth ranks of Urawa Reds when Otsuki was the coach there. And he was the man behind his signing, with the kid debuting in Yokohama for Gunma.
On the other side, Yokohama FC would need some goals, and they hope to get those from the new Brazilian striker they signed. Yeah, it might very well be another random signing from a J.League side, which too often relies on these strange acquisitions. But the new forward just signed six days earlier – he’s not ready yet to play, but he’s officially on the roster of YFC.
The numbers of the two strikers won’t be eye-catching. The Brazilian at YFC will score two goals in just nine league games, while the striker at Thespa will be used mostly as a winger and score the same number of goals in six matches. Today, four years later, Marcelo Ryan and Motoki Nagakura are lighting up the J.League and FC Tokyo might have a real shot at the title thanks to them.
The Brazilian Gazelle
Marcelo Ryan Silvestre dos Santos, born in 2002, could have been another blow in terms of market signings. At 20 years old, when he joined Yokohama FC, he had fewer than 10 games as a pro between Série A and Série B in Brazil. Nonetheless, he took his chances as a rookie in J2, and then showed some sparkle even in J1, although YFC didn’t have the best of seasons.
When Yokohama FC got relegated, the Brazilian decided to take another shot at the Japanese top flight, this time with Sagan Tosu. And he could be the bearer of a bit of bad luck, since Sagan also got relegated at the end of 2024. But Marcelo Ryan was a top striker for the J1 League – he racked up 14 goals in 30 games, including two braces. And without a three-game suspension plus a mid-season small injury, who knows…
Again, the Brazilian decided to not drop to J2, and got a loan to FC Tokyo to keep his spot in the sun. And even if he wasn’t always the first choice for FCT, Marcelo Ryan definitely benefited from the choice and being coached by Matsuhashi: 13 goals in 35 games in all competitions, even though the no. 19 had to share the slots up front with a LOT of players…. Too many, I’d say.
It was inevitable for FC Tokyo to keep him around and turn the loan into a permanent move for the 2026-27 season. Six goals in 18 games of the 100-Year-Vision-League, and now we’re already up to four in 10 league matches. The Brazilian gazelle is altruistic and speedy, and he found the right match to partner up with, because in the meantime, FC Tokyo got another bargain.
The Late Bloomer
And that bargain has the looks of Motoki Nagakura, class ’99… who probably wasn’t expected to be here. Yeah, because at 23, after the first part of his career between the youth ranks of Urawa Reds and Juntendo University, Nagakura was playing in the first division of the Kanto Soccer League back in 2022. Looking at the comp with his goals at Tokyo United FC, it’s incredible to see what’s happening on those pitches.
After scoring eight goals in nine games that year, Thespakusatsu Gunma scooped him up, and Nagakura stayed for just 12 months. Five goals in 20 league games in 2023 were enough for Albirex Niigata to bring him to J1, where the striker was mostly a joker to use from the bench. In 2024, Nakagura was the top-scorer of the J.League Cup, with six goals that propelled Albirex to the final – then lost at PKs against Nagoya Grampus.
At that point, destiny seemed to have closed its circle, because Nagakura joined back Urawa Red Diamonds. Unfortunately, it was the worst time to come back to his hometown (Nagakura was indeed born in Urawa). The club was a mess, and Reds almost risked getting relegated at times in 2025. Nagakura was there just for six months, appearing 13 times and scoring just once in J1, always coming on from the bench.
It was time to leave his home for good. Head coach Rikizo Matsuhashi, who coached him in Niigata, wanted him again, and so FC Tokyo arranged a loan for six months. It was enough for Nagakura, who scored the winner in injury time of the Tokyo Derby against Verdy, and racked up four goals in 11 league games. The move turned permanent in 2026, and now he’s up to seven goals in just 10 matches.
Why it’s working at FC Tokyo
There are many reasons why this is working out. A first and important one is the job done by head coach Rikizo Matsuhashi, who has a history with the development of offensive football. He learned at Marinos, deployed the deadliest J2 offence in history at Albirex Niigata, and then left. Last year, in his first season as FC Tokyo manager, it was rough – not enough was done in the transfer market. That’s now fixed.
And then there’s timing – both strikers joined at the right time. FC Tokyo lost beloved no. 9 Diego Oliveira, who retired after last season. Marcelo Ryan had time to settle, and then took his number and spot up front. On the other hand, Nagakura was the right complementary piece for the Brazilian, and FCT lost some possible partners for the pair of strikers – no more Ryotaro Araki, no more Ryunosuke Sato, etc.
The rest was done by a solid choice in terms of line-up: the 4-4-2 left space for the development of players like Kein Sato and Kota Tawaratsumida, while also giving space to the new two strikers for finding their chemistry on the pitch. The results are now more than visible: FC Tokyo just destroyed a disastrous Verdy side 4-0 in the Tokyo Derby, and Machida Zelvia might not be alone in the title of best side in the Japanese capital.
The question is unavoidable: can FC Tokyo run for the title? I had some doubts before the season started. I didn’t know if the development under Matsuhashi would have improved this much, but the answer seems a resounding “yes”. FCT have no ACLE or ACL2 to play, and the roster depth is there. If Marcelo Ryan and Motoki Nagakura stay healthy and deadly in front of goal, nothing is precluded.
