DF Yusei Sugawara (left) and MF Naoki Maeda (right), who became the “Old Grampus Derby” [写真]＝Getty Images
AZ’s Japanese representative, DF Yusei Sugawara, updated his official Instagram after the Eredivisie Round 9 Utrecht match on the 9th and wrote about his feelings.
Leaders AZ, with 20 points at the end of Round 8 of the Eredivisie, faced Utrecht in Round 9 on the 9th. In the 31st minute, AZ, who entered the enemy’s territory, scored the opening goal of forward Myron van Brederode, and in the 68th minute, DF Yusei Sugawara scored an additional goal. One point was returned shortly before the end of the game, but the game ended 2-1. AZ has been unbeaten for 9 games since the start of league play, and has won 6 official games in a row.
Sugawara, who is in his fourth season with AZ, came from the Nagoya Grampus training institute and made his debut with the top team in February 2018 while still in high school. The player, who joined AZ in June 2019, has played an active role in a total of 121 official matches for the club so far, and has grown to become a key player in the team.
In the middle of this, they played against Utrecht, to which MF Naoki Maeda, who once played for Nagoya Grampus, belongs. Sugawara, who had been looking forward to the “Pre-Grampus Derby” before the game, updated his official Instagram on the 9th and admitted, “I scored with my left foot for the first time. I’m happy to contribute to the victory of the team.” In addition, he added a hashtag and wrote about his feelings, “Naoki-kun and the Japanese conflict was fun.”
AZ, who had a good start to win the Eredivisie title for the third time in the club’s history, will play in the half-week (13th) of the European Conference League Group E Round 4 against Apollon Lisomar (Cyprus) on the 16th. Feyenoord in Division 10. Meanwhile, Utrecht will face PSV in the 10th matchday on the same day. Keep an eye on the activities of the “Grampus ex-warriors” active in the Netherlands.
