Sawada, Takeshi
Summary
Sawada, Takeshi serves as Hyuga’s partner at Meiwa FC, where he is also trained by coach Kira. Despite his youth, he displays considerable talent and holds Hyuga in the highest regard. He assists his teammate whenever Hyuga faces difficulties, yet he is not afraid to criticize Hyuga’s errors when necessary. After Hyuga’s departure, Sawada’s team lost the national championship to Nitta. He subsequently enrolled at Toho Academy alongside Hyuga and Wakashimazu. Under coach Kitazume, who prevented Hyuga from playing, Sawada assumed a more significant role. He strove to emulate Tsubasa as a scoring playmaker and, although he struggled against his former Meiwa teammates, he ultimately secured victory with crucial support from Sorimachi and Wakashimazu. His performance earned him a spot on the All Japan Jr. Youth team despite his young age. In high school, Sawada remained at Toho with Hyuga and Wakashimazu and was selected for the All Japan Youth team, participating in the match against Uruguay during the World Youth tournament. He eventually turned professional by joining the Urawa Red Diamonds, where he played alongside Asia’s top libero, Igawa Hayato. Later, he became the captain and playmaker of the U-19 All Japan Youth team, guiding them to the final of the Asian preliminaries. This experience taught him to trust his teammates more, mirroring Tsubasa’s leadership. He subsequently joined the U-22 Olympic team for the Asian preliminaries, where his playmaking skills proved valuable.
