The J.League announced on May 12 the results of the fan and supporter vote to select players and managers for the J.League All-Star DAZN Cup, to be held on June 13 at MUFC National Stadium. In the J2/J3 EAST-B group’s manager category, Tomoaki Makino (38), manager of J2 Fujieda, was selected. In the same group’s player category, J3 Fukushima forward Kazu Miura (59) earned his 10th selection.
For Makino, Kazu is a legend who inspired him to start playing soccer. “Being able to work with him in a player-manager relationship is truly an honor. I don’t want this to end with just a nice moment—I want to use him as a player,” Makino said emphatically.
The tournament features six regional teams playing a total of seven matches, each 30 minutes long, in a single-day knockout format. There will also be fifth-place and third-place matches, meaning each team plays at least two games, and up to three if they reach the final. Regarding how to use Kazu, Makino said, “I want to decide after talking with him,” but also stated, “I’m fully intending to start him.” He expressed high expectations for the “King” to excite the crowd with his dribbling and goals.
Miura has yet to score this season in the Centennial Concept League. Still, Makino smiled, saying, “When I imagined what I would do if he scored, I realized I might end up doing the Kazu Dance with him. He’s someone who has played with such a hunger for goals. I think it would be great if there’s an opportunity like that.”
