Tomoki Iwata is prepared for the possibility that the championship battle may come down to the wire.
On Sunday afternoon, Celtic and Rangers will once again engage in a championship battle. Brendan Rodgers’ team will take the field at Dundee, just half an hour after their opponents have finished playing at St. Mirren.
Form and history indicate that Celtic now has a three-point lead and should win the championship, but events might yet take unexpected turns and drag things out until the final games on May 18.
Iwata is aware of what it takes to win a title in the very end, but he won’t be lured into making bold predictions about what might come next. That was the situation two years prior, when his old team, Yokohama F Marinos, needed to triumph on the final day of the J1 League season in order to ensure that they would not lose to the eventual champions, Kawasaki Frontale. They duly prevailed.
The 27-year-old remembers, “That season, I felt a different type of pressure than what I was used to because we were going for the title.” We were unable to play as well as we would have liked as the season’s games became fewer and further between and the pressure increased. With maybe five games left, we were feeling that way. We so began to truly sense how challenging it would be to win.
“We won the games on the final day along with Frontale, and we took home the trophy by a two-point margin. We needed to make sure we didn’t lose because we had the upper hand versus Vissel Kobe heading into the final day. Although there was a lot of pressure, I don’t mind it. We were confident we could win the league, and we were successful. It was an amazing experience to be there and celebrate with my teammates as it was my first career title.
The midfield player could benefit greatly from the things he gained along the route in the coming weeks. “Because it’s similar, going through that pressure with Yokohama in 2022 is definitely helping me here at Celtic,” he continues. This season, we still have a few games left, but I don’t feel anxious or insufficiently confident before them.
At Celtic, we play a particular brand of football, so as long as we get ready to play that manner, we can win the championship. I can’t predict if it will come down to the final day here since you never know what will happen in the future. Still, we’ll be prepared for anything.
Iwata hasn’t yet lived up to expectations since joining Celtic, but he doesn’t regret his choice.
“It hasn’t been up to par thus far at Celtic since I haven’t played as much as I had hoped. That being said, I wouldn’t characterize it as a failure. I still have a lot to learn from this experience. It’s a part of my football experience and career.
“I only look at the good things that came out of it, and I want to move forward more today. I have no remorse whatsoever about joining Celtic. I’m thrilled to be a member of this team and have relished every second I’ve spent on the field.
