The new Major League Soccer (MLS) season is under way and the thriving championship is thrilling fans Stateside and beyond. Thanks partly to Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami last year, the popularity of football in the USA is sky-rocketing, with the arrival of other big-name players helping to build momentum.

Following in the footsteps of several other Japanese players who made the move to MLS – including former national team captain Maya Yoshida – a seasoned J League player joined LA Galaxy last year in search of a new challenge. Enter Miki Yamane. With 200 J League appearances to his name, strong performances for Kawasaki Frontale earned him a first national call-up by Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu in March 2021. He was also named in the 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, starting his side’s second group game against Costa Rica.

Yamane, embarking on his first overseas challenge at the age of 30, took time out to speak to FIFA after training with the Galaxy training. Relishing his new life and all that comes with it, Yamana shared his impressions of MLS, his thoughts on the Japanese national team, and his experience at the 2022 World Cup.

This is your first overseas club – how are you finding life in Los Angeles?
Miki Yamane: I’m getting pretty used to things now and enjoying life, although that’s also thanks to many people supporting me. It’s obviously very different to Japan, and I still have a lot to learn. However, I’m interacting with my team-mates in English and expanding my personal life here, which is a blast.

Was it your Qatar 2022 experience that sparked the decision to move? And how different is the style of play in MLS?
Well, of course it [playing in the World Cup] was one of the factors, but even before that, I was keen to try playing abroad. As I expected, the players here are far more physical than in Japan, so I try to find a way to deal with it, while bringing my own strengths to the fore. I still have a lot of work to do when it comes to getting to know how my team-mates think on the pitch and each of their individual characters. But that’s precisely why I came. I was looking to embrace a new challenge for a long time, and doing so is very rewarding.

How would you describe playing on the World Cup stage?
Beyond my wildest dreams. I felt like I was in a pressure cooker and got both scared and excited in turn in the run-up to matches! But looking back really brings home to me just what an amazing stage it was.

You also have your Japan team-mate Maya Yoshida on board at LA Galaxy. What have you learned from him?
Well, I can’t forget the advice he gave when I earned my first Japan cap: “Go for the ball with one-and-a-half times your normal force.”

But now we’re team-mates, I get daily pointers. He also helps me out when it comes to passing on small details to the coach or the rest of the team.

Competition for a national team place is fierce. What does playing for Japan mean to you?
Well, for as long as I’m still kicking a ball, targeting a national team place is a no-brainer. I’m very aware of all the challenges – call-ups depend on preparing properly and doing the business week in week out. But nothing’s changed for me there: I will always give my maximum on the field, both now and in future. Provided I can make my mark in MLS, I think it will really help me grow as a player.

The USA will co-host the next World Cup and MLS is thriving. Have you felt football fever rising in the country?
During the pre-season games, it was a big step up compared to Japan in terms of the size of the crowds and their passion. I heard that last year’s Los Angeles derby attracted more than 80,000 people, so there’s more interest in football here than I thought. A lot of pre-season games in Japan are played behind closed doors. It’s very different here – the media provide major coverage of the fixtures, and I feel the way they handle and promote the league is really taking it to the next level.

Finally, as you take on the MLS challenge for the first time, how do you see the season panning out?
I think the play-offs have to be the minimum goal. Provided I settle, I know I can give the team plenty, both defensively and up front. I’ll try to do that as soon as possible and help LA Galaxy get to the play-offs and hopefully go for the MLS title.