[European/overseas football analysis column]Takefusa Kubo decided to transfer from Real Madrid to Real Sociedad (La Liga) this summer. And suddenly he scored his first goal in his first official match, giving off an outstanding brilliance. The reason for this is explained by the game analysis of the Spanish big letter “as”.
Japan representative MF Takefusa Kubo, who joined Real Sociedad this summer, suddenly left a result in the official match debut match.
Kubo has been renting from various clubs such as Mallorca, Villarreal, and Getafe while holding it in Real Madrid. But this summer, he finally decided to leave Real Madrid and join Sociedad permanently. He’s been in the spotlight for a while now, and he’s starting the La Liga opener against Cádiz.
Then, in the 24th minute, he cleverly controlled a floating ball pass on the right side with his left foot and hit a powerful volley shot. Not only did he score his first goal in his first game, but he was also a big presence in attack and played until the 78th minute. After the game, he was voted La Liga’s Man of the Match and has been praised from many quarters.
Why was such a Japanese representative MF able to shine in the first match of Sociedad? Mr. Javi Sijes, who is in charge of the game analysis of the Spanish big letter “as”, explains the relationship with teammates and “extraordinary quality”.
■Liberation
Takefusa Kubo’s fire has finally flared up at Real Sociedad. And it doesn’t just mean the goal against Cádiz or the great individual performance. It’s a bigger, more important thing.
Watching Kubo play for Sociedad under Immanor Alguacil definitely feels different. He has wandered around several clubs so far, and it feels like a player who has been in a daze has finally been released. But it is also true that this is no surprise. For Kubo, it was a self-evident truth that La Real was the team he was most “addicted to”.
Martín Subimendi, Bryce Mendes, Mikel Merino, David Silva… With this many players who are (also) excellent with their feet, you can bring out the best Kubo. The Sociedad they steer can realize powerful positional play and quality possession in the attacking third.
As for Kubo’s attacking position, it doesn’t matter if it’s on the wing, under the top, or second top like in the Cadiz match. It’s not the position, but the ability to work with all of them and switch positions that brings out their potential… But against Cádiz, Immanol put Kubo second with a midfield diamond 1-4-4-2. It was surprising to say that I made it to the top. Kubo had never played in the same position in four preseason matches, but he was on target to add another creative midfield player.
■ “Extraordinary quality” recognized by all
Kubo did not only work in the line between the opposing team’s DF and MF, but he was trying to make Sociedad gain depth by moving off the mark and breaking through vertically. As for the winning goal, which he scored from Merino’s floating assist, he made sure that the lane between the opposing full-backs and centre-backs was clear after Cadiz made a mistake in the build-up, and Silva’s decision from a cross in the second half. Even in the scene where he guided the machine, he is smart and hits the space.
Kubo’s playing area is extremely fluid, drifting to the flanks, exchanging positions with Silva under the top and Mikel Merino in the left inside half, and Alexander Isak leading the opposing defenders into the open space. And continued to show intelligent movements. He also doesn’t cut corners defensively, tirelessly pressing centre-backs to keep the ball out of the midfield. After the match against Cadiz, Imanol had this to say about Kubo, who also won the MOM of La Liga.
“He scored straight out of the box on his debut, but what I like most about him is the way he works and the way he fits into the team. It’s not just how he entered the game today, but how he came here. I don’t know if he already knew me as a director or if he was informed, but it was like he had been with us for three years.”
Imanol probably doesn’t care if Kubo loses the ball 20 times or misses 11 passes. This is because Sociedad has established a positioning and pressing automatism that can cover mistakes in the attacking third, and above all, Kubo’s productive movements are worth more than mistakes. In the post-match interviews with Sociedad officials, including Imanol, everyone was asked about their impressions of Kubo’s dreadfulness. is the owner.
■ Towards the ideal figure sought by the world
(C)Getty ImagesKubo is no longer the only player who makes a difference in the team, but has joined players with similar play visions and skills. As he deepens his ties, he should be able to maximize that “extraordinary quality” that even his teammates recognize. For Kubo, Real Sociedad is an ideal team, and the ideal image of Kubo that Japan, Spain and the world have sought will be embodied from here.
Text = Javi Sijes / Game analyst for Spanish newspaper “as”
Translated by Shinichiro Ema