2019/24 Takefusa Kubo @ FC Real Madrid (ESP)

Kubo included on pre-season tour, not very surprising.

#RealMadrid to include new signing Takefusa Kubo on pre-season tour with club 'extremely excited' by his potential https://t.co/taeBynJjEe pic.twitter.com/udfYmwczK3

— Football España (@footballespana_) June 30, 2019

 

Read the article.
He will play some friendlies with Castillia or Real jersey? Will he meet the big boys from first team during the tour?

 

No doubt, a priori.

Anyway, there is no point publishing an article about Kubo, only to say that he will play with Castilla (it's planned from the start, for the upcoming season), right ?

 

Ok. Then I'll expect something like Miyaichi tour with Arsenal in 20XX (2012?).
They will move to asia? USA?

 

Wait, they're not going to Japan?

 

His young brother, Eiji Kubo (12 years old, midfielder) joins Real Madrid too.

Eiji Kubo, younger brother of Real Madrid's new 18-year-old signing Takefusa, has travelled to Madrid with his mother and he will join the Los Blancos academy. [Marca]

— Real Madrid Info ³⁵ (@RMadridInfo) July 10, 2019

He's the third japanese there, including Takuhiro Nakai (15 yo).

 

The hype is no joke by the way. I'm currently in South Africa and I mentioned I was born in Japan to my Uber driver. He starts going on about Take Kubo and how great he looks on youtube.

 

Oh yeah, what's the situation for that Nakai dude?

 

Why Pipi?

 

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Have never really understand why some people said that Kubo is very individualistic. His awareness to his surrounding is tremendous. This is his biggest asset. His technique compliment this well, especially his passing technique.

 

He was selfish before U20 wc and U17 wc 2 years ago. The matches against Uruguay at U20, France or England at U17 highlighted that. But after that he kind of sorted it out and became more team oriented. I think this aspect showed his quality and is one of reason why he is highly rated. Individual skill alone doesn't take you far, otherwise a lot of talents from Brazil, Argentina or some Africa countries would already make it at highest level.

What he lacks now is strength, a little bit of speed, finishing consistency and a lot of luck.

 

About strength, I think he's not that bad (especially for someone his age). We predicted hell for him vs Ecuador but ultimately he came up well enough (I remember two magnificent balls for Maeda and Nakajima, concluded by two unforgivable missed chances).

Lack of speed isn't necessary a problem as soon as it's impossible to steal him the ball. Anyway, the ball needs to moove fast. Not him.

In general I find we're a bit hard on him (that doesn't mean we should go to the other extreme, of course)

 

At that tournament i think, it's more of that his mates is not playing in the same wavelength as him. And he's very often left in a disadvantageous situation where he should beat his opposition at one on one situation, the aspect where he's not as strong as he's now, more often due to lack of a physicality. Hell, even in J3 he's struggling at that time. That's why i'm so surprised at the rate of his development since begenning of this year. Even his body language is changing. I wonder what happened to him at Yokohama. He's always said that he owed a lot to Yokohama.

Not going to jump into xxx-ese Messi train or something, but out of a hell a lot of player labelled as the next Messi, i think, Kubo is the closest thing to the 2 Messi unique abilities that made him by far greatest player alive, his perception about his surroundings and his ability to create a moment of vacuum, when everything stop as he pause his move.

His passing technique reminds me a lot to De Bruyne though. Of course yet as refined nor consistant.

 

Kubo has not any problem with strength as everyone seen vs Ecuador when he resisted tackle from 2x his size opponents.
And for a japanese teen player this is something remarkable.

 

Let's see, he's a young prospect now. If he continues to perform, the defenders from other teams (in Europe) will start to recognize him as a real threat and decide to go physical with rough treatment. At that time, if he can hold his ground, his strength would be considered pass the test.
For example, this video:

Look at the muscle of Hazard (the guy with similar height) around 0:33; and Kubo around 2:00, I can still see a huge difference. You guy talks about the match with Ecuador, I also commented about this aspect before this match, and Kubo did perform in the sense of "not easily losing the ball due to physical challenge". However, I expect more in the sense of "still produce magic regardless of physical challenge", similar to the like of Messi or Hazard.

Still, he can use his movement and position awareness to avoid direct challenge from defenders. But in this case, he would develop into David Silva type of player. I still think he has potential to play in much more advance position than that, like a Messi or a Hazard, so I demand more of his strength and finishing.

 

That ad in the right bottom corner ruins the solemnity of the article.

 

Kubo and Hazard is already a better love story than Twilight https://t.co/MBJL6xqEqS

— Xav Salazar (@XavsFutbol) July 14, 2019

 

Yeah, AS are saying that the coaches have been surprised and shocked by kubos ability, and the initial plans of going to Castilla B might be changing. Word from thd dressing room is that 'he doesn't look out of place'

Very exciting news! And watching the highlights of him yesterday you can see why.

 

Some interesting training video.

https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/cd6uk8/look_at_what_takefusa_kubo_did_to_keylor_navas_in/