His decision to join Bayern was not a smart one to begin with. He never played and then Hoffenheim didnt work out either even though seemingly he is one of their top players. I hope things begin to look up for him starting with his move to Freiburg who will be playing Europa next year. Sounds like he will have some competition, but I bet if Kagawa makes a few phone calls in Germany Usami will get his chance.
I've seen. But honestly, I don't see why Bundesliga teams would make an offer for him. For the last two years, he's been furiously warming the bench, wasting his career. Gamba would be good for him.
12 starts, most before December. I agree i might have sounded harsh but it's just my annoyance at the whole 'send promising youngsters abroad no matter what' approach...
but it's not about sending. It's what he wanted! Then again, you can't always be successful edit: I see 15 starts anyway
I suppose that could be partly true, but there is undeniably that footballing culture in Korea and Japan of sending youngsters straight off to Europe boosted by success stories of players such as Kagawa... I know you can't always be successful, but I wish that the agents would be more prudent. Isn't another youngster called Kubo going to Europe as well?
I'm really not sure what makes you think that, I think it's more a misunderstanding. It's the players themselves, that boosted by Nakata-Nakamura-Kagawa-etc want to challenge themselves in an harder environment. Infact, that's why you're seeing clubs like Cerezo that refused to sell their players immediately this season... then again, exceptions may exists of course. But I mean, it's not like it comes from the club usually.
I meant the agents and the media rather than the clubs. For example, I remember I read on goal.com that the reason why most transfers from J-League to abroad was low or free was due to the fact that most players have low or 0 foreign buy-out clause. Also, I cannot speak for Japanese football as well here, but in so many interviews with young Korean players, they always ask 'When will you leave for Europe?', and they egg on players as well.
Yeah I get your point. But what can you do, "top" football is in Europe... at least most of those players will came back in their thirties to help some youngsters. (see Inamoto, Shunsuke, etc)
So what do you suggest? Basically you are picking a player who had a bad spell so far in Europe to prove your point. Take another player (of any nationality) whose move to one of the top leagues turned out decent, probably getting paid more than double in wages of what he had at home and is in some cases a regular in the NT... your argumentation is turned around and it would have been prudent to move abroad.
Not quite. I have used a bad example before, but the case of Kagawa and Kiyotake was completely different from Usami and Otsu. Kagawa had 3-4 excellent seasons at Cerezo, and same applies for Kiyotake. As for Usami and Otsu? One good season, and moving to Europe: that's what I am saying was not prudent. Another example of bad premature move abroad would be Morimoto.
And the samurai troll returns! N.B. Do not feed 그만 좀 망신시켜 이 국뽕시캬 (apologies to other users for using Korean here)
What I am saying is that you are judging past decisions with the present situation, both of which are opinional. Take Honda's first season at VVV. He didn't shine in Japan and he didn't yet have the impact at his new club, so it was not prudent to move abroad back then? What about Yoshida? Would he have better stayed in Nagoya too as he fractured his leg in one of his first training sessions there? With Kagawa, you could say Usami had a comparable season in the tier above his, so Kagawa joining BVB wasn't more prudent than Usami's move? See, with Kagawa the argument works in the opposite direction too. Take all other players abroad: Some might fit your argumentation but you can't make them examples for a golden rule of who is ready and who better stays at home.
I've never said that it was a rule as such. And of course, it's my own opinion, and you are fully entitled to disagree. All I am doing is putting some substance to back up my point. Also, on Usami, as I've said in the previous comment, he had ONE good season. When Honda was at Venlo, he pretty much started in all games, even in his first season when he transferred in January. Compare that to Otsu and Usami, who pretty much are lingering on the bench for two years running.
OK what you do is applying your opinion about Usami on other players, stating the move wasn't prudent, based on the actual (dissapointing) situation of respective players. You may not have said this as a rule, but it still sounds like a generalization to me. And what I am saying is that line of argumentation does not work, as going down to the second Dutch tier as a starter (Honda) could be tagged a failure as well as not making it into the first team at Borussia M'Gladbach (Otsu). Setting the J2 alight (Kagawa) may have been considered a lesser achievement than playing all JNT youth teams and being voted rookie of the year (Usami)... etc.
Yeah I read it this morning but from the wording I can't understand very well. It seems as if "he's coming back" - from 18th of June, not that there is (already) a plan to spend the season there. I'm confused. Maybe he's just still looking at his options ( = waiting for an offer)
oops, for some dumb reason I thought it was still stuff about his stats in Germany and basically skipped it all (that part) Glad he took a decision then.