2019- Ko Itakura | Ryotaro Meshino @ Manchester City FC (ENG)

Seems Japan is going to play friendlies in the Netherlands against Cameroun and Ivory Coast October 9th and 13th in the FC Utrecht Stadium De Galgenwaard.

 

It is already official:

https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/official-2020-samurai-blue-thread.2108125/#post-38935551

 

First bench start for Meshino:

⚠️ 11 INICIAL ⚠️ #CDTRAFC #LigaNOS #muitonossosemigual pic.twitter.com/m8pe1sRCXj

— Rio Ave FC (@RioAve_FC) September 20, 2020

 

... and he scored a goal in his debut!!!

 

His goal:

GOLO! Rio Ave FC, Meshino aos 90' 2', CD Tondela 1-1 Rio Ave FC #LigaNOS #CDTRAFC
🎥⏱ https://t.co/Gg7RZYOGly pic.twitter.com/YvuL07BC8U

— VSPORTS (@vsports_pt) September 20, 2020

 

Bench in EL.

 

Rio Ave are qualified to the play-offs round after winning against Besiktas in penalties shot-out.

Meshino came in as a substitute in the 80th minute.

They will host the winner from AC Milan vs Bodoe/Glimt next week.

 

AC Milan w/o Ibrahimovic at least.

 

I think they could. AC Milan didn't look good against Bodo Glimt.

 

First start in Portugal for Meshino:

XI #RioAveFC: Kieszek; Ivo Pinto, Nélson Monte, Aderllan Santos, Pedro Amaral; Tarantini, Jambor; Carlos Mané, Diego Lopes, Meshino; André Pereira.

— Fútbol Portugal © 🇵🇹 (@FutbolPortugal) September 27, 2020

 

Meshino did not play, neither he made the bench tonight, but the team was leading 2-1 up to the final minute of extra time, when they conceded a penalty kick, which Milan equalised from.

Then, they wasted many chances to win the pks as Milan was the team shoting first and already wasted a sequence of 3 pks, only for Rio Ave players to shock and waste their penalties.

Hard luck for Rio Ave, and Meshino shall be happy because he joined a decent team.

 

They shocked when it matters, what a shame!

 

Itakura made it into Voetbal International's Team of the Week!!!
Doesnot he deserve an own thread?

 

AD Sportwereld round 4 Team of the Week:

 

Itakura is again at Voetbal International's Team of the Week:


https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/vier-clubs-leveren-tweetal-aan-elftal-van-de-week

 

Itakura needs to take the next step in his career, he should go to a tougher league like Serie A or Bundesliga to develop further.

 

Sorry dude, but defenders from the Eredivisie are well sought after as they turn out to be top players in the big leagues. Hatenboer from FC Groningen wasnot really valued by Eredivisie clubs, but Atalanta bought him for a small fee and he turned out to be a revelation. Dual national Dutch/German Gosens played for Heracles and was also bought for a small sum and made it into the German national team.
There's an idiotic believe among foreign football fans the Eredivisie defenders/defending sucks, but when you look at the top teams they have Dutch developed defenders even bought from modest teams, not only from the top three.
So he's in the best place to learn defending the way top coaches like.

 

Yes in fact Itakura developed a lot in Eredivisie, it was the perfect place for him to start his career in Europe. I didn't want to despise the Eredivisie, Netherlands has always produced great footballers and the most intelligent tacticians, its clubs are very well structured and well managed, but IMO if a CB wants to develop even further, he must constantly face the world's best players and learn different styles of soccer, so that's why I believe that in order to Itakura develop further, he needs to play in a league that offer these conditions.

 

Atalanta has been chosen in Italy as the "Team of the Year, which is a huge honour for the "Eredivisie" as we have de Roon, Hatenboer and Gosens in that team, plus that other German defender they bought recently from Heracles.

 

Ko Itakura is expected to leave Groningen this summer.

According to Groningen's technical director: Manchester City are looking to either sell him or loan him to a team in a higher environment.

The technical director also noted that they cannot afford sigining Itakura permanently from Manchester City.

http://sportwitness.co.uk/man-city-...-summer-loan-higher-level-club-aware-will-go/

 

If he had chosen FC Groningen in the first place instead of signing with ManCity, he would be on a track he has control over himself. Now he's just merchandise for the ManCity conglomerate. All those kids fooling themselves believing they have a chance when ManCity knocks on the door. ManCity abuses their glamour club state to sign dozens of kids, just to make a profit on their sale afterwards. They donot invest anything in the development of those kids.