2022/25 Tsuyoshi Watanabe @ KV Kortrijk (BEL)

Official.

3.5 years contract until the summer of 2025.

https://www.kvk.be/nieuws/eerste-japanner-bij-kv-kortrijk/

 

Very impressive debut from Watanabe tonight.

He played as a right-back in a 4-back formation in a Tomiyasu-esque style.

The match ended in a 2-2 draw for Kortrijk away against Gent.

Gent players in the early stages of the first half were showering crosses down the side in which Watanabe is playing in, and focusing their attacks (55%) on this side as if they were expecting him to be the weakest link in Kortrijk's defence in order to exploit him.

However, Watanabe was up to the task, shutting down all of their aerial crosses and totally bossing the air. As for ground duels, Watanabe struggled during the early stages, losing almost all of them, but by the midway point of the first half he was almost invincible, as he started to use his body and press the opponents physically to muscle off the ball out of them, and it was successful, albeit he risked committing fouls and being cautioned by going for this approach. Which actually happened twice, as he earned his first yellow card.

Around the 10th minute he made a crucial double-block in front of his goal to prevent Gent from scoring a goal from a corner-kick.

In the second half, Watanbe improved on his first half performance. He was not much involved defensively as it was the case in the first half, as Gent players focused less on his side of the pitch and stopped sending crosses his way, as they realised that Watanabe poses an aerial advantage over them.

This is indeed a very promising indication, that the opponents were trying to avoid him after what they saw from him earlier in the match, even Gent's second goal came from a cross from the opposite side, as the team captain D'Haene couldn't clear the incoming aerial cross.

Watanabe had improved notably in ground duels compared to the first 20 minutes of the match. It was day and night, and an impressive improvement that may take other players matches to adjust their playing style to.

In the attacking end, he was involved more in the attack in the second half compared to the first half, as Gent's players tendency to focus on the opposite side allowed Watanabe more freedom to surge forward and support his teammates offensively.

He had a shot from outside the box which went few inches over the crossbar, and two headers from corner kicks (one of them saved by the GK and the other one went over the crossbar).

 

Tsuyoshi Watanabe in his Belgian league debut for Kortrijk (away vs. #ent) FT 2-2 :

Challenges/duels won: 31/38 (81.6%) ; aerial challenges 17/19 (89.5%) , ground challenges: 14/19 (73.7%).

Successful passes: 26/33 (78.8%).
Blocks: 7.
Shots: 4.
Sprints forward: 7.
Clearances: 13.
Fouls: 5.
Yellow cards: 1.