JAKARTA JAKARTA - Japanese player? Mitoma became the British media title after appearing as the hero of Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup against Liverpool, at Falmer Stadium, Sunday, January 29, 2023.
One goal for the 25-year-old in extra minutes of the second half managed to bring Seagulls to a 2-1 win over the Reds. His team also qualified for the fifth round of the competition.
Although currently considered as one of the players with his top ball dribble skills, Mitoma had doubts about his own abilities at the age of 19.
That then made him choose to rule out a professional contract in his homeland to win a bachelor's degree.
He then registered at Tsukuba University. It was at this prestigious university in Japan that Mitoma studied physical education, sports science, and physical education.
There he grew up to be the star of the campus team before writing his thesis about the art of dribble. The science that then helped and made him able to conquer tough defenders like Ben White and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the English Premier League.
Every angle of THAT @Kaoru_Mitoma goal! 😍 pic.twitter.com/9xLmIPFmSQ
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 31, 2023
Mitoma started his football career with four-time Japanese League 1 champion, Kawasaki Frontale, at the age of 11. His appearance immediately made the coaching team impressed at that time so he was immediately offered a professional contract.
Instead of accepting it, Mitoma turned down the offer because he realized he was not physically ready. After rejecting the offer, he also registered with Tsukuba, who is consistently ranked top 10 of the best universities in Japan.
"I just don't feel physically ready and won't be in the first team right away. I think the best step is to get more playing time and get better," Mitoma told The Athletic, quoted by The Sun.
The university's admission decision not only provides Mitoma with the opportunity to understand human physicality, but also allows it to develop as a footballer. In Japan, playing football at the university level is recognized as a higher standard than Europe.
Mitoma was then selected to represent Japan in the 2017 and 2019 Universade tournaments, the 2018 Asian Games, and the 2019 Toulon Tournament with the Japanese U-23 national team. In addition, he has played at Kanto University Soccer League with Tsukuba and has joined the XI all-logue team in his last three seasons.
While studying at the university, Mitoma was also recorded as successfully lifting the Denso Cup title in 2019.
The player, who was famous for his unique speed and dribble, later wrote his thesis in his final year at the university. His scientific work also focuses on the art of dribble.
He linked the thesis with his abilities and what made a footballer able to dribble well.
"It was the easiest subject for me to write because I love football and dribble is something I like."
"There are no rules on how much to write down, but I developed it by analyzing my team-mates who have good dribble skills and are not very good, and try to figure out why that is."
"I put a camera on my teammates' heads to learn where and what they saw and how their opponents saw them."
"I learned that good players didn't look at the ball. They would look forward, dribbled the ball down towards their feet. That's the difference. I was one of the better footballers at the time, but not amazing," he added.
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In 2018 Mitoma then signed a professional contract with Kawasaki Frontale. He then made his debut in 2020 after the COVID-19 outbreak stopped activities in the world of football.
At the age of 22, in his first full debut season, he managed to score two goals which made him the fifth new player to score that much in J-League history. Meanwhile, even more impressive is that the midfielder managed to record 12 assists or more than any other player in this competition.
Only 18 months after he submitted his suspect's thesis he was signed by Brighton. At that time, he was brought in with a dowry of only 3 million pounds or counted very cheap for now.
Last season, he underwent a loan spell at Union SG, in the main Belgian league. There he began to adapt to European football and scored eight goals in 29 matches.
This season, Brighton's former manager who is now investigating Chelsea, Graham Potter has also included Mitoma in the first team. Initially he was only used as a substitute from the bench to trick defenders who were getting tired.
The 2022 World Cup break in Qatar from November to December then became a stepping stone for the winger.
Many people feel Mitoma is not taking good advantage of Japan while in Qatar. In that competition, he was recorded as making just four appearances as a substitute.
However, that didn't stop him from playing an important role in the most controversial moment of the tournament. His cut-back, as the ball looks like it has crossed the line against Spain, contributed to Japan's 2-1 win.
Unfortunately, like the dramaore, there was also a tragedy that he had to swallow when he failed to execute a penalty in the last 16 defeat against Croatia.
Since then, Mitoma has returned as a mission player. He has scored three goals in five Premier League games, including his beautiful goal against Leicester City which ended in a 2-2 draw.
He then became a hero when helping Seagulls get rid of Liverpool thanks to his speed and calm in front of goal.
Name: Bribe Mitoma
Birth: May 20, 1997 (age 25), Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Team saat ini: Brighton & Hove Albion F.C
Japanese nationality.
Weight: 73 kg
Education: Tsukuba University
High: 178 cm
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