Is Koji Wada suitable for Song Lam Nghe An?

In the past few days,center back Koji Wadaborn in 2001, currently on trial at Song Lam Nghe An. This is a player who grew up in the Japanese school football movement in the Sendai University shirt.

Before trying out for the Nghe An team, Koji Wada played for the Taiwanese team Taichung Futuro. In the 2024 season, Koji Wada only played 4 times.

Many people look at Koji Wada's resume and say that Song Lam Nghe An is grabbing the small fry in the transfer market. Partly because this player born in 2001 only grew up in the Japanese school football environment and partly because Koji Wada comes from the Taiwanese Premier League.

However, if we only look at these factors, we will not have an accurate assessment of Koji Wada. Because the Japanese school football environment is a very good environment for young players. This is one of the sources of players for professional clubs in Japan and there are also many famous players of the land of the rising sun who have grown up from this school football environment.

Notable examples include former AC Milan star Keisuke Honda, 2023 J1.League champion Yuya Osako, and most recently two Japanese players Kaoru Mitoma and Reo Hatate. Among them, the name Kaoru Mitoma is not too unfamiliar to Vietnamese fans as he is currently playing prominently for Brighton & Hove Albion Club (Premier League).

Therefore, it can be said that players who have grown up in the Japanese school football movement still have all the qualities to become excellent professional players. So why has Koji Wada only played 4 matches at Taichung Futuro?

Taichung Futuro Club is currently ranked 2nd in the Taiwan Premier League and is Koji Wada's first professional team. The midfielder born in 2001 chose the Taiwan Premier League to have solid steps on the path of a professional player. This is a suitable playing environment and Taiwan's weather and climate are not too different from Japan.

However, due to the licensing procedures, Koji Wada will only be able to play for Taichung Futuro Club at the end of October 2024. This is the reason why Koji Wada can only play 4 matches for Taichung Futuro.

With theLam River Nghe AnNot having a satisfactory foreign player playing in the center-back position, Koji Wada was introduced by Technical Director Hideaki Shoji to try his hand at the Nghe An team.

Koji Wada is expected to possess qualities commonly found in Japanese players. These are good football thinking, discipline and technique. These are considered qualities suitable for coach Phan Nhu Thuat's playing style.

However, there are still concerns for this 2001-born central defender. That is his relatively "thin" physique despite his height of 1m86. This makes Koji Wada at a disadvantage in competing with other foreign players in the V.League.

Besides, there is limited competition experience.Japanese center backEspecially when Song Lam Nghe An is mostly young players, so they need experienced players to lead.

However, there is still plenty of time for Koji Wada to prove himself on the training ground and in friendly matches. If he has excellent performances, midfielder Koji Wada could be selected by the Nghe An coaching staff for the next stage of the season.