Jun Nishikawa 2020 – scout report

Arguably, one of the most, if not the most, exciting young prospects currently housed in the J1 League is that of Cerezo Osaka’s Jun Nishikawa.

The 18-year-old is currently situated in the scopes of some of Europe’s biggest names. RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan are all touted to have an interest. Meanwhile, Spanish gargantuan Barcelona have been in pursuit of the Japanese national for several months.

While little is known about the attacking midfielder, who can also play on the right-wing and as centre-forward, due to only a handful of senior appearances; a deep delve into match footage of Japan academy sides and his talents become evident.

So, this tactical analysis will highlight three strengths to the starlet’s play and explain what advantage they can be to various tactics. The scout report will also use analysis to explain how Jun Nishikawa can improve his game.

Impressive aggression levels

One key attribute that can often be overlooked which can prove vital tactically is impressive levels of aggression. Playing as an attacking midfielder, right-winger or centre-forward, it is likely that Nishikawa will often be tasked with playing a vital role in the press of his side. For a press to be effective, amongst other things the players must have a strong level of determination and aggression to regain possession.

In this annotation, an example of Jun Nishikawa’s aggression can be seen. The example is taken from an Under-20s game for Japan against South Korea at the Under-20 World Cup in 2019. With Japan’s attackers looking to box in the defenders in possession, Nishikawa aggressively and quickly closes down the ball carrier and forces a pass backwards. The 18-year-old midfielder continues to press and forces the defender to play the ball long which turns possession back to Japan.

As can be seen in this map of duels against South Korea Under-20s – a match which Japan lost 1-0 – despite the 18-year-old playing on the right-wing before being swapped to attacking midfielder, Nishikawa entered duels across the opposition’s half. While he was only successful on only five occasions in the opposition’s half, the sheer number (20) proves that the midfielder is not one to shirk his pressing responsibilities.