Kaoru Mitoma & Takefusa Kubo Scout Report: The Art Of 1v1 Attacking – Tactical Theory

The efficiency and intelligence of the modern game is quite astounding.

Positional play has produced extraordinary levels of synchronicity within teams.

For the very best teams, the only word to describe their play is mesmerizing.

As a result, pressing has dramatically improved in recent decades.

Because teams easily attacked space, it was necessary to become more organized and reduce the amount of space available for the opponent to attack.

The game has reached a remarkable height, but there is one shortcoming.

Weve lost our entertainers.

The players who produced moments of individual brilliance every time they stepped onto the pitch are few and far between.

The magician, who often demanded degrees of freedom within the teams tactics, has lost his spot to the detailed, pressing player and his safe, high-percentage/low-risk passes.

Tactical progression has conspired against the magicians, but exceptional entertainers have survived the turn of the tactics.

Vinícius Júnior of Real Madrid is perhaps the most notable, but hes not alone.

The EPLs Kaoru Mitoma and La Ligas Takefusa Kubo are masters of the duel.

Theyre the type of players who command our attention every time they touch the ball.

Those are the individuals who entertain us most.

But we need more of them.

This tactical analysis will aim to see what makes these masters of the duel so special.

This tactical theory piece will propose three principles of 1v1 attacking, give examples from Mitoma and Kubo, and provide an exercise to train each principle.

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Creating and reading a physical imbalance

Too often, when 1v1 attacking is taught, the focus is strictly on the attackers actions.

Can you get in and out of a step-over fluidly?

How about a Ronaldo chop or an elastico?

Perhaps a simple insider or outside chop?

Having the skill set to execute these moves is important.

Its the foundation of 1v1 attacking.

Without the skill set to get in and out of these moves, youre simply not going to pull them off.

But it is just that — the starting point.

The issue with only training these moves without the additional context of defenders to beat and space to attack is that the player will only find success against defenders lacking 1v1 defending technique.

Deception to draw the opponent into a physical imbalance is necessary, but so is the understanding of when imbalances are present.

This is where Mitoma and Kubo can help us.

In watching their 1v1 attempts, we see that theyre not simply making a move and hoping it works.

Instead, their physical actions are designed to provoke an imbalance in the opponents body orientation.

To create the imbalance is one thing, but to see that slight shift is another.

Having awareness of the opponents physical balance or imbalance is perhaps the most critical aspect of the duel.

Whether at a moderate pace or at a standstill, the two Japanese internationals know how to bait the opposition into an imbalance and when to make their move.

Against Getafe, Kubo held the ball in the right wing with his opponent attempting to force the duel down the line.

Kubo still sees space to the left or right, but he also sees that the opponents hips are square to him.

To make his move, especially to his preferred left foot, Kubo starts the duel by moving the ball up the line.

Thats exactly what his opponent wants.

Thinking hes got Kubo pinned to the touchline, the defenders hips turn towards his end lin