Kota Tawaratsumida is a 20-year-old Japanese winger who plays for F.C Tokyo in the J. League. Tawaratsumida has just finished his second season as a full time J-League player and has shown a lot of flash but hasn’t quite been able to turn that into consistent scoring yet.
Tawaratsumida is fairly average physically. He is listed at 5’7 (1.75M) and has an average build. He is quite fast, however, and that supports the main thing that is attractive about him, his dribbling ability. Tawaratsumida is a very dynamic dribbler, capable of moving the ball up the wing and getting separation from defenders. His problem is that he does not turn this into dangerous chances for himself or others with nearly enough consistency. He takes a lot of shots but they are mostly from outside the box or the periphery of the penalty area. His playmaking is also quite limited. It’s not uncommon to see him run into space or beat a fullback then send a cross over everyone’s head or directly into the arms of the goalkeeper. His passing in the build-up is not particularly impressive either. He is quite comfortable using both feet, which you would expect to eventually pay dividends. He would also benefit from making more back post runs and potentially receiving the ball in high-danger areas more frequently.
On the defensive side of things, Tawaratsumida also has room to grow. He does track back quite a bit but he’s a bit of a pylon on the defensive side of things. The main value he add defensively is as a release valve for pressure, with his pace and dribbling allowing him to be a threat in transition.
Tawaratsumida has some obvious upside but will need to improve his end-product significantly if he is going to make a step up from the J-League. At 20 he’s just young enough that I still think it’s possible the other shoe could drop and he could become really productive. If he can improve his end product then I think a move to a league like Belgium or the Netherlands is plausible. Maybe not for one of the top teams in those leagues but near the top.
Target Scouting 