Kota Takai Scout Report

 

Date of birth: 4 September 2004

Country: Japan

Position: Central Defender

Height: 192cm

Preferred foot: Right

Club: Kawasaki Frontale

It has been a great season for Kota Takai, really starting to make himself one of the first names on the Kwasaki Frontale team sheet. Starting 13 games out of his 14 appearances last season, he has already surpassed that, with 21 appearances currently. Kawasaki haven't been able to achieve their dominance this season like previous years, but with Kota Takai becoming another one of their growing academy graduates, the season hasn't been a total bust.

The modern centre back needs to be a ball playing defender who can be comfortable on the ball as well as putting in the tackles. With 42 passes per game at a great 88% accuracy rate, including 2.1 long balls per game Kota can handle the ball at his feet. Even when under pressure he rarely panics and makes the best decision, even if it is to simply hook it clear. 

One thing that stands out when watching him is his fantastic decision making. When he commits to a tackle he rarely ever second guesses it and is determined to take the ball. He might go on the slide too much for a few coaches, but he does this mostly to recover and his long frame puts him in a good position to win it. His recovery rate has been crucial so far in his young career, he is of course still adapting and is not a perfect player who makes a few mistakes naturally, but his fantastic pace allows him to quickly return to his position and really put himself in a great position, often putting his opponent under pressure.

He only gets 1 interception per game which may look a bit low, but the eye test is much more impressive. He is willing to jump high in front of his opponent to get the ball. Of course not always is he on top but the forementioned pace alows him to quickly recover if needed. Kota's height is a fantastic assest, winning 60% of his arial duals, around 4 per game. 

Kota has started to get some international experience. This past summer he started all 3 games for Japan and played the full 90 minutes. What is really interesting is the number of passes increased during this tournament compared to his J League appearances, rising to 62 per game. I think this shows how more involved he would be if he played in Europe with more possesion based symptoms. 

Japan are currently looking really strong in the International stage and look set to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Japan has been good defensively, however they lack some depth in the central defender role, especially with Japan switching to a back 3 system. I think Kota can fit into this system with ease and do not be surprised to see him in the Japan world cup squad.

Of course he is still young and needs to improve. Things like losing posession, making the right decision in the air and on 50/50 balls are needed to take a little jump. But over time with more game experience this should be ironed out. With Kawasaki being a very good team to develop this should all work out.

Ideal Club:

I think staying in Japan for the next year or 18 months is ideal for him to develop and continue to be a first team player. I wouldn't be surprised to see him moving to Belgium like so many Japanese players have in the last few years. This is a great stepping stone and I see no reason for his path to change.