Korean media 'overwhelmed' by Mitoma's return

Mitoma was brought onto the field by coach Moriyasu in the 68th minute. Immediately, the stands at Al Thumama Stadium became bustling as fans continuously chanted Mitoma's name. The player currently playing in the English Premier League also left impressive statistics when touching the ball 32 times - the most among the Japanese players playing in the second half. Mitoma also successfully completed 17/22 passes, reaching a rate of 77%. In addition, the player born in 1997 had 6 situations of acceleration on the left wing, causing the defenders of the Bahrain team to struggle.

Mitoma has its first match at the 2023 Asian Cup

Witnessing Mitoma's performance, the Korean media could not help but be surprised. Star News described: "As Japan aims for the championship, a scary guy on the left wing has returned. It is truly shocking to witness the performance of Kaoru Mitoma, a player who just made his first appearance at the 2023 Asian Cup.

Mitoma almost destroyed the Bahrain team's defense. Playing only 32 minutes, Mitoma was a real threat, adding strength to the Japanese attack.

According to predictions, the injury that Mitoma suffered while playing for Brighton was very serious, but this player has recovered very quickly. Things are different now, Mitoma is excellent in creating opportunities with his dribbling ability. If the satellites around him understand better, many dangerous situations will come on the left wing. The Japanese team in the upcoming matches will certainly be even stronger than now."

The player playing in the Premier League made the defenders of the Bahrain team struggle

In Japan, a video of Mitoma sprinting over 60 meters is being widely shared. In the 85th minute, the 26-year-old player directly retreated to support the defense, cut off the opponent's pass and then made a brave dribble. More notably, Mitoma was marked by 3 Bahrain players but he still easily eliminated him by accelerating and then passed the ball conveniently to Takuma Asano. Unfortunately, the Japanese striker did not control the first step well and missed the opportunity to score.

“Mitoma’s dribbling ability was really impressive. His timing was also perfect. Bahrain’s defenders could do nothing against Mitoma’s speed.

It's been a long time since we've seen Mitoma play. An excellent performance, worthy of being the most anticipated star of the Japanese team at the 2023 Asian Cup. Looking at those runs, no one would dare to think that Mitoma has just returned from injury. If the match had extra time, we think Mitoma would have created more scary plays," Sports Chosun written by Korean.

Mitoma brought excitement to fans and media despite only playing 32 minutes

After the win over Bahrain, coach Moriyasu also shared about Mitoma's 32 minutes of play: "That was almost what I expected from Mitoma. Unfortunately, Mitoma could not score or assist.

I think if Mitoma is fit, he will help the Japanese team's attacking options become better. Thank you Mitoma for coming back, it was an extraordinary effort for a player who just returned from injury."

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