Jeju coach Kim Hak-beom, who is aiming for a major rebound in the second half of the year, has a “left-footed technique” that will add creativity to the attack.
“Jeju has recruited Japanese midfielder Yoshio Kaina (aged 26, Yokohama F. Marinos). An announcement will be made soon,” a source in the transfer market said on Tuesday. It has been reported that Yoshio arrived in Korea during the week and went through the final transfer procedures including medical tests. The contract terms are rentals for the rest of the season.
Yoshio is 1m69 short, and is a resource that can play well in both offensive lines, including offensive midfielder and winger. Analysts say he is good at creating big chances by utilizing sharp left foot kick capabilities, and has excellent ability to directly penetrate the door and participate in the closing game. Coach Kim, who maximized the skills of two left-footed technicians – Thiago (Tokushima) during Seongnam and Lee Dong-kyung (Kimcheon) during the Olympic team, is pinning his hope on Yoshiio’s left foot and creativity, which are not present in the Jeju squad. Thiago blasted 13 goals and 5 assists in Seongnam in 2016 amid Kim’s strategy of “carrot and whip.”
Jeju, a joint-minimum score team with 18 goals in 19 matches, only has seven goals in total. Jeju ranks second in minimum number of assists after Daegu (six assists). He had a hard time making and scoring goals. He will hope that Yoshio can resolve his concern. He can also expect synergy effect with Hayes, a right-footed man who realized his killer instinct by scoring goals (three goals) in two consecutive matches in recent months.
Yoshio, a native of the prestigious Yokohama F. Marinos Youth in the J-League, was called up to the professional team at the age of 19. He was recognized for his talent so early that he was selected as a member of the Japanese U-19 national team in 2017. He has been wearing Yokohama uniforms since he was hired by Begalta Sendai in 2019 and Machida Zelvia in 2020-2021. He scored 10 goals in the J2 League in 2021, drawing attention. One of the players he played with Machida at the time was former North Korean striker Jung Dae-se, who is set to retire. Last season, Yoshio played a total of 21 matches with South Korean midfielder Nam Tae-hee, including 15 in the J-League 1 and six in the Asian Champions League. Yoshio, who started in the second round against Gifu on the 12th, was not given a chance to play in the league, but decided to play abroad for the first time. 안전놀이터
For Yoshio, fortunately, Jeju won the game just before joining the team, changing the atmosphere. Jeju escaped from its third consecutive loss with a 1-0 victory over Daegu in the 19th round of the “Hana Bank K League 1 2024” at the Jeju World Cup Stadium on the 26th with Hayes’ winning goal in the 27th minute of the second half. It finished the first half with 23 points and seven wins, two draws and 10 losses.
Yoshio Yoshio, the first Japanese player that Jeju recruited after relocating to Jeju Island, is expected to make his K-League debut as soon as he adjusts to his team. Jeju is also reportedly looking for offensive resources to enhance its scoring capacity.