“He’s smart.” Which player is it difficult for “Duel King” Wataru Endo to steal the ball? Atsuto Uchida was surprised by the answer, “Huh? Is that guy hard to catch?”[2023 Summary]| Soccer Digest Web

There is less than a month left in this year. In this article, we look back on famous moments in the soccer world in 2023 using hit articles from Soccer Digest Web. This time, we are reposting an article by Wataru Endo in which he revealed “players who are difficult to steal the ball from.”

Article first published: June 30, 2023

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MF Wataru Endo, who has been appointed as the new captain of the Japan national team, will appear on DAZN’s “Atsuto Uchida’s FOOTBALL TIME”, where former Japan national team defender Atsuto Uchida is the MC. He revealed that he is a “player who is difficult to catch the ball.”

In the 20-21 and 2021-22 seasons, Endo ranked first in duels won in the Bundesliga, and his true strength is winning the ball. However, even among the “Duel Kings” there are some players who have difficulty stealing the ball.

Announcer Akihiro Nomura, who was in charge of the proceedings, asked him, “Endo has a great ability to retrieve the ball, but if you could name a player that you played against that had difficulty catching the ball or was quite difficult to play against?”, he answered, “Me. The person I always say is Thomas Müller.”
[Video]Wataru Endo’s shocking mid-range shot during his time at Stuttgart

Mr. Uchida, who had experience playing against the Bayern forward when he was at Schalke, asked in surprise, “Huh? Is that guy difficult to catch?”, to which Endo explained how great he was.

“He’s smart. He’s good at getting into positions that don’t steal the ball. He’s able to move flexibly while observing the opponent’s system and position, and always take positions where the opponent can’t touch him. He takes positions that give him a numerical advantage through his relationship with other players.That’s why I have the impression that he is difficult to steal the ball from.”

Müller, who has no special characteristics, is able to consistently play an active role as the German champion even as he gets older, probably because he possesses this kind of “disgustability.”

Composition●Soccer Digest Web Editorial Department

“Wataru is amazing! He was outstanding.” Manager Klopp praises Wataru Endo for his contribution to offense and defense! “He was everywhere and helped me many times.”