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Kaoru Mitoma (三笘 薫, Mitoma Kaoru, born 20 May 1997) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Japan national team.

Kaoru Mitoma
三笘 薫

Mitoma with Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Kaoru Mitoma[1]
Date of birth	(1997-05-20) 20 May 1997 (age 25)
Place of birth	Kanagawa, Japan[2]
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[3]
Position(s)	Winger
Club information
Current team	Brighton & Hove Albion
Number	22
Youth career
	Saginuma SC
0000–2015	Kawasaki Frontale
2016–2019	University of Tsukuba
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2021	Kawasaki Frontale	50	(21)
2021–	Brighton & Hove Albion	9	(1)
2021–2022	→ Union SG (loan)	27	(7)
National team‡
2018	Japan U21	3	(1)
2017–2021	Japan U23	9	(4)
2021–	Japan	9	(5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:06, 5 November 2022 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17:30, 27 September 2022 (UTC)

Club career

Early years

Born in Kanagawa, Mitoma grew up in the Kawasaki area and joined the Frontale academy at the U10 level. Offered a promotion from the U-18s to the senior team coached by Yahiro Kazama, he chose instead the University of Tsukuba, a Japanese university football powerhouse who had recently produced Frontale stalwarts such as Shogo Taniguchi and Shintaro Kurumaya. Mitoma professed to feel unprepared to enter professional football at age 18, citing the struggles of fellow Kawasaki academy products Ko Itakura and Koji Miyoshi to win regular playing time with the senior squad.[4][5]

During his time at Tsukuba, Mitoma was selected to represent Japan at the 2017 and 2019 Universiade tournaments, as well as the 2018 Asian Games and the 2019 Toulon Tournament with the under-23 national team. Playing in the Kanto University Soccer League with Tsukuba, he was named to the all-league XI in his final three seasons while majoring in physical education. In addition, Tsukuba appeared in the 2016 and 2017 Emperor's Cup tournaments making an upstart run to the round of 16 in the latter edition, upsetting J.League clubs YSCC Yokohama, Vegalta Sendai (against whom Mitoma scored a brace), and Avispa Fukuoka along the way. While enrolled in college, Mitoma also occasionally joined Frontale's senior team for training sessions as a Special Designated Player starting in his sophomore year, appearing in a single J.League Cup match in 2019.[5]

Kawasaki Frontale

In July 2018, Mitoma agreed on a professional contract with Kawasaki Frontale senior team starting in 2020.[6] He made his official pro debut on the opening matchday of the 2020 J1 League and quickly established himself after the league resumed following the COVID-19 outbreak, becoming the first rookie to reach double digits in goals in the first division since Yoshinori Muto.[5]

Brighton & Hove Albion

On 10 August 2021, Mitoma joined Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion on a four-year deal, joining Union SG on loan for the first year.[7] Mitoma scored his first goal for Union SG on 16 October, where he scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 home victory over Seraing.[8]

On 13 August 2022, Mitoma made his Premier League debut for Brighton, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute for Leandro Trossard in a 0–0 draw with Newcastle United at the Falmer Stadium.[9] He made his first Albion start on 24 August, playing 67 minutes of the 3–0 away win over League One side Forest Green Rovers in the EFL Cup second round.[10] Mitoma made his first Premier League start on 29 October, setting up Leandro Trossard's fifth minute opener in the eventual 4–1 home thrashing over Chelsea.[11] A week later, he scored his first goal for the Seagulls heading them level from a Adam Lallana cross in the eventual 3–2 away win over Wolves. Mitoma also helped Brighton in both other goals with his run into the box creating Pascal Groß's 83rd minute winner.[12] Mitoma scored again in Brighton's next match four days later, putting Albion in front in the eventual 3–1 away win over Arsenal in the EFL Cup third round.[13]

International career

After being capped at youth level, Mitoma was called up to the Japan senior squad for the first time in November 2021 for 2022 World Cup qualfiers against Oman.[14] He made his debut on 16 November, coming on as a substitute in the 1–0 away win over Oman.[15]

On 24 March 2022, Mitoma scored his first two international goals in a 2–0 World Cup qualification win against Australia. Coming from the bench at the 86th, the winger opens the score three minutes later. He score another during the added time. This win confirms Japan's qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[16] Mitoma's double offers him his First "A" international titularisation at the following game, five days later, against Vietnam.

On 1 November, Mitoma was named in Japan's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[17]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 9 November 2022[18][19]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup[lower-alpha 1]		League cup[lower-alpha 2]		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
University of Tsukuba	2016	–			1	0	–		–		–		1	0
	2017				4	2	–		–		–		4	2
	Total		–		5	2	–		–		–		5	2
Kawasaki Frontale	2018	J1 League	0	0	0	0	0	0	–		–		0	0
	2019	J1 League	0	0	0	0	1	0	–		–		1	0
	2020	J1 League	30	13	2	2	5	3	–		–		37	18
	2021	J1 League	20	8	0	0	0	0	3[lower-alpha 3]	2	1[lower-alpha 4]	2	24	12
	Total		50	21	2	2	6	3	3	2	1	2	62	30
Brighton & Hove Albion	2021–22	Premier League	0	0	0	0	0	0	–		–		0	0
	2022–23	Premier League	9	1	0	0	2	1	–		–		11	2
	Total		9	1	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	11	2
Union SG (loan)	2021–22	Belgian Pro League	27	7	2	1	–		–		0	0	29	8
Career total			86	29	9	5	7	4	3	2	1	2	106	42

International

As of match played 27 September 2022[20]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Japan
	2021	1	0
	2022	8	5
Total		9	5

As of match played 23 September 2022[20]

Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mitoma goal.

List of international goals scored by Kaoru Mitoma

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	24 March 2022	Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia	Australia	1–0	2–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
2				2–0
3	2 June 2022	Sapporo Dome, Sapporo, Japan	Paraguay	3–1	4–1	2022 Kirin Challenge Cup
4	10 June 2022	Noevir Stadium Kobe, Kobe, Japan	Ghana	2–1	4–1	2022 Kirin Cup
5	23 September 2022	Merkur Spiel-Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany	United States	2–0	2–0	2022 Kirin Challenge Cup

Honours

Kawasaki Frontale

• J1 League: 2020
• Emperor's Cup: 2020
• Japanese Super Cup: 2021

Individual

• J.League Best XI: 2020[5]

References

External links

• Kaoru Mitoma at J.League (in Japanese)
• Kaoru Mitoma at Kawasaki Frontale (in Japanese)

На других языках

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[de] Kaoru Mitoma

Kaoru Mitoma (jap. .mw-parser-output .Hani{font-size:110%}三笘 薫, Mitoma Kaoru; * 20. Mai 1997 in Kawasaki, Präfektur Kanagawa) ist ein japanischer Fußballspieler.

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- [en] Kaoru Mitoma

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[es] Kaoru Mitoma

Kaoru Mitoma (Prefectura de Ōita, 20 de mayo de 1997) es un futbolista japonés que juega de delantero en el Brighton & Hove Albion F. C. de la Premier League.

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[fr] Kaoru Mitoma

Kaoru Mitoma (三笘 薫, Mitoma Kaoru?), né le 20 mai 1997 à Kawasaki au Japon, est un footballeur international japonais qui évolue au poste d'ailier gauche à Brighton & Hove.

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[it] Kaoru Mitoma

Kaoru Mitoma (三笘 薫 Mitoma Kaoru?; Ōita, 20 maggio 1997) è un calciatore giapponese, centrocampista o attaccante del Brighton e della nazionale giapponese.

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