TUCSON, Ariz. – It was during last year’s installment of the Desert Diamond Cup that the New England Revolution used a trialist secretly identified as “Player X” in a 0-0 draw with Real Salt Lake.
Social media, as you would imagine, exploded with speculation. For about 20 minutes.
That’s because unfortunately the mystery was short-lived, as the trialist was soon revealed to be Daigo Kobayashi, allowed to join Revs camp by Vancouver Whitecaps FC, which still owned his MLS rights.
Regardless of how he was identified, New England’s staff liked what they saw from Kobayashi and soon swung a deal to bring the veteran Japanese midfielder to the Revolution.
Although less heralded than some of his midfield counterparts, Kobayashi proved to be a lynchpin during his first season in Foxborough and was the only Revs player to appear in all 34 regular-season games.
“First and foremost I think his real strength is his ability on the ball,” said Jay Heaps. “He has great vision, great technique and he can read the game really well. I think he brings a calmness, as well, when he’s in there. He’s always an option for players. They feel comfortable playing him the ball.”
Kobayashi’s teammates are comfortable feeding him the ball because they know he has both the vision and ability to make the next play. He’s intelligent enough to keep it simple when nothing’s on, but also adventurous enough to play the killer pass to unlock a defense.
Kelyn Rowe, who often plays alongside Kobayashi in midfield, said the 32-year-old is a rare breed.
“He has vision and technical ability,” Rowe said. “If a midfielder has one of those, it’s great. When you put them together, it’s so dangerous because he’s able to move quickly off the ball and he’s able to pass it.
“When you play with that – as a guy that plays either next to him, out wide or in front of him – you know he’s going to find you the ball, or he’s going to find the next guy to get you into a better position to find the ball. That’s something you want when you’re going forward like I am.”
As the third-oldest player on the team – along with Jermaine Jones (33) and Andy Dorman (32) – Kobayashi is a natural leader, but not in the traditional sense.
Remarkably reserved both on and off the field, Kobayashi rarely says a word during the course of play. Instead, he lets his actions emit a calmness which allows the Revs to stay composed at critical times.
“It’s 100 percent by example,” Heaps said. “I don’t think he’s said very much on the field at all. His communication is all about how he plays and the way in which he carries himself. To me, it just shows another level of the kind of person he is.”
