Young midfielder called ‘Xavi’ who dreams of becoming Real Madrid player

Fun yet very demanding, young Indonesian talent hopes Okada Method can help fulfill his biggest dream

20 Indonesian young football talents and their coaches from Tunas Sepakbola Nusantara Football Academy participated in the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024 football clinic in Jakarta on November 2.

One of those lucky kids is Samuel Joash Sinaga, a young midfielder nicknamed ‘Xavi’ who ironically idolizes Toni Kroos and dreams of playing in Europe for Real Madrid one day.

Alongside his friends, Samuel got introduced to the Okada Method, a unique approach to football training that emphasizes technical skill, tactical awareness, and the mental aspects of the game, developed by the great Japanese coach Takeshi Okada.

Samuel expressed his delight to learn about the renowned method, which was a lot of fun but at the same time also very demanding.

“I'm happy to be training with these coaches, and hopefully these methods can be applied in matches and other training,” the 12-year old said. “The most fun was the session where the team had to gather together and celebrate after scoring a goal, otherwise the goal wouldn't stand.”
He added: “The hardest part was when we had to throw the ball up and at the same time receive a pass from a team mate. It requires a lot of concentration. It's a new training method that I've never experienced before.”

Samuel hopes the Okada Method can help fulfill his biggest dream, which is “to play in Europe and play for Real Madrid.”