A Wolf in Garuda’s Clothing

Justin Hubner has arrived.

As the Asian Cup getting even nearer, the need of bolstering the squad by naturalizing players increases. Starting from the prodigious Elkan Baggott to the experienced Jordi Amat, an influx of foreign talents are starting to come into the national team, one of which is Justin Hubner.

A former Netherlands U-19 player and currently playing in the Wolves’ U-21 squad, Hubner opted to choose his grandparents’ homeland and be a part of the Young Garudas. In this article we’ll discuss in depth about Hubner’s profile, playing abilities, and compatibilities with the national team.

Hubner plays as a left wing-back and left centre-back (3-man defence). This position often demands the player to be versatile on-the-ball and defensively sound. Specifically, attacking-wise he needs to be positionally sound, can carry the ball, and have good passing ability, while being aggressive and intelligent at the same time defensively.

First, we’re going to see on his on-ball ability. Hubner has good composure on the ball, looking for — or creating — openings first rather than hastily passing the ball. He also takes account of the situation surrounding him, allowing him to choose the best possible passing option.

While having the ability to find his teammates by various means, Hubner sometimes has a risk-averse habit of circulating the ball even when there are passing options. This habit may backfire if his teammates isn’t good on the ball.

Hubner’s understanding of positions in relation to his teammates are top notch. He’ll drift wide and attract the opposing midfielder to open up passing options at the halfspace, or being an extra man in the midfield by inverting inside — when he played as a right back.

Hubner is an intelligent defender, noticing various situations and act to it accordingly. For instance, against Chelsea, Hubner is able to notice a 2v1 situation, effectively delaying and disrupting his opponent, then regaining the ball.

Physically, Hubner has quick lateral movement that could help him keeping up with his matchup. He is also strong enough to press his opponent — especially with back facing goal. As a result, he becomes an influential asset in Wolves and Indonesia’s man-oriented press.

Although being a decent presser, Hubner has a weakness when facing faster and more agile players. Athough he has quick legs, he had a hard time recovering from failed duels and catching up to his opponent afterwards.

Under Shin Tae-Yong, Indonesia plays in a 3–4–3 system that demands their left-sided CB to be aggressive (defending) and could push the ball forward to find various passing options (attacking). During the Asian Cup qualifiers, Elkan successfully did this job. This video created by Ruang Taktik is a good introduction on how Elkan plays as a left-sided centre back.

Hubner pretty much has the same playing profile as Elkan — and Amat, but he is more slender physically, a trait that will give him easier time on keeping up with his opponents. He could also be utilized as an aggressive presser, adapting to various situations using his intelligence, and speed to close down his matchup. He needs to be better on recoveries, though.

Hubner’s versatility in passing and intelligent movements also suits his role as an auxillary midfielder or fullback. Whether it’s a switch into the opposite flank, line-breaking passes, or a simple sideway pass into a more open teammate, he could find his teammates by various means. His ability to carry the ball forward will compensate Indonesia’s lack of midfielders, allowing the forwards to move higher up the pitch.

I’ve created a video that summarizes this topic:

Justin Hubner is a massive talent that would bring benefits to the national team. He’s a tenacious defender that likes to press and win the ball, but also at the same time able to read situations surrounding him. With his passing versatility and positioning, he is also able to initiate build-ups and progressing the ball forward. His abilities, both on attacking and defending, is compatible to Shin Tae-yong’s system.