Why Keisuke Honda Is the AC Milan Player to Watch in International Action

Keisuke Honda, the revelation of the early season for AC Milan, is gone. The vanishing act is complete in 2015. 

He hasn’t scored a goal for the Rossoneri since November. No assists, either. Coach Filippo Inzaghi has even played Honda in a more central position—his preferred area of the pitch. Nothing has come of it.

The mystery started at the Asian Cup in January. Honda had joined his Japanese teammates for the tournament in Australia on the heels of a prolific first half of the season. Honda had six goals in the opening third of the Serie A season—right up there at the top of the scoring chart. 

He had a strong enough start in the Asian Cup, too, scoring in three straight games for Japan. Then he missed a sitter against Iraq and then a crucial penalty in the knockout game against United Arab Emirates. Japan lost. 

That’s when Honda went missing. He came back to Milan, and he went straight on the pitch the day of his arrival, per Gianluca Di Marzio. Determination is not the problem.

But his performances have shrivelled up. He is no longer dictating games. He is down to just 1.1 key passes per game with Milan, according to WhoScored.com. That’s a completely average ratio for a player who is capable of pulling the strings.

Maybe life under Inzaghi is not so comfortable. Before the match this past weekend against Cagliari, Honda appeared to give his coach a cold, hard stare.

Honda needs this international break more than any other Milan player. Japan are hosting two friendlies (against Tunisia and Uzbekistan) in the coming days. Nothing too strenuous. It’s the perfect time for the 28-year-old to find some comfort, score a goal, celebrate something. 

No way would new Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic leave out Honda. Only a week ago, Halilhodzic replaced Javier Aguirre, who was fired after being named in a sweeping match-fixing probe in Spain.  

Here is another opportunity for Honda to prove himself. The coach is obviously new to the Japanese football scene, spending the past week watching J-League games, and Honda could show his true worth in these next two friendlies.

"I want there to be a lot of competition on this team," Halilhodzic said, per The Associated Press (h/t ESPN FC).

The thought of a new coach dropping Honda is impossible. But imagine the Bosnian does drop Japan's star if his game loses even more ground. That would probably hurt the attacking midfielder more than any scoring drought.

There are 10 games left in the Serie A season, and 2018 World Cup qualifying is coming. There is still time for Honda to correct his form and end the year on a high note.