Gian Chansrichawla
Football Tribe SEA Editor
Brazilian striker Lukian Almeida has joined J1 League team Jubilo Iwata from Thai League side Chonburi FC for the second half of the season.
Lukian established himself as a top class forward this season in the Thai League, and finished the first leg of the season as the second-highest scorer, finding the net 11 times from 13 appearances.
The 27-year-old forward arrived in Thailand at the beginning of the 2018 season from the K.League 2, having featured for Bucheon FC, Busan IPark and FC Anyang.
In his first season in Thailand, Lukian scored 18 goals and registered 6 assists from 32 league appearances for Pattaya United. During his time with the Dolphins, he operated mainly as a support striker or winger around fellow Brazilian Carlao, who played as the target-man.
After his highly encouraging first season, Lukian was one of the most wanted foreigners in the Thai League. He ultimately arrived at Chonburi, where he thrived in his new role as the team’s main striker. Along with a strong eye for goal, he developed a reputation for good pressing and being one of the league’s most physical strikers. His off-the-ball work also helped to contribute to many goals for his side this season.
Lukian’s move to Jubilo Iwata has come as a surprise to fans in the Thai League. Interest from a J1 team for foreign players in Thailand is usually rare. This is also a crucial time for Jubilo, who need a new striker to help them fight against relegation and survive in the J1 league. This move suggests that players that can perform well in the Thai League are highly regarded, and it will be interesting to see if he can make the step up to playing well in Japan.