Things are not going well for Lukas Podolski.
The German World Cup winner made global headlines in March when he agreed to join Vissel Kobe in July, spurning advances from wealthy Chinese clubs to give the J. League its most high-profile signing in years.
Upon arriving in Japan last month, Podolski made the perfect start to his new adventure. A slick video of the 32-year-old folding origami shapes, tending to bonsai trees and practicing kendo — produced by J. League broadcasting rights-holder DAZN — trumpeted his arrival around the world, and Podolski did his part on the pitch by scoring two goals in a debut 3-1 win over Omiya Ardija.