Olympic Games 2012
Men's Football - Group D
August 1 - 17:00 - Japan v Honduras - Ricoh Arena, Coventry
Men's Football - Group D
August 1 - 17:00 - Japan v Honduras - Ricoh Arena, Coventry
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Turning Japanese (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter JuveJay
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Hiroki Sakai 酒井 宏樹 - Kashiwa Reysol
Position: DR (DC, DL, MR)
Age: 21 (12/04/1990)
Height: 1.83m
Weight: 70kg
Extremely direct and wiry attacking fullback, his technique looks sound in dribbling, passing and crossing. Is physically strong for his position, and he often shows it in direct tussles both on the ground and in the air. He also has considerable speed both with and without the ball. He would ideally be used in a similar position to Maggio at Napoli. I don't think he would have many problems dealing with the more physical side of European football. Tactically he would need some work.
Brazilian club Santos were so impressed when they played against him that they tried to sign him, but he has stayed put for now.
HANNOVER, Germany (AP)—Hannover has signed Japan defender Hiroki Sakai from defending J-League champion Kashiwa Reysol.
The Bundesliga side says in a statement that the 22-year-old right back will be contracted to June 30, 2016.
Hannover does not give details of a transfer fee.
Sakai came through the ranks of Kashiwa’s youth setup and helped the club to the title last year after securing promotion the year before.
He was named the J-League newcomer of the year last year, when he was also named in the league’s team of the season.
Sakai played 61 games for Kashiwa, scoring five goals and setting up 13 more.
He was recently capped for Japan and is due to play for the Olympic team at the London Games.
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I heard that the fee was €1m. Absolute steal in my opinion.
Hiroshi Kiyotake 清武 弘嗣 - Cerezo Osaka
Position: AM (RM, LM)
Age: 22 (12/11/1989)
Height: 1.72m
Weight: 63kg
Intelligent attacking midfield player who has vision that you cannot teach, as well as the technique to execute passes and get off shots from various ranges and angles. He battles hard for his size and will often wriggle away from defenders with his low gravity and close control. His speed is fairly good, but his acceleration and quick feet are more useful to escape opponents in short bursts. Like many Japanese midfielders he has a fairly decent weaker foot also.
I believe Stuttgart and a couple of other German teams are interested in him, I'd be surprised if Cerezo hold onto him past this summer.
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder is the first of several young Japanese players expected to move to Europe this summer after he agreed to join the Bavarian outfit
Japanese club Cerezo Osaka announced on Wednesday that Hiroshi Kiyotake has been sold to Bundesliga side Nurnberg.
The attacking midfielder, who is expected to feature for both Japan's national and Olympic teams this summer, will reportedly be tied to a three-year contract, with the Bavarian club paying a fee of €1.2 million.
"I was incredibly conflicted about leaving," Kiyotake said at a press conference held Thursday afternoon at his team's clubhouse. "I wanted to have a good season with Cerezo this year and it was very difficult [to decide to go to Germany].
"But in the end I decided I needed a challenge. I want to help score goals [at Nurnberg]."
The attacker conceded that his wife convinced him to seal a move to the Bundesliga side.
"I talked to my wife about it," the 22-year-old elaborated. "She said 'If you have bad days, you'll have good ones as well. What's important is that you challenge yourself,' and that helped me come to my decision."
The attacking midfielder's long-awaited move to Nurnberg was the first of many transfers involving young Japanese stars expected to take place this summer.
Bayern Munich starlet Takashi Usami is expected to spend next season at Hoffenheim, while Kashiwa Reysol full-back Hiroki Sakai is likely to join Hannover.
"[Nurnberg] had been saying they wanted me to come since last summer and were very enthusiastic," the player said about his new team. "I think they want me to help change their style of play. I want to do well."
Kiyotake's final match for Cerezo will be at home on June 30 against Urawa Reds before flying to Germany the following day.
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Another steal, this guy looks a natural in the national team with players like Kagawa and Honda, who are worth closer to €15m. I don't see how Nürnberg can lose in this transfer.
Defenitely seems to have more skill on the ball then Nagatomo, and yeah how effortlessly two footed he is was noticeable in ze game in question (plus part of a game I saw vs Dortmund, played in both flanks after a substitution, without a drop in his offensive approach).
Have you seen the olympic Japanese team, lots of players you mentionned in this thread, Olympics falls under when I have vacation so will be intriguing to see this squad and others (Brasils one looks ridicolous):
GK: Gonda, Ando
DF: H.Sakai, G.Sakai, Tokunaga, Yoshida, Suzuki, Yamamura.
MF: Kiyotake, Muramatsu, Higashi, Yamaguchi, Ogihara, Usami.
FWD: Nagai, Otsu, Saito, Sugimoto.
Have you seen the olympic Japanese team, lots of players you mentionned in this thread, Olympics falls under when I have vacation so will be intriguing to see this squad and others (Brasils one looks ridicolous):
GK: Gonda, Ando
DF: H.Sakai, G.Sakai, Tokunaga, Yoshida, Suzuki, Yamamura.
MF: Kiyotake, Muramatsu, Higashi, Yamaguchi, Ogihara, Usami.
FWD: Nagai, Otsu, Saito, Sugimoto.
Yeah, not really. There are some very good players now, or those who have solid European careers, but the best Japanese players of the last 15-20 years mostly underachieved. Hide Nakata and Shunsuke Nakamura had degrees of success in Europe, they were amongst the very best and heroes for the national team, and Kagawa and Keisuke Honda could well be the ones to take it to the next level.
But the list of players who failed is a real gallery: Yanagisawa, Ogasawara, Ono, Takahara, Koji Nakata, Shoji Jo, Nishizawa, Kawaguchi, Oguro, Miyamoto, Okubo etc. All for varying reasons, some because they simply weren't good enough. Many better ones didn't even try, it's only in more recent years that they have started to leave en masse and at a younger age to develop.
This group of players aged 24 and under now should achieve more.
But the list of players who failed is a real gallery: Yanagisawa, Ogasawara, Ono, Takahara, Koji Nakata, Shoji Jo, Nishizawa, Kawaguchi, Oguro, Miyamoto, Okubo etc. All for varying reasons, some because they simply weren't good enough. Many better ones didn't even try, it's only in more recent years that they have started to leave en masse and at a younger age to develop.
This group of players aged 24 and under now should achieve more.
The JFA are a joke in terms of selection to be honest, not taking Ryo Miyaichi. They aren't trying to win the thing, they have wasted the overage players; Yoshida, Tokunaga - really? The third one is the 3rd choice keeper, Hayashi, who isn't even in the squad, he is on the back up list. They are just going with a young team, even Yoshida and Tokunaga are not really experienced.
The midfield area is really talented, they could contest well with teams there, the fullbacks are good, keeper is pretty good and the starting central defenders are competent. Up front is a big question mark. Otsu is really just a more direct AM/WF, but has a lot of skill and basically takes Ryo's spot. Nagai is blisteringly fast, I thought he was nothing but a runner until this season, he has added goals but I doubt he can do it at this level. Manabu Saito is a really interesting player who I've seen quite a lot of now he is at Marinos, but he's a skillful second striker and not a scorer either. Sugimoto is the wild card, U17 standout and seems to be growing rapidly in J2. He's 6'2" so will be the alternate option to the speed of Nagai, could be useful.
So yeah, Japan will probably struggle for goals. Shocker.
The midfield area is really talented, they could contest well with teams there, the fullbacks are good, keeper is pretty good and the starting central defenders are competent. Up front is a big question mark. Otsu is really just a more direct AM/WF, but has a lot of skill and basically takes Ryo's spot. Nagai is blisteringly fast, I thought he was nothing but a runner until this season, he has added goals but I doubt he can do it at this level. Manabu Saito is a really interesting player who I've seen quite a lot of now he is at Marinos, but he's a skillful second striker and not a scorer either. Sugimoto is the wild card, U17 standout and seems to be growing rapidly in J2. He's 6'2" so will be the alternate option to the speed of Nagai, could be useful.
So yeah, Japan will probably struggle for goals. Shocker.
Yeah some of those older players you mention were mainly average players riding on a fad/trend after European clubs randomly decided they will try ane exotic Japanese player after the Nakata/Nakamura craze. In some of them I wouldnt be suprised if the clubs who bought them only looked at position and nationality 
But now its clear, obviously with Bundesliga mainly, they specialize and scout young talents from there with the purpose to groom and develop them (plus the Japanese players themselves truly wanting to explore the option). Since its a small footie nation, its output of quality talent is bound to be less, not too many Honda's or Kagawa's often, but their basic foundation as footie players is a good one for European footie, very technical and dynamic players.
---------- Post added 04.07.2012 at 16:07 ----------
Yeah I said that in another forum hehe, silky smooth Japanese players who wont be able to score, with attack being led by the Japanese Giovinco And yeah dont know the overall squad, but I noticed the absence of Ryo, and its not often Japanese NT play in official competitions like this so yeah should been smarter with the overage players. But will be exciting to see the two gunho Sakais and Kiyotake who seriously looks ridicolously talented (seems the only who has x-factor quality among this lists midfielders).
But now its clear, obviously with Bundesliga mainly, they specialize and scout young talents from there with the purpose to groom and develop them (plus the Japanese players themselves truly wanting to explore the option). Since its a small footie nation, its output of quality talent is bound to be less, not too many Honda's or Kagawa's often, but their basic foundation as footie players is a good one for European footie, very technical and dynamic players.---------- Post added 04.07.2012 at 16:07 ----------
Yeah I said that in another forum hehe, silky smooth Japanese players who wont be able to score, with attack being led by the Japanese Giovinco
And yeah dont know the overall squad, but I noticed the absence of Ryo, and its not often Japanese NT play in official competitions like this so yeah should been smarter with the overage players. But will be exciting to see the two gunho Sakais and Kiyotake who seriously looks ridicolously talented (seems the only who has x-factor quality among this lists midfielders).
