15/02/2023【Feature】Hisato Sato – JD1 preseason preview

Hisato Sato won JD1 with Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 2012, 2013, 2015 and JD2 in 2008. Also, he played 31 games and scored 4 goals for Japan from 2006 to 2010.

F.Marinos to face tough competition to retain JD1 title
Last year Yokohama F. Marinos won the JD1 title, but it won’t be easy for them to adapt to the departures of Tomoki Iwata, Teruhito Nakagawa and Yohei Takaoka.

As always, I think Kawasaki Frontale will be one of Yokohama F. Marinos’ main challengers for the championship, with Cerezo Osaka and two of my former teams, Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Nagoya Grampus, also likely to be in the mix. I have been impressed with Gamba Osaka and FC Tokyo’s work in the transfer market too, and think they could be dark horses to mount a push for the title, along with Urawa Reds.

In terms of individual players to watch, I’m looking forward to seeing last year’s breakout star Makoto Mitsuta of Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Gamba Osaka’s Takashi Usami – who was injured for much of last season - Kashiwa Reysol’s young striker Mao Hosoya, and Koki Ogawa, who was top scorer for FC Yokohama in JD2 last season.

We are now in an era when performing at a high level in JD1 can lead to new challenges like transfers abroad and then, of course, national team opportunities.

Japan did well at the World Cup in Qatar last year, and I’m sure those efforts will serve as great motivation to the young players in JD1, who come into the new season knowing they have a chance of getting into the national team and playing at the next World Cup in three-and-a-half years.

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