Hisato Satō

Hisato Sato (佐藤 寿人, Satō Hisato, born March 12, 1982) is a Japanese former football player.[2] He played for Japan national team. His brother Yuto Sato is also a footballer.

Hisato Sato
佐藤 寿人
Sato in 2004
Personal information
Full name Hisato Sato
Date of birth (1982-03-12) March 12, 1982[1]
Place of birth Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1994–1999 JEF United Ichihara
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2001 JEF United Ichihara 22 (2)
2002 Cerezo Osaka 13 (2)
2003–2004 Vegalta Sendai 74 (29)
2005–2016 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 383 (178)
2017–2018 Nagoya Grampus 37 (5)
2019–2020 JEF United Chiba 31 (4)
Total 529 (216)
National team
2000–2001 Japan U-20 8 (5)
2006–2010 Japan 31 (4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 January 2021

Club career

Born in Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan, Sato is a product of JEF United Ichihara's youth system. He was promoted to JEF's top team in 2000. His first league appearance came on April 15, 2000, against Júbilo Iwata. He scored his first league goal on March 21, 2001, against Júbilo Iwata.

Frustrated with a lack of playing time, Sato decided to move to J2 League side Cerezo Osaka in 2002. Cerezo's coach Akihiro Nishimura rated him highly, as he had also managed Sato for Japan's youth team the previous year. However, Sato suffered from Guillain–Barré syndrome at the beginning of the season, and found himself playing not many games with Akinori Nishizawa and Yoshito Okubo ahead of him in the pecking order. The club finished 2nd and was promoted to J1 League.

Sato was loaned out to J1 side Vegalta Sendai in the 2003 season. He finally became a first-choice forward, playing 30 games and scoring 9 goals. Despite his efforts, Sendai was relegated to J2. His loan contract became a permanent one and he played 44 league games with 20 goals for Sendai in the 2005 season but failed to navigate the club to J1.

He was transferred to J1 side Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the 2005 season. He scored 18 goals during his first season with the club, including two hat-tricks.

On April 22, 2006, Sato set the record for the fastest goal in J1 League history, scoring just 8 seconds after kick-off against Cerezo Osaka.

On November 22, 2015, he equalled Masashi Nakayama as the all-time top-scorer in the J1 League with 157 goals.[3] After equalling the record, having spent 12 years in Hiroshima, Sato decided to sign for J2 club Nagoya Grampus.[4]

Grampus finished at the 3rd place in 2017 season and was promoted to J1. Although Sato played many matches in 2017, he could not play many matches in 2018.

In 2019, Sato re-joined J2 club JEF United Chiba (formerly JEF United Ichihara) for the first time in 18 years.[5] He retired at the end of the 2020 season.[6]

International career

In June 2001, Sato made the Japan U-20 national team squad for the 2001 World Youth Championship. At this tournament, he played 2 matches.

Sato made his international debut for Japan on February 11, 2006, in a friendly against the United States.[7] He scored his first international goal on February 22, 2006, in an 2007 Asian Cup qualification against India.[7] In the run-up to the 2006 World Cup, he was regularly picked for the Japan national team, but he was left out of the final squad by national coach Zico.

Sato was a member of the Japan team for the 2007 Asian Cup finals and played four games in the tournament, all as a substitute.[7] He played 31 games and scored 4 goals for Japan until 2010.[7]

Style of play

Sato has cited Filippo Inzaghi as his inspiration; his playing style has often been described as being similar to that of the Italian former striker.

Personal life

His twin brother Yuto is also a professional footballer who plays for JEF United Chiba and has been capped once at international level.[8]

Career statistics

Club
As of end of 2018 season[9][10][11]
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
SeasonClubLeague AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Japan League Emperor's Cup J.League Cup AFC Other1 Total
2000JEF United IchiharaJ1 League803042––152
20011420031––173
2002Cerezo OsakaJ2 League13243–––175
2003Vegalta SendaiJ1 League3091064––3713
2004J2 League442020–––4620
2005Sanfrecce HiroshimaJ1 League32182062––4020
200633182242––3922
200734125161–204714
2008J2 League402822––114230
2009J1 League34151155––4021
20102710002161–3512
201133112221––3714
201234221163–334429
20133417622130114621
20142911215500103717
20153412201000504412
201619410202011245
2017Nagoya GrampusJ2 League28531––20336
2018J1 League902031––141
2019JEF United ChibaJ2 League––
Career total 52921641165729111166654268

1Includes J1/J2 Play-offs, Japanese Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and J.League Championship.

International

[7]

Japan national team
YearAppsGoals
2006123
200770
200860
200931
201030
Total314

International goals
As of November 18, 2009[7]
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.February 22, 2006International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan India6-0Won2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2.March 30, 2006Ōita Stadium, Ōita, Japan Ecuador1-0WonFriendly Match
3.August 16, 2006Niigata Stadium, Niigata, Japan Yemen2-0Won2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification
4.November 18, 2009Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong Hong Kong4-0Won2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification

Honors

Club

Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Individual

References
  1. "Japan - H. Satō - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  2. Hisato Satō at J.League (in Japanese)
  3. http://www.jleague.jp/en/news/article/3909
  4. Nagoya Grampus
  5. JEF United Chiba(in Japanese)
  6. "「とても幸せな時間でした」…FW佐藤寿人が今シーズン限りで現役引退「全ての人に感謝しています」". soccer-king.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  7. "SATO Hisato". Japan National Football Team Database. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  8. "Japan 2 - 0 Yemen". The Rising Sun News. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2009.
  9. Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "J1&J2&J3選手名鑑ハンディ版 2018 (NSK MOOK)", February 7, 2018, Japan, ISBN 978-4905411529 (p. 146 out of 289)
  10. Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "2017 J1&J2&J3選手名鑑 (NSK MOOK)", February 8, 2017, Japan, ISBN 978-4905411420 (p. 155 out of 289)
  11. Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "2016J1&J2&J3選手名鑑", February 10, 2016, Japan, ISBN 978-4905411338 (p. 11 out of 289)
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