Isa Sakamoto – Gamba Osaka’s 9 and a half

Gamba Osaka are one of Japan’s best youth programmes as even managerial issues have shown little sign of stopping the young talent coming through the youth systems. 19-year-old striker, Isa Sakamoto is one of the high-level young players coming through, making his debut in 2022, showing promise before the J League side sent him on loan to Fagiano Okayama in the J2 League to gain experience with more regular playing time. He started that stint with a goal as he has the potential to grow into one of Japan’s most intriguing attacking talents as he is a more modern style of attacker.

Sakamoto is a nine and a half as he thrives with his back to goal, dropping in between the lines to receive deep passes, using his low centre of gravity and core strength to hold up possession to work lay-offs or switch possession into the wide areas. In counter-attacking situations, the 19-year-old is nifty in dropping into spaces to receive possession, work quick flick-ons and lay-offs before making runs into space to string together attacking situations. Sakamoto will also drop into the ten space to receive early passes while also moving into the wide areas to connect play before making runs into the box. When he receives possession in the congested zones of the final third, he can generate power and directness on his shots with little back-swing which allows him to shoot from tight spaces. The Japanese youngster has exceptional close control and ball-carrying as this allows him to dribble into shooting situations.

At home to the Urawa Reds for Gamba Osaka, Sakamoto was applying pressure, dropping deep to receive possession to connect play as his low centre of gravity allowed him to be skilful in twisiting and turning out of situations. He received possession in the wide areas to flick a pass back to a teammate before receiving possession to lay-off for another attacker to have a shooting opportunity. The 19-year-old is innate at occupying space, constantly scanning to see where his defenders are while moving into the right positions to receive possession. In crossing situations, he will constantly adjust his position, taking one or two steps to move into space and receive a delivery. He received deep passes in the nine-space to lay-off possession as in one situation, he received possession to take a brilliant first touch which allowed him to turn, evading a defender to create a yard of space to have a shot saved. Sakamoto dropped deep to receive possession once more, playing a flick-on for his wing-back to receive possession.

With his movement and constant dropping out of the nine-space, Sakamoto is constantly dragging markers out of position, creating space for teammates to move into and make runs into. Gamba Osaka would take the lead when Sakamoto received possession from an opposition corner, driving the ball deep into the opposition half before spreading possession to the wide areas for a switch that led to a Mitsuki Saito finish. He earned a yellow card after a dangerous challenge but as well as dropping deeper from the nine-space to create space for teammates to run in behind, the 19-year-old is also a willing runner in behind, constantly moving into positions where he could make runs into the channels as well as making timed runs in behind in the central spaces. He made a run in behind to receive possession as he nearly had a direct route towards goal but continued to chase a heavy pass, shrewdly utilizing his hold-up play to win a free-kick. In the box, he was constantly taking one or two steps to move into position to have shooting opportunities. Outside the box, Sakamoto will drop deep, work connections and move into space, holding up play and working passes to teammates. Inside the box, the 19-year-old is constantly making late runs but has not received the proper service.

Sakamoto received possession and drove into the box as he tried to fashion a yard of space to have a shot blocked. The 19-year-old would drive forward once more to have a shot from range saved as he thrives in finishing his dribbling sequences with shots. At home to Shimuzu S Pulse, he started the game by dropping deep to receive possession, skipping past a man to work a combination as a teammate moved into the nine-space. With the teenager operating in the nine-space, he provides fluidity and movement as he received a pass in behind as his centre-back recovered with a sliding challenge. In a crossing situation, he made a late movement from the near post to occupy a pocket of space in the centre of the box as the cross was blocked at the near post. Gamba Osaka were operating in a 3-4-3 shape as Sakamoto was dropping deep and allowing wingers to make runs off of him into the nine-space as he received possession in the ten space, connecting play with one or two touch passing interchanges before making a run into the box.

Sakamoto dropped deep to play a one-touch pass for Ryotaro Meshino to have a shot on goal. The 19-year-old received possession in the opposition half, driving the ball deeper into the opposition half before he turned and worked a pass back to Kohei Okuno. He spun his defender to make a run in behind and receive possession in the right channel, driving into the box and attempting a cut-back which was blocked. Sakamoto created an opportunity when he received a cross at the back-post, taking a touch and laying off for Okuno who blasted a shot over the bar. The 19-year-old connected a counter-attacking situation when he received possession on the edge of his own box, shielding possession to work a pass to a teammate before receiving a quick lay-off to switch a pass to the left. His ability to use his first touch and body to shield the ball is impressive as he took down a lobbed pass, nudging past a bigger defender to lay-off a pass before he made a run to the near post but could not get on the end of a header.

At home to Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Sakamoto was positioned in the nine-space and made a run to the wide areas, dragging a centre-back out of position and create space in the nine-space for a teammate to move into. A heavy was played to him in the channels as his centre-back intercepted the ball. He dropped deep to receive a deep pass in between the lines, driving the ball forward, holding possession before playing a pass to a teammate. Sakamoto dropped deep to receive possession before swivelling to drive the ball forward and play a pass to the wide areas before receiving another deep pass in between the lines to take a touch and lay the ball off to a teammate. The 19-year-old dropped into a pocket of space to receive possession, slaloming out of a challenge before working a pass to a teammate as he made a movement into the wide areas to receive possession and lay the ball off. The Japanese teenager received possession in between the lines to drive the ball forward and spread a pass into the wide areas before making a run into the box to receive possession and lay-off.

Sakamoto notched his first J League goal when he latched onto a deflected shot to prod the ball forward and slot past the goalkeeper. The teenager received possession on the left flank to drive into the box and cut-back a cross for a teammate to have a shot blocked. He received a deep vertical pass in the nine-space to lay-off the ball while being brought down for a foul. He received another deep vertical pass to hold possession and spread the ball to the wide areas before moving to the wide areas to lay-off a pass in a counter-attacking situation. In his debut for Fagiano Okayama away to Jubilo Iwata, he dropped deep to receive possession and lay-off to initiate a counter-attacking situation. He occupied a pocket of space in between the lines to receive possession and play another lay-off before veering to the right flank to receive a pass, using his close-control to skip past a defender and drive the ball to the top of the box where he would send a left-footed shot over the bar.

Sakamoto would drop into the ten space to receive a deep pass in between the lines to drag a shot harmlessly wide of goal. After a turnover, he received possession once more, prodding the ball from his right foot to his left to slalom past a defender before turning to drive the ball forward and spread a pass to the wide areas. In the defensive phase, he would win a sliding tackle to regain possession before lunging to make a tackle. In the opposition half, he would have a rebound blocked before receiving possession again to drive a shot into the far top corner form a tight angle. He received possession to hold-up the ball and work a pass to a teammate as he received possession in the nine-space to swivel and drive the ball and play the ball to a teammate. The 19-year-old moved to the left flank to receive possession and lay-off a pass to a teammate before receiving possession to lay-off another pass. He then dropped into the ten space to receive possession and lay-off to a teammate.

In a counter-attacking situation, he received possession in the ten space to thread the ball to a teammate who had a shot blocked as Sakamoto made a run for the rebound, but a teammate was just a yard ahead of him to slot home. The 19-year-old received possession in the ten space to allow the ball to roll across his body and fire a looping shot off the crossbar from range. After a turnover, he received possession to lay-off for a teammate in order to string together a counter-attacking move. In counter-attacking situations, once Sakamoto releases the ball, he can move into space to receive possession and strings moves together as he is comfortable in passing under pressure in tight situations.

Sakamoto is eerily similar to some of the attackers that Japan have produced in the past as he is of the same build and frame as Takuma Asano as he is growing in stature. He thrives in receiving possession with his back to goal, linking play together and moving into space while if he receives possession in a tight area he can turn his body to spread possession to the flanks or he can play a progressive pass to a teammate in space. His close magnetic close control allows him to flourish as a ball-carrier, driving the ball forward as he can change direction to slalom past players while he mainly thrives in driving the ball into open space. His ability to finish dribbling sequences with shots is one of the defining characteristics of his game as he can weave into space and generate accurate shots with little back-lift as this also allows him to shoot from tight spaces in the box. His ability to receive possession in between the lines, drive the ball and shoot with little back-lift mean that he is a striker who can create his own opportunities. Generating shots with little back-lift also allows him to shoot from tight spaces in the box which is crucial in modern-day football.

Sakamoto has also shown a willingness to shoot with his weaker left foot as some of his shots could be inaccurate as he will need to improve this aspect of his game. In dribbling situations, if he can shoot with either foot, this will give him the confidence to attack both sides of a defender as he will be able to transition to a shot with either foot. As he continues to grow, the 19-year-old will become better at receiving possession with his back to goal, swivelling and playing the ball forward as he will need to find a better balance in laying off the ball and playing the ball forward. In the opposition box, he loves to make well-timed movements into space as his loan in the J2 League will show if he can generate more goalscoring opportunities from crossing situations. Sakamoto would thrive in a two-striker system, especially with a back-three as this allows him to drop into space to create overloads and receive possession, acting as the conduit between the rest of the pitch and the attacking line.

This could be a transformative season for the 19-year-old with the ability to gain experience in the J2 League as he has already shown the ability to play in the J League as it will be imperative to judge Sakamoto’s ability over a larger sample size. In 2024, teams like Mainz, Stuttgart, Schalke and Hamburg could be interesting stepping stones for him as would teams like Sturm Graz Rapid Wien as Germany and Austria could be good landing spots for the youngster. In Belgium, Club Brugge, Union Saint Gallen and Antwerp would also be good as in Denmark, it would be intriguing to see him with Midtylland. Teams in the developmental leagues in Europe would be solid moves for him after his season on loan with Fagiano Okayama. Sakamoto could be one of the next strikers out of Japan as 2023 could be a transformative year for the 19-year-old.