Hirokazu Isihara – Shonan Bellmare’s defensive leader
Hirokazu Isihara began playing football at the age of 4, prioritizing being comfortable with the ball as a youngster as his clean distribution is one of the most intriguing aspects of his game. His beginnings in Kindergarten as well as the 22-year-old thriving in physical education as a youngster would set the basis for a youth career where he would play as a goalkeeper as a toddler before switching to centre-back as he joined Shonan Bellmare at the age of 14. Five years later, he would be registered in their first-team as he has played for Japan at U17, U18 and U19 level as a loan to Abysspa Fuokuoka in 2019 would form the basis of his professional career.
Shonan Bellmare have one of the strongest youth systems in Japan as their first-team is bursting with homegrown talent as Isihara is one of their youth products, shining with the first-team. The 22-year-old plays a central centre-back in a back three as he is phenomenal at sliding across to cover for his wide centre-backs as well as being commanding at pushing up to win possession. One of his most eye-catching qualities is his long-range distribution as he carefully pings accurate passes over pressure and into the wide areas to start attacking moves from the back. He is short in stature but has a muscle-bound physique as he rarely shirks a physical challenge while he normally wins aerial duels while being well-positioned to defend crosses as Isihara is a player that should be on the scouting lists of European clubs.
At home to Vissel Kobe, he received passes to constantly thread balls into the next line past opposition pressure as his long-range distribution was also very impressive. He hit an immaculate switch ball onto the left flank as well as threading a deep-line breaking pass to the right half-space. Defensively, he would also show astute anticipation from crosses and in the defensive phase as he stepped in front of a marker at the perfect time to block a cross before looking to drive the ball forward before he was tackled by Sergi Samper. He would have another terrific block as his positional sense is well developed for the demands of his position, sliding across to calmly put out fires as the leader of his defensive unit. He would slide across to make another block on a cross. Shonan Bellmare seek to hold possession and press the opposition in a similar way to most European clubs as in possession, especially with the goalkeeper holding possession, they will form a back-two as Isihara will play as right-sided centre-back or left-sided centre-back depending on the situation.
As a right-sided centre-back, he will normally play simple passes to the flank or circulate possession with his centre-back partner before receiving possession and looking to play a switch ball into the wide areas or thread a lower pass in between the lines. In some games, he has shown an ability to pass with his left-foot which is an area of his game which he could develop in the future as not only will he be able to specialize as a central centre-back in a back-three, he will be able to operate effectively as a left-sided centre-back as well as on the side of his stronger foot which will make him a rarity in football. At home to Kawasaki, Isihara struggled with his long-range passing as his switches were constantly intercepted as if his teammates were not moving to create space in front of him to receive possession, he will be forced to utilize his longer passing more regularly. Shonan Bellmare normally operate with a 3+2/3+1 build-up shape as the opposition can employ a medium block to deny Isihara passing access to his midfield as he is capable of progressing play in the centre but will need players dropping deep to support him.
A loss to Kashiwa Reysol would be one of his more impressive performances, as even in this game, he could be accused of playing the longer pass too often. His shorter passing is precise as he can string together build-up moves from deep as he thrives in wall-passing situations where he can play a pass to a teammate to lay-off to him before threading a deeper pass in between the lines. Defensively, he thrives in pushing up to regain possession, especially in the pressing phase as his short stature does not deter him from pushing up against a marker, to make a well-timed lunge or step up into space to regain possession through a sumptuous tackle or interception. He would lob a lovely switch ball to the left flank to instigate an attacking move as him pushing up to regain possession was a constant for his side.
In one situation, his defence was disorientated as the 22-year-old kept his calm to make a fantastic sliding challenge from a crossing situation before blocking a shot on goal. He continued to clean things up when his teammates were out of position as his wide right centre-back misjudged a high ball for Isihara to move into the vacated space and regain possession before threading a fantastic pass through counter-pressure. The Japanese centre-back would make another key interception to regain possession when his defence was dishevelled as his positioning and reactions are consistently sound while he almost single-handedly kept his side from conceding a goal in the opening stages of the second-half. Not only was he defiant on the ground but he also pushed up to regain possession through aerial duels before he won another interception in defence to drive the ball forward before he was fouled. Isihara would then stand up to deliver a free-kick into the opposition box for Wellington to head home and ensure Shonan Bellmare to a 2-0 lead.
The 22-year-old was effective at both ends of the pitch, denying the opposition goalscoring opportunities while notching an assist in the opposition half. He would use his ball-carrying to win yet another free-kick, making an interception to work a one-two with a teammate before driving the ball forward to win a foul for another free-kick. He is not just a penetrative passer, but he can also be penetrative with his ball carrying, using his low centre of gravity to drive the ball into the opposition half as his muscled frame bundles opposition players out of his path while goading them into fouling him. He would have a moment where he scurried towards the right flank to make a sliding challenge to regain possession as his heroics did not earn his side a lead with the opposition scoring a flurry of goals in the last five minutes of regular time as well as in an elongated nine minutes of added time. He would finish the game with a 63% pass succession rate in the final third, 2 chances created and 1 assist as well as 2 interceptions, 3 blocks and 12 ball recoveries.
Away to the Urawa Red Diamonds, his buccaneering style of defending was on full display, pushing out of position to close down a marker who played a one-touch pass to the flank leading to the centre-back being out of position before Isihara surged back into the box, keeping one eye on the flank and another eye on his marker before sliding to make a perfectly timed block to defend a cross. Isihara’s intelligence in defending situations where he or his teammates make mistakes is superb as his ability to recover is key to what makes him a standout defender in the J League. He would demonstrate his short passing when he received possession with his teammates moving in front of him and the opposition pressing as he picked the perfect moment to thread a pass past three pressing attackers and into the next line. He would return to usual form, playing a long and accurate switch ball to the right flank for an attacker to have a 1v1 against an opposition fullback.
The 22-year-old would remain touch tight to his marker to regain possession in the counter-press in the opposition half to recycle an attacking move. He would read a situation perfectly to move into the perfect position to block an opposition cross before he received possession from the goalkeeper as a left-sided centre-back to send a raking pass through the lines with his weaker left foot. He would receive possession as the central centre-back to skip past an opposition attacker and loft a pass onto the chest of a striker in the nine-space. In another moment of impeccably calm defending, he would use his body to regain possession from the opposition striker to turn and thread a pass to the flank. Isihara has the physical and technical tools to regain possession before distributing possession decisively to put his team on the front foot.
In an away match against Vissel Kobe, he started the game by calmly and cleanly regaining possession from an opposition attacker on the left flank before driving the ball forward with his right foot and threading a pass in between the lines with his left. Isihara would receive possession with his left foot, which he is incredibly comfortable in doing, before pinging an accurate switch ball to the left flank with his right foot. The 22-year-old would receive possession in his central centre-back role, recognize an attacker making a run in behind from the left flank and lob an accurate pass onto his foot before he was nudged out of possession by an opposition defender. His press resistance came to the for once again when he cut past an opposition striker to lay a pass to the wide right centre-back with his left foot for a long pass into the nine space. On the defensive side of the ball, he would regain possession with an acrobatic interception from a lobbed Sergi Samper pass to deny an opportunity for the attacker running in behind.
Vissel Kobe won a turnover as the launched a break on the right flank for Isihara to hem his attacker into tight quarters before lunging to regain possession. His positioning was sound to regain possession once again and send a raking through ball to Shuto Machino in between the lines. Isihara would drive the ball forward and lob another imperious ball into the opposition half for a teammate to chest the pass and have a shot blocked as the rebound would force a save from the goalkeeper as he palmed the ball into the side-netting. As Shonan Bellmare were searching for a goal in the game, Isihara would work a one-touch switch ball into the wide areas for Machino to square a cross for a teammate to blast a shot over the bar. His right sided centre-back would lose possession for Isihara to calmly slide across to the right flank to make a tackle. His mobility and confident defending in the wide areas are another asset in his game which allow him to be one of the more effective defenders in the J League.
At home to FC Tokyo, he received possession to make it seem as if he would drive possession to the left before rolling the ball to the right and lobbing an accurate pass to a runner on the right flank. He would play a fantastic one-touch line-breaking pass through counter-pressure and onto the chest of an attacker from inside his own box. Defensively, he continued to be impressive as the opposition counter-attacked from a Shonan Bellmare corner as Isihara was the last man as he guided the surging opposition attacker away from goal before making a tackle to regain possession before regaining possession a second time by shielding the ball as he attempted to dribble out of the box before being tackled before clearing the ball before an opposition player could latch onto the ball to have a shooting opportunity. He would go on a marauding run of his own as he burst forth on the right flank from an opposition corner before working a one-two with a teammate to get in behind to cut-back to Machino whose shot was palmed by the keeper onto the crossbar.
Isihara’s long range passing is high-level as switches the ball efficiently with great regularity as well as having the vision to lob passes for runners in behind. However, if he is restricted to playing long passes, his overall distribution can suffer as he can also thread line-breaking passes through the lines and work shorter passing sequences. He operates as a sweeper and as a two-way defender, cleaning messy situations on the break while orchestrating attacking moves from the deeper areas. Defensively, his anticipation and positioning are astute as he can regain possession by reading and adapting to crossing situations in the wide areas while as well as pushing forward to regain possession in the pressing and counter-pressing phase. In the latter situations, he is culpable to foul opposition players by shoving them off the ball but in most situations, his timing is precise. Isihara has stated that his mobility is one of his strongest suits as this is true, he can cover space efficiently while his defending of the wide areas is excellent. He has the ability to develop his distribution with his weaker left foot as he has shown the potential to pass with his left without adjusting his body as he can also receive possession with his left as if he develops this side of his game, he could fill a variety of roles in a variety of systems.
J League contracts are more flexible which makes signing Japanese players cheaper as Isihara’s contract ends in January as this would make him a cost-effective centre-back for middle-rung European club. Clubs in the Belgian Jupiler League, Eredivisie. Ligue 1 or Ligue 2 as well as the 2. Bundesliga, Swiss League and Austrian Bundesliga could sign him as he would suit Tim Walter’s Hamburg side. He would be available at a price below a €1 million at the age of 22 with his current skillset which is primed for playing in a high line as he could be a steal on a COVID-affected market. With Shonan Bellmare languishing at the lower reaches of the standings after finishing last during the 2020 season, they could be willing to part with one of their prized assets.
