Satoshi Tanaka – Shonan Bellmare’s defensive midfield force
Shonan Bellmare are one of Japan’s premier developers of talent with their constant engagement with their community as well as a more holistic approach to youth development as their first-team is bursting with talent from their academy. Wataru Endo who was one of the better midfielders in the Bundesliga last season and a key player for the Japanese National Team was from Shonan Bellmare’s academy while, 18-year-old Satoshi Tanaka has become the next young midfield on the production line. This season he has become a fully-fledged first-team player while experiences the highs and lows that come with youth development as he has tremendous potential as a defensive-midfield destroyer.
Tanaka began playing football at 4-years-old as the left-footed defensive midfielder was born in Nagano City as he attended Miwa Ko-Yanagicho-Soyo High School as he played youth football with clubs in Nagano before joining Shonan Bellmare and playing with the Japanese club from U18 level. He has played with Japan at U17 level while being selected to train with the Japanese U20 side earlier this year, as his appearances in the J League are attracting glances from around the country and soon from abroad. He seeks to improve his English as he is a fan of the Harry Potter moves as this could be a shrewd move for him as a career abroad could be in his future as he continues to develop in one of the key hubs of talent in Japan.
Tanaka’s strengths currently lie in the defensive side of his game, constantly pushing forward to win possession while being unyielding in engaging in challenges in front of his defence as he wins most of them. He is well-built physically while having the mobility to push forward and man-mark in the press to regain possession and win challenges as well as shuttle across to close down spaces in a defensive block. At home to Kawasaki Frontale, the 18-year-old was dropping into space at the base of midfield as he received possession from the left to allow the ball to roll across his body and control it with his right before flicking a pass to a teammate with his stronger left foot. The Japanese teenager is strong at dropping into space to create good passing angles for his centre-backs while using his low centre of gravity to turn out of challenges and lull opposition attackers into fouling him to win free-kicks in his own half.
He had longer passes intercepted as Tanaka has shown potential with his distribution but it still remains an issue with his game. The defensive midfielder would then have a sequence of play where he touched the ball multiple times before dropping into a right sided centre-back role to receive possession and loft a pass over pressure and into a teammate before moving into the six-space to receive possession again from the goalkeeper to work a pass to the left as he received possession another time to switch a pass to the right flank. Even when Shonan Bellmare are operating in the opposition half, Tanaka continues to find space as the free-man, but he will need to be more confident with his progressive distribution as there are instances when he receives possession to play sideways passes instead of looking to break lines. In the defensive midfield role, he receives possession and tends to pass the ball back, but this may also be due to the fact that his most direct passes to the eight spaces will be marked by the opposition’s midfield line.
Tanaka was in the opposition half a few times and received possession as he chose the sideways pass instead of the riskier pass as he looked to work one-touch passing moves before moving into space to receive possession as he rarely looked to break lines. Against Urawa Red Diamonds, the 18-year-old showed that he is capable of distributing the ball to break lines when he regained possession at the base of midfield to swivel away from a marker, leaving an opposition striker in heap before threading a pass past three players to a striker in the ten space. The 18-year-old would also manage to get an assist in the game receiving the ball on the edge of the opposition box to cut-back a pass for a teammate to dummy for another attacker to smash a striker past the keeper.
The possession side of his game is very much in its growth and developmental stage while the defensive side of his game is highly developed as when the opposition looked to break from a Shonan Bellmare throw-in, Tanaka was in the perfect position to make a timely interception as well a sliding challenge to carefully regain possession. The teenager would then make a late movement in between the lines to receive possession before threading a pass to the nine-space and continuing his run into the box as his striker’s one-touch pass was too heavy for him as the 18-year-old barged an opposition defender off the ball but lost the ball soon after. Tanaka received a pass in the six-space with an opposition striker in front of him as the 18-year-old expertly orientated his body shield the ball to allow the ball to roll across his body, so he could swivel and play a back-pass to his centre-back. Tanaka thrives with the mechanics of receiving possession in the six-space shepherding possession to a teammate and ensuring that he does not lose possession is his low centre of gravity and strong physique aids this, he will normally look to work back-passes and sideways passes to keep things ticking.
In the opposition half, he would receive possession in the counter-press and thread a pass to a teammate in the box before receiving possession in the six-space from the right flank to allow the ball to roll across his body and switch a pass to the left. He would regain possession from an opposition corner to slide a pass through to Shuto Machino who had a cross blocked. Despite his struggles in moving the ball forward frequently, his first touch also matches his brilliant motoring skills as he will drop into the tightest of situations to receive the ball and manage to turn out of situations to maintain possession. He moved into space to receive possession from the right on his left foot to work a pass to a teammate in the next line before receiving possession again to spread the ball to the opposite flank.
Tanaka is a scrappy ball-winning player at the heart of midfield as against Urawa Red Diamonds, he would regain possession with a brilliantly timed sliding challenge at the base of midfield before pushing up to win another tackle before lunging to play a pass to a teammate. The 18-year-old relishes the physical battles constantly engaging in fifty-fifty challenges in the heart of midfield to win possession as he can at times be over-eager in diving into tackles to earn fouls and yellow cards. At home to Vissel Kobe, he would regain possession in an aerial duel to receive possession and skip past Andres Iniesta and work a pass to the wide areas. The 18-year-old would be perfectly positioned to intercept a deflected pass to poke a pass into the forward line. He would win another challenge in the counter-pressing phase from an opposition corner before spreading the ball into the wide areas for a cross that was deflected wide.
At home to Tokushima Vortis, Tanaka received possession on the left flank to play a phenomenally accurate switch to the left. After his side lost possession in their own half, Tanaka would recover to regain possession with a well-timed lunge before chasing back to make a sliding interception to prevent the opposition from having shooting opportunity. Tanaka thrives at covering passing lanes as the opposition move into the Shonan Bellmare, frequently scanning the player on the ball as well as the opposition player behind him instead of engaging the opposition player directly as this allows him to make interceptions to regain possession after his side lose possession. The 18-year-old is also essential in regaining possession in the counter-press as his size, well-timed lunges and tackles as well reading of the game allow him to be effective in this area.
He would regain possession in the counter-press with a brilliantly timed tackle in the opposition half to prevent a counter-attack as he would regain possession in the counter-pressing phase again, this time his side lost possession in build-up for Tanaka to push up and make an interception before threading a pass to the ten space. The Japanese midfielder would regain possession as a player received possession behind him for Tanaka to engage him in a shoulder to shoulder challenge before lunging to steer position away from another midfielder before skipping past a third player before he lost possession. Tanaka received possession on the half-turn when he received the ball from the left to play a pass into the half-space. He will need to receive possession on the half-turn more to work progressive passes as his first touch and shielding the ball are already well developed. He would then receive possession in the final third to thread a pass to Machino in the ten space. The 18-year-old then won possession in the counter-press with an interception before playing a pass to a teammate. In Shonan Bellmare’s last game against FC Tokyo, Tanaka came off the bench in the 66th minute to be sent off in added time for a dangerous two-footed challenge.
Tanaka’s ability defensively has made him a resolute force at the base of the Shonan Bellmare midfield as he is tough in challenges while his positioning and reading of the game is astute to make interceptions. In terms of his ability in regaining possession in the counter-press, this is one of his strongest skills as he can cover short spaces quickly to make well-timed challenges and interceptions to win possession. However, he will need to improve in possession as he normally looks to play the ball backward and sideways while he can have a number of forward passes intercepted. He is capable of playing passes through the line but will need to grow in confidence with this aspect of his game while he will normally prefer to work short passing moves before moving into space to receive possession and connect play in the final third. Tanaka also has the ability to work longer switch balls which is an element of his game that he will need to refine as at 18, he is a very interesting prospect at the base of midfield as he has also played at centre-back in a back three this season.
Tanaka will be turning 19 in August as he will need to serve a suspension before returning to the Shonan Bellmare first team. He should see out the season in the J League as if a club feels that he could make greater strides in possession in their system and under their coaching then they should sign the Japanese teenager. His style would be adaptable to the middle rung of European football like the 2. Bundesliga, Austrian Bundesliga, Eredivisie and Belgian Jupiler League as his resolute defensive style would make him an assured presence at the base of midfield. Teams with feeder clubs like in these leagues should certainly look into signing Tanaka as he would be a clever development project to build around as he would accrue great resale value in his early 20s. The 18-year-old has a contract till 2026 but due to a club identifying him early as he has only played over 17 games in the J League, he would be a cheaper developmental option.
