Shuto Machino – Shonan Bellmare’s attacking foil

Shuto Machino has worked his way up from the J3 League to being one of the most intriguing strikers in the J League as his ability as an all-round forward makes him an interesting prospect in modern day football. He started playing football due to the influence of his father and his brother as a 3-year-old as he worked at using both his feet as he is a technically proficient attacker. Despite standing at over six-feet tall, his first touch with his back to goal as well as his creativity and combination play in the deeper areas as well as the channels makes him one of the young strikers to watch in Japanese football. The 21-year-old may have only scored 4 goals this season but that belies his importance to his team.

He has stated that one of his goals is to learn English as it may be a pertinent skill as his skill will probably see him leave Japan at some point in his career. His favourite player is Cristiano Ronaldo as at 21, he has accumulated over 60 games in Japanese professional football. He has played for Yokohama F Marinos and Giravanz Kitakyushu before joining Shonan Bellmare and playing in a side with a talented crop of young Japanese players. His mobility as a striker is one of the key facets of his game as his first touch is impeccable, frequently dropping into the ten space to receive possession and lay-off passes or turn and thread through balls into runners in behind. He has the ability to make runs in the channels as well as well-timed runs in behind to create goalscoring opportunities of his own. Inside the box, he has the towering height to win aerial duels while his movements in the box to create space for himself and get on the end of crosses is sublime. He also gives his team the added bonus of being instrumental at creating opportunities with his long throw-ins.

At home to Kashiwa Reysol as Machino was great at holding up possession and receiving the ball in between the lines as he frequently dropped into a second-striker role and allowed Wellington to make runs in behind. He received a pass to hold the ball up and lay-off for a teammate to switch a pass to the opposite flank in a move that nearly led to his side’s best chance of the game. The 21-year-old attacker would nearly win a penalty with a drive into the box before he opened the scoring. He dovetailed Wellington wonderfully as he dummied a pass to him for a ball that moved to the wide areas as most of his teammates made runs into the box for Machino to calmly hold his position at the top of the box to receive a cross in space and calmly redirect the delivery past the keeper to put his team in the lead. Machino’s movement from crosses is an intriguing facet of his game, he loves to make near post runs, he enjoys making little double movements before moving in front of his centre-back to receive crosses at the perfect time while in certain situations, he will just hold his position and wait for a delivery.

After his goal, he continued to pick up lovely positions in the opposition defensive line, constantly remaining available to receive possession from the deeper areas as he also continued to be a threat on goal as he managed to make a delicate run in behind to have a shot blocked. Despite, his lanky frame, Machino thrives at receiving possession to his feet, his first touch is measured, dropping deep to receive the ball while he is also strong in the air, rising high to win knockdowns and flick-ons to connect play in the opposition half for teammates. In one situation, he had a knock-on for his strike partner to get in behind. Machino is a two-way striker because he is not only capable of dropping deep but stretching play with runs in behind as in certain situations, he will drop deep but in other situations, he will play on the shoulder of the last defender and look to burst in behind.

The striker thrives in the channels as he can make runs into these areas while holding the ball to cut into the centre or drive to the by-line with his dribbling ability to play lovely crosses for teammates in the box. As a chance creator in the opposition half, he can create opportunities with knock-ons in the air, through balls after receiving possession in the deeper areas as well as crosses from the wide areas as he offers much more than goals to his side. He finished the first half with 3 shots and 1 goal, 1 chance created, 2 accurate crosses and ½ takeons. His defensive work is also spectacular as when Shonan Bellmare dropped into their 5-4-1 shape with him operating as the lone striker as Machino dropped deep to regain possession in his own box before flicking a pass to a teammate in the channels.

Machino was unlucky to not get a second goal as he received a pass in behind to hold off his marker and hammer home his second before his goal was disallowed due to him being adjudged to controlling the ball with his upper arm. As the lone-striker, he continued to utilize his brilliant first touch to receive possession and lay-off for teammates while another teammate was making third man runs behind him as he worked the move in one situation where his teammate was fouled. At home to Vissel Kobe, he would receive possession on the left flank to take a measured touch and play the ball into the centre before moving into the ten space to receive possession as his teammate switched the ball to the opposite flank. A few seconds later, the 21-year-old would notch an assist, receiving possession from a turnover to swivel and drive the ball before he threaded a perfectly timed pass to Tarik Elyounoussi for the Norwegian to go in behind and apply a finish to put Shonan Bellmare ahead.

He would create another opportunity with a run into the channels to receive possession, skip past a marker and lob a cross to the back-post with his right foot for a teammate to shoot wide. He would win an aerial duel to lay-off for a run in behind before holding up possession again, receiving possession in the nine-space to spin away from a defender and use his body to hold up the ball to cut away from another defender and spread a pass into the wide areas for a cross into the box. Machino showed his intelligence in the final third by faking a run to the wide areas before cutting back and dropping into a pocket of space he had created for himself to chest down a vertical pass and thread the ball for a runner into the channels to create another crossing opportunity for a teammate. The 21-year-old would have a cross of his own when he received possession in the left half-space as he lobbed a magnificent pass into the box for an opportunity for a teammate at the back-post who collided with the keeper. In the dying minutes of the game, he would create yet another opportunity with his crossing ability, receiving possession on the left-flank to drive the ball to the by-line to cut-back a cross with his left foot for a teammate to send a strike over the bar.

His passing range, especially, when sliding through passes in behind for runners is fantastic while he can receive possession turn and worker more elaborate switch passes to the opposite flank as utilizing Machino in the nine-space is like having an extra playmaker on the pitch. He is capable of distributing the ball effectively with his left foot and his right foot as well controlling high balls with his head and chest to connect attacking moves with teammates. In the final third, he has the intelligence to make dummy runs to open up passing lanes as he is an essential conduit for Shonan Bellmare’s attacking play in the final third. Away to Tokushima Vortis, Machino’s well-rounded skillset was in full sight, beginning the game by recognising at open passing lane behind to intercept a pass with a sliding challenge to regain possession for his side.

The 21-year-old received possession in the attacking line to swivel away from a defender and slide a through ball for a runner in behind. Machino opened his account when he latched onto a high-ball to delicately shrug a defender off the ball to go through on goal and apply a calm finish to level the score for his team. The Japanese attacker would receive a loose pass in between the lines to take a brilliant first touch before poking a pass to a teammate in the nine-space as he would follow this sequence up with another fantastic first touch when he received possession in the nine-space to play a fantastic one-touch pass into a teammate with his left-foot. Being so lanky yet technically refined poses a threat for opposition defenders as Machino received possession in the right channel to take another fantastic first touch to turn and drive the ball past a defender before embarking on a lung-busting surge into the box where he poked an opportunity across the opposition goal.

The young attacker offers so much as an attacker, not only can he receive possession in between the lines and play on the shoulder of the last defender but he can also regain possession in the pressing phase, using his mobility over short distances and lanky frame to stretch and regain possession as well as making tackles to force turnovers in the opposition half. He would make an interception and drive deep into the opposition half to win a foul from a good area. His all-round game has not translated into a treasure trove of goals and assists but his movement in the box is an indicator that he could become a reliable goal scorer in the future as he was positioned at the back-post to step in front of his marker at the perfect time to receive a cross as his opportunity was blocked by the defender. Machino continued to work lay-offs with his ability in the air before he created another opportunity, receiving possession on the right flank to cut inside and poke a through ball to a teammate with his right foot to have a shot saved.

At home to FC Tokyo, Machino would create an opportunity with one of his patented long throw-ins, launching a ball into the box to have a header saved at the near post. He would create an opportunity by dropping deep to receive possession in the ten space, turn and thread a pass in behind for his strike partner to go 1v1 with the goalkeeper and have a shot saved. The 21-year-old would receive possession from a throw-in to turn and play a pass to a teammate before moving into space to receive possession in between the lines and work a pass to the flank for a teammate to have the opportunity to cut inside. Machino’s work rate and constant involvement in his team’s play make him an integral asset to his team as his game will continue to grow with more time and experience.

Machino is an intriguing prospect with scintillating potential, being collaborative with his hold up play as well as training to be two-footed, comfortable crossing and passing accurately with both feet while his shooting inside the opposition box should be aided by being able to finish with both feet from a variety of angles and body shapes in the future. In terms of his movement in the box, he regularly moves into open space by holding his runs while he loves to make runs to the near post to get on the end of deliveries to finish high quality opportunities. He is strong in the air as well as manoeuvring in the opposition box by carefully nudging opposition defenders out of his way to get on the end of deliveries. With more repetition and improvement on the training ground, these subtle facets of his game will eventually lead to more goals as they already lead to the 21-year-old getting on the end of high-quality opportunities. His ability to string attacking moves together with connections in the final third is already high-level while defensively, he can regain possession in the opposition half to win possession in the pressing phase. He regularly takes man-marking responsibilities when Shonan Bellmare are defending corners as he wins aerial duels and makes deflections to start counter-attacks.

21-year-old Machino has only scored 3 goals this season as he leads his side in assists with 3 assists this season as these figures belies his importance to his team and the number of opportunities that he creates. He provides creativity as a long throw-in taker, through-ball player and crosser as his statistics as a goal scorer and assister should make a marked increase as his career continues. He, like a few other J League talents has a contract that expires in January which should make him a sub €1 million acquisition for many clubs across the globe. For instance, clubs in the MLS, 2. Bundesliga, Austrian Bundesliga, Eredivisie and Belgian Jupiler League should be interested in him. He turns 22 later this year as he has a lot of tools to become an integral player for a team outside the top five European Leagues before growing and allowing his team to attain resale value. His multi-faceted skillset and potential at such a price-point would represent a steal on the current market as he would be certain to grow as an asset.