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Hisato Sato
佐藤 寿人
Hisato Sato.jpg
Sato in 2004
Personal information
Full name Hisato Sato
Date of birth (1982-03-12) March 12, 1982 (age 42)
Place of birth Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position Forward
Youth career
1994–1999 JEF United Ichihara
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2001 JEF United Ichihara 22 (2)
2002–2004 Cerezo Osaka 13 (2)
2003–2004 Vegalta Sendai (loan) 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)
Honours
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Winner J1 League 2012
Winner J1 League 2013
Winner J1 League 2015
Runner-up J.League Cup 2010
Runner-up J.League Cup 2014
Runner-up Emperor's Cup 2007
Runner-up Emperor's Cup 2013
Representing  Japan
AFC U-19 Championship
Silver 2000 Iran
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 January 2021.
† Appearances (Goals).

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

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. After equalling the record, having spent 12 years in Hiroshima, Sato decided to sign for J2 club Nagoya Grampus.

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. He retired at the end of the 2020 season.

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. He scored his first international goal on February 22, 2006, in an 2007 Asian Cup qualification against India. 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. He played 31 games and scored 4 goals for Japan until 2010.

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.

Career statistics

Club

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Japan League Emperor's Cup J.League Cup AFC Other1 Total
2000 JEF United Ichihara J1 League 8 0 3 0 4 2 15 2
2001 14 2 0 0 3 1 17 3
2002 Cerezo Osaka J2 League 13 2 4 3 17 5
2003 Vegalta Sendai J1 League 30 9 1 0 6 4 37 13
2004 J2 League 44 20 2 0 46 20
2005 Sanfrecce Hiroshima J1 League 32 18 2 0 6 2 40 20
2006 33 18 2 2 4 2 39 22
2007 34 12 5 1 6 1 2 0 47 14
2008 J2 League 40 28 2 2 1 1 42 30
2009 J1 League 34 15 1 1 5 5 40 21
2010 27 10 0 0 2 1 6 1 35 12
2011 33 11 2 2 2 1 37 14
2012 34 22 1 1 6 3 3 3 44 29
2013 34 17 6 2 2 1 3 0 1 1 46 21
2014 29 11 2 1 5 5 0 0 1 0 37 17
2015 34 12 2 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 44 12
2016 19 4 1 0 2 0 2 0 1 1 24 5
2017 Nagoya Grampus J2 League 28 5 3 1 2 0 33 6
2018 J1 League 9 0 2 0 3 1 14 1
2019 JEF United Chiba J2 League
Career total 529 216 41 16 57 29 11 1 16 6 654 268

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

International

Japan national team
Year Apps Goals
2006 12 3
2007 7 0
2008 6 0
2009 3 1
2010 3 0
Total 31 4

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. February 22, 2006 International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan  India 6-0 Won 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2. March 30, 2006 Ōita Stadium, Ōita, Japan  Ecuador 1-0 Won Friendly Match
3. August 16, 2006 Niigata Stadium, Niigata, Japan  Yemen 2-0 Won 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification
4. November 18, 2009 Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong  Hong Kong 4-0 Won 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification

Honors

Club

Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Individual

  • J1 League Best Eleven: 2005, 2012
  • J2 League: Top scorer: 2008
  • J1 League: Top scorer: 2012
  • J.League Most Valuable Player: 2012

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Hisato Satō para niños

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