J-League: Next Wave of Potential Exports (Part 2)
Name: Ryotaro Araaki “Taro”
Age: 22
Nationality: Japanese
Club: FC Tokyo (7th) – on loan from Kashima Antlers
Position: Attacking Midfielder / Second Striker
Preferred Foot: Right
2024 Season Details:
J-League Heatmap:
29 Games (23 starts)
7 Goals / 4 assists / 13 High Value Chances Created
Review:
Taro is the name on the back of his shirt and it’s one defenders see as they turn round to pay their entry fee to get back in to get near this creative maestro.
Sometimes you watch players and when they are at their best it’s joy, beauty and just makes you wish that their team mates would do 1 thing over and over again, give them the ball. Well in the j-League for me Taro is that player.
In 2021 he was the name on anyone who watched the J-leagues lips at the age of 19 scoring 10 goals and 7 assists. Sadly, injury problems and then a loss of form on return seemed to derail what looked like a Taro bullet train from moving on to bigger and better things. Thankfully this season he’s back on the tracks and while he has some work to do, he’s picked up speed in an FC Tokyo team who have one consistency and that’s inconsistency.
Often playing in the 10 and having an element of freedom to drift over to the left side he’s produced some performances that would make a cat purr. The standout for me being his contributions in the 2-0 win vs Champions Vissel Kobe where he went against expectation and drifted to the right, something FC Tokyo had clearly seen as a potential weakness as 3 of their 4 attackers had most of their touches on that side.
Now data wise it wasn’t a good game for him with only 25 touches and a passing success rate of 53%. Analyst hat on that is poor even when you know Vissel controlled the vast majority of the game. Then you open your eyes and watch what he produced in key moments and his 2 assists sum up his quality.
The first assist is intelligence and awareness that on its own deserved a round of applause. An ins-winging cross comes in towards him at the corner of the 6-yard box (near post side). He has no real obvious route to get an attempt on target. So, he shapes his body like he’s taking it in and then at the last second twists his upper body to play a pass off his chest to Keita Endo who is a few yards behind him to hit a first time shot that makes it 1-0. What I would class as a take a bow moment. He made it look so simple, which is what talented players do well, make the sublime look effortless.
His second assist was a free kick from the wide right area about 25 yards out and he put in a ball that was a mirror of one he’d put in from open play that found that path of horrors for defenders and goalkeepers. The ball going in at just above waist height and landing around 6 yards out ready to be found by one of the on-rushing attackers or defenders and Soma Anzais diving header at the far post made it 2-0.
As above Taro has limited opportunities with the ball but when he got into the attacking third, he tormented the defence with dangerous deliveries, skill and creative thinking. The moment that could have topped everything and would have been a truly sensational goal seen him back to goal, 18 yards out with pressure being applied and he makes a movement to suggest he’s going away from goal, swivels a full 180 and digs out a chip shot that Rory McIlroy would be proud of, it just needed just a smidge more loft to beat the goalkeeper who makes a brilliant save to deny him.
When Taro is in that mood and fancies it then he’s a delight to watch.
Strengths:
Creativity
Skill
Balance
Final ball
Weaknesses:
Consistency
Honours:
AFC U16 Champions (2018)
AFC U23 Asian Cup (2024)
J-League YPOTY (2021)
Overall:
Ryotaro Araki is an entertainer on the pitch, who has the ability to really shine in the decisive moments. He has the skillset to produce end product. That end product can be the difference maker between classed as a sand dancer or a skillful creator, especially when looking at younger players with dreams of grandeur. All the flicks and tricks in the world will get you plenty of applause, but to go up levels and get paid it will always be end product.
I love that I’ve seen enough games of him to know that skillset can be more than just a once in a blue moon moment, but at the same time he has to find a higher level of consistency when it comes to his basics as for all the skill in the world sometimes making that 5 or 10 yard pass back or to the side can prove to be as vital as that moment of beauty where you chest a pass back in the box. A good coach will add that to his game and when you look at how intelligent he can be on the pitch I’m sure he’ll find the balance between the basic parts required and the creative instinct he has.
His shooting is also an area that needs work but again I’d look at his technical abilities and be confident that with some work that could be improved to a good level and in amongst better players and more consistent team that his qualities would grow and shin. It’s great to see he’s back into the Japanese u23 team and is doing well and this full season will hopefully be the start of something that could have happened 2 years ago if it wasn’t for a back injury.
As for teams I’d look at as good destinations. It would have to be a team who play on the front foot and who allow for a little creative sparkle in the attacking third because as much as you could improve his data by asking him to be a little safer. The best of him is to be found in his ability to be the creator, to improvise in the tight spaces and get fans off their seats. With that in mind I’d be looking at teams like high end MLS. LA Galaxy or Inter Miami who give a license to the creative players.
If Europe was the preference, then I think teams like AZ Alkmaar, PSV or Freiburg would be a good shout and as a Celtic supporter I wouldn’t be against us adding a player who could change the dynamic of how we attack by having a player who can sit in the 10 role or be an option on either side within the squad.
Name: Marcelo Ryan
Age: 22
Nationality: Brazilian
Club: Sagan Tosu (20th – relegated)
Position: Striker
Preferred Foot: Right
2024 Season Details:
J-League Heatmap:
30 Games (26 starts)
14 Goals / 2 assists / 8 High Value Chances Created
Review:
Marcelo Ryan made a move that a lot of Brazilians make when they are searching for a place to get some first team football. Hopping from the birthplace of samba and capoeira in Bahia, Brazil to Yokohama in J20 and then on to Kyushu Island to play for Sagan Tosu in J-League 1 last January.
He’s a player who I’d never heard of or seen until he set foot in Japan but the positive impressions started early and continued throughout the season until he was sadly injured and missed 7 weeks of football, only to return and likely sign off with 2 goals on the final day in a 3-0 victory vs Jubilo Iwata.
The game where he impressed me showed the good and the elements that need to improve which was during a 4-2 victory vs Kashima Antlers. He left the pitch that day with 2 goals and 1 assist (that didn’t register and I’ve no idea why but I’m giving him it. He should have left the pitch with 4 or 5 goals, and 1 assist.
The 2 goals he scored were excellent. The first a back post header where his movement got him into a favourable match up vs a smaller defender who he got above and nodded home. His second goal again outlines his good movement in the box. The ball is on the left side, the entire defence follows 2 Sagan players into the 6-yard box and Marcelo hits the breaks, the defenders keep going and he gets himself yards of space around 13 yards out and hammers a first time shot in to make it 3-1. His assist in this game again shows a quality he has and that is perseverance, working hard down the right side late in the game after Jubilo Iwata had made it 3-2. He had 2 defenders looking to shut down his space, drove to the byline and found a lovely cut back that was similar to the one he had scored from earlier and 4-2, game over.
This game for the most part was about Marcelo being a constant threat in and around the 18-yard box and he appears to put thought into the best ways to find spaces or position himself in good match ups vs defenders. The downside during this game is he didn’t leave with a match ball. A penalty that was saved, not the worst penalty but hard and low to the goalies left, just not close enough to the post. He also had a few other chances; one he attempted to finish with the outside of his right foot that was poorly executed and a poor choice as had he went with his instep, he’d have opened up a much bigger target for himself to hit. His link up play was decent in this game as well, continually being an out ball and then popping it off before getting himself into the box.
Strengths:
Pace
Movement
Desire
Strength
Pressing
Weaknesses:
Passing
Honours:
None
Overall:
Marcelo Ryan is a striker who is very much in the early stages of finding out where his ceiling is in the game and that will really come down to what he does over the next year or two. Sagan Tosu have been relegated with Ryan scoring just under 30% of their goals and having missed part of October and the whole of November. Had he played he would have likely been in the running for the top goal scorer award which is amazing given he was playing for the worst team.
His contract ends in January, so it really is decision time for him and I have no doubt he will have suitors in Japan and beyond. What those suitors will like about Marcelo Ryan is his desire, awareness in the penalty box and that even though he can miss a few chances he doesn’t appear to dwell on them or shy away from going again. His goal spread was a nice mix. As a naturally right footed player his 7 right footed finishes come as no surprise, 4 with his left and 3 headers. So, his record shows that he’s not a striker who needs to constantly move on to his dominant foot to get shots off. He shows good strength and while he’s not a giant, he uses the 6ft 2 frame well. His style, needs refinement in places, but he’s not shy in putting in a good shift for his team which is a great starting point as that alone causes teams problems.
What might concern some teams will be his link up play which can be hit and miss. However, when you consider that Sagan Tosu were up against it most weeks and that often his job was to try and pull a poor team up the pitch then you have to give some allowances for that and you can see in his numbers he does create chances for his team mates.
As for his options. Another year in Japan wouldn’t be a bad move, but many players, agents and even coaches would sometimes say you make the biggest leap you can when it’s available. If I was working with Marcelo Ryan, I’d be looking for a top end J-League team or a team who had big ambitions as the lowest starting point for staying in Japan. Kawasaki Frontale look set for a revamp to try and push back up the league in 2025 and they have creative players who on their day would serve Marcelo well.
Alternatively, if he was looking outside then the MLS would be an option due to the recent push to bring on board talented young South American players or in Europe the likes of Famalicao or Braga in Portugal have good history with bringing on board and developing young Brazilian players. Last but not least you have a few Ligue 1 teams in France who are working under budgets that badly need a goal scorer and might be willing to look at this as a good investment. Toulouse and Lens are both screaming out for a penalty box finisher. Marcelo Ryan could be that guy and on a free transfer…. To me it’s certainly something I’d want to consider
Part 3 Coming Soon
Hope you enjoyed
RH