Shock Lille Signing Ayase Ueda Scores Super-Sub Winner in Debut — Now on 4 Straight Games With a Goal Since Leaving the Netherlands

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The story

Japan international forward Ayase Ueda (28), who made a shock move from the Netherlands to Ligue 1 side Lille, came off the bench against Toulouse on the 3rd and scored the winning goal. It marked his fourth straight game with a goal since joining, and Lille won 1-0. On the thread, discussion centered on teammate Olivier Giroud’s expressionless reaction after the goal, praise for Ueda’s quick results in his new surroundings, and a split of opinions over the overall standard of Ligue 1.

Nikkan Sports [September 4, 2026, 5:38 AM]

<French Ligue 1: Toulouse 0-1 Lille> ◇September 3 (September 4 Japan time) ◇Matchday 3 ◇Toulouse

Japan’s ace forward Ayase Ueda (28), who joined Lille in a shock transfer, scored a goal right in his debut for the new club.

Source: nikkansports.com / Read the original article here

What people said

3AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:02
Think he can catch up to Oh Hyeon-gyu? (South Korean forward, a frequent comparison point for Asian strikers abroad)
7AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:03
Lol, they cut to Giroud right after Ueda's goal and he had zero expression
35AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:18
Re: #7
He was fidgeting with his nose like crazy — probably a habit he has when he's flustered
22AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:12
Giroud's apparently been nice to Ueda since he joined, but it's a bit concerning he didn't look happy after the goal
25AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:13
Re: #22
They were laughing together after the match, so I don't think it's anything to worry about
32AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:15
Re: #24
Giroud really does mess with his nose a lot
103AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:48
Re: #32
Touching your nose is a self-soothing gesture — people do it unconsciously to calm themselves when they're nervous, anxious, under pressure, or lacking confidence. That's probably it.
33AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:15
Since he's not great with communication, scoring in his first game to get the ball fed to him more easily is huge.
Giroud's 40 now too, so playing every game is tough for him — if Ueda can keep delivering off the bench in the rotation, that'd be great.

Though honestly, Lille's defense is scary lol.
Getting shot at nonstop like rain and still keeping a clean sheet is basically a miracle lol
37AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:19
Re: #33 The keeper got a 10/10 rating
39AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:20
So Ueda lost all 6 of his duels, 0/6
46AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:23
Re: #39
Losing hold-up play battles constantly is clearly Ueda's issue.
He'll probably hit double digits in goals, but even though he's not a hold-up forward, he needs to win a few more of those.
43AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:21
Standing next to Ueda, Giroud is just way too big
56AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:29
Re: #43
He's a dwarf compared to Zion
https://youtu.be/tX3sqmDW0m0
49AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:25
Re: #45
Zion (Suzuki)'s transfer fee was about that much too
57AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:29
Re: #49
Zion's fee was 1 billion yen less
51AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:26
Still, it's the weakest of the big five leagues though.
Given his age, this might be his last shot at stepping up.
59AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:31
Re: #51
Doing well near the top of France would be plenty though.
Minamino, Ito, and Keito (Doan) all gave top nations a hard time too.
And the Premier League is more injury-prone anyway.
63AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:34
Straight-up farming scrubs.
Going from the Netherlands to Ligue 1?
Isn't that lower level than the J-League at this point?
Even DAZN dropped Ligue 1 and it's basically collapsing.
Can't believe he actually went there.
Was that the only offer he had?
67AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:37
Re: #63
A guy who was mediocre in the Netherlands went back to the J-League and scored 2 goals off the bench, you know
81AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:42
Anything outside the top two leagues is meaningless
85AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:43
Re: #81
The big five leagues = high value.
That's common sense worldwide.
88AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:43
Re: #81
People talk about soccer being a 'global' sport, but the world's actually pretty narrow.
Nothing outside the Premier League and La Liga really gets respect.
91AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:44
Re: #81
La Liga's dropped off a lot these days too.
It's more like the Premier League and then the other four big leagues.
86AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:43
Did Take totally sky an open shot? What happened? Is there video? ("Take" = a nickname for a Japanese player)
108AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:48
Re: #86
I was curious so I looked it up on social media… he actually missed that? …that's where Take's at right now
117AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:52
Once Minamino's back, France will have a lineup of guys who seem popular with women — Nakamura and Ueda
124AnonymousSep 4, 2026 06:53
Re: #117
Ueda's wife is just pretty — his own face isn't really that popular-with-women type, is it?

Background and Talking Points

Ayase Ueda made a shock transfer this summer from Feyenoord in the Netherlands to Ligue 1 side Lille. At his previous club he kept up his scoring output but had inconsistent playing time, so his goal off the bench in his very first match after the move drew attention as a sign of how quickly he’s settling into his new surroundings. Where opinion in the thread split was over the standing of Ligue 1 itself. With recent years bringing shrinking broadcast deals and a steady outflow of top talent, some argued the league’s status among the big five has slipped, while others countered that performing near the top of France is plenty impressive on its own. It’s also worth noting that the comment about teammate Giroud looking expressionless was one poster’s subjective observation, and other posts in the thread noted the two were seen laughing together after the match. And the stat showing Ueda lost all six of his duels is just from this single matchday — it shouldn’t be taken as a verdict on his season as a whole.

※This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Soccer] Shock Lille Signing Ayase Ueda Scores Instant Super-Sub Winner! The Goals Keep Coming — 4 Straight Since Leaving the Netherlands“.

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