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The story
PSV faced Sparta Rotterdam in matchday 6 of the Dutch Eredivisie on the 13th (local time), with PSV winning 4-1. Japan international midfielder Kota Sano started and played the full match again, scoring his first goal since his transfer with a long-range strike in the 39th minute, leading the team to its fifth straight league win. On 5channel threads, many praised the technical quality of the shot, but there were also numerous comments comparing him to his older brother Kaishu Sano, who plays defensive midfielder for the Japan national team. The discussion also sparked controversy over the level of the Eredivisie itself, with some calling it “below the J.League.”
Matchday 6 of the Dutch Eredivisie between PSV and Sparta Rotterdam was played on the 13th (local time), with home side PSV winning 4-1. Japan international midfielder Kota Sano, who plays for PSV, started and played the full match, scoring his first goal since his transfer in the 39th minute. His stunning long-range strike led the team to victory.
First goal since transfer with a jaw-dropping long-range strike
PSV, on a four-match league winning streak, hosted Sparta at home.
Source: footballchannel.jp / Original article here
What people said
I'd say this guy's even better than his brother
Kota Sano's Champions League highlight reel
https://x.com/wowow_soccer/status/2098200650232586508
Pulling this off at 22 is insane lol
If you know how weak the Dutch league is and you're still saying that, it comes off as sarcastic
Not yet at this point, but if you'd watched his U-20 play you could've predicted this was possible
He didn't even cover the near side
Scoring in a league below the J.League doesn't mean anything
Ao Tanaka's long-range goal is more impressive — scored against Chelsea, a powerhouse in the world's strongest league, the Premier League
[Video] Ao Tanaka's blistering long-range golazo!!!
https://x.com/goaljp_official/status/1996325046533726647
Re: #11
This long-ranger from Ao Tanaka is insane
Guess Premier League guys are just different
His brother Kaishu Sano's goals are the same way — he's usually not even aiming where it goes, the ball just clips off his foot or takes a weird bounce and goes in by luck
Kota even said in an interview that the one against Brazil went in off a mishit, by luck
Worlds apart from Doan, who couldn't do anything at PSV
Both brothers are impressive
The fact that people rate Zion over Kota just shows how many Japanese soccer fans have no eye for talent
His brother Kaishu Sano always loses to Doan and gets destroyed by him though
First time I've seen a shot with that low a trajectory that looks like a drive shot… Turned out to be just as good as expected?
The squad building and pecking order are a mess
Since the team was built player-led, he can't make major changes to the roster
He just has to hope the established core players recover if they get injured
Though he did bring in new forwards, Goto and Shiogai
Ueda never got credit no matter how well he did and kept getting criticized — maybe there's some deep-rooted prejudice there
Still way better than Italy or Spain
I'm a casual fan, but isn't the older brother supposed to be Japan's best right now?
Saying this one's even better is exciting though
In the first place, even I've been saying for ages on Geisupo (this board, a hotbed of right-wing netizens) that the guy nicknamed Umifune — now going by Heju — is better than Zubimendi, y'know?
The Dutch league level is way too low 🥺
1st: England (Premier League)
2nd: Spain
3rd: Germany
4th: Italy
5th: France
6th: England 2nd tier (Championship)
7th: Belgium
8th: Brazil
9th: Portugal
10th: USA (MLS)
11th: Argentina
12th: Denmark
13th: Poland
14th: Turkey
15th: Netherlands 👈
16th: Croatia
17th: Germany 2nd tier
18th: Japan
19th: Switzerland
20th: Spain 2nd tier
Re: #1
Latest ranking has the Netherlands at 15th, but the J.League's at 13th
If the Sano brothers stay fully fit, Japan's defensive midfield spot is set for the next 10 years
The Tanaka brothers are better
Supposedly it carries more and is easier to put spin on
Wait, the ball isn't standardized across Europe? For real? ("chincha" — Korean net slang for "really?")
If he becomes a regular for the national team he'll probably get popular
Tough sell since he looks like his brother Kaishu Sano
Still in high school though
The Sano Three Crows! lol, awesome (a "sanba-garasu" — a Japanese idiom for an elite trio)
The two older brothers did geta training (practicing in traditional wooden sandals to sharpen balance/technique) — wonder if the third one does too
Didn't get the sense he was a non-factor at the World Cup either
Kaishu carried it in solo against Brazil and scored
It's a shot that bounced right in front of him on a slippery pitch — that's not a keeper error lol
Background and Points of Debate
Kota Sano’s older brother, Kaishu Sano, plays a defensive role for the Japan national team, which puts Kota in a position where he’s often compared to a player of the same type. In this thread too, comments about the gap in ability between the brothers stood out, but that’s a topic rooted in their family relationship and should be read separately from an evaluation of each player’s individual ability. The other point of contention is the standing of the Eredivisie — commenters cited a ranking from a private website, but that’s just one metric, not an official standard for determining superiority over the J.League. Opinions were also divided on how local supporters react to Japanese players, and it’s worth keeping in mind that this reflects impressions on 5channel rather than the actual tone of local reporting.
※This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary from the 5channel (Geinou Sports Sokuho+) thread “[Soccer] PSV’s Kota Sano scores first goal since transfer with a stunning long-range strike! Full start for 5th straight match, dramatic go-ahead goal leads team to 5 straight wins.”
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