Daisuke Sakata

Daisuke Sakata
	Sakata playing for FC Tokyo in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Daisuke Sakata
Date of birth	January 16, 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth	Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
1998	Yokohama Flügels
1999–2000	Yokohama F. Marinos
Senior career*
Years	Team
2001–2010	Yokohama F. Marinos
2011	Aris Thessaloniki
2011	FC Tokyo
2012–2017	Avispa Fukuoka
Total
National team
2003	Japan U-20
2006	Japan
Honours
Yokohama F. Marinos
FC Tokyo
Representing Japan
AFC U-20 Asian Cup
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Daisuke Sakata (坂田大輔, Sakata Daisuke, born January 16, 1983) is a former Japanese football player. He played for the Japan national team.

Biography

Sakata was born in Yokohama on January 16, 1983. He first played for Yokohama Flügels youth team but became a Yokohama F. Marinos youth player when both teams merged in 1999. He was promoted to the top team in 2001. He became a regular player from 2003. The club won the champions in 2003 and 2004 J1 League. He joined Super League Greece side Aris Thessaloniki in 2011 after ten years at Yokohama F. Marinos but only stayed for a short time before returning to FC Tokyo for the 2nd half of the season. In January 2012 it was announced he had signed for Avispa Fukuoka in J2 League. Avispa won the 3rd place in 2015 J2 League and was promoted to J1 League. However Avispa finished at the bottom place in 2016 J1 League and was relegated to J2 in a year. He opted to retire end of 2017 season.

Sakata was a member of the Japan U-20 national team for the 2002 AFC Youth Championship. The team finished runners-up and was qualified for the 2003 World Youth Championship. At the World Youth Championship, he scored 4 goals in the tournament including against South Korea at knockout stage and became one of the top scorers. The team exited at the quarter final stage after beaten by Brazil. On August 9, 2006, he debuted for the Japan national team under new manager Ivica Osim against Trinidad and Tobago which is Japan's first match after the 2006 World Cup.

Statistics

^[1]^[2]

Club statistics			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		J.League Cup		Asia		Total
2001	Yokohama F. Marinos	J1 League	11	2	0	0	5	0	-		16	2
2002			19	1	2	1	0	0	-		21	2
2003			25	6	1	0	6	1	-		32	7
2004			28	10	1	1	5	1	4	1	38	13
2005			29	5	2	0	4	1	2	1	37	7
2006			19	4	3	2	2	0	-		24	6
2007			34	10	2	2	9	3	-		45	15
2008			32	1	3	0	7	1	-		42	2
2009			30	6	3	2	10	1	-		43	9
2010			20	1	1	0	4	0	-		25	1
Greece			League		Greek Football Cup		Greek League Cup		Europe		Total
2011	Aris Thessaloniki	Super League	6	0	-		-		-		6	0
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		J.League Cup		Asia		Total
2011	FC Tokyo	J2 League	10	1	2	0	-		-		12	1
2012	Avispa Fukuoka	J2 League	40	8	1	0	-		-		41	8
2013			40	11	0	0	-		-		40	11
2014			31	5	1	0	-		-		32	5
2015			35	3	3	0	-		-		38	3
2016		J1 League	24	2	0	0	5	0	-		29	2
2017		J2 League	31	1	0	0	-		-		31	1
Country	Japan		458	77	25	8	57	8	6	2	546	95
Country	Greece		6	0	-		-		-		6	0
Total			464	77	25	8	57	8	6	2	552	95