Team Roster for 2008 1 Naohito Hirai 2 Carlos Eduardo Soares 3 Sidiclei De Souza 4 Yusuke Nakatani 5 Kazuki Teshima 6 Ryuzo Morioka 7 Takaaki Tokushige 8 Kazuki Kuranuki 9 Yutaka Tahara 10 Paulinho de Oliveira 11 Takenori Hayashi 13 Atsushi Yanagisawa 14 Yuto Sato 15 Hiroki Nakayama 16 Daisuke Saito 17 Toshiya Ishii 18 Jun Ando 19 Kentoku Noborio 20 Takashi Hirajima 21 Yuichi Mizutani 22 Daigo Watanabe 23 Yuki Okubo 24 Tatsuya Masushima 25 Yasumasa Nishino 26 Makoto Kakuda 27 Daishi Kato 28 William Pinheiro Rodrigues 29 Taisuke Nakamura 30 Koken Kato 33 Hideaki Ueno 13 Atsushi Yanagisawa Position:FW Born: 27-May-1977 Height/Weight: 177/75 Birthplace:Toyama Previous Teams:FC Higashi Jr.Youth; Toyama Daiichi HS, Kashima Antlers, Sampdoria (Italy), Messina (Italy), Kashima Antlers, Kyoto Sanga Appearances (J1/J2): 220/0 Goals (J1/J2): 80/0 First Appearance: 28-Aug-1996 Kashima Antlers -vs- JEF United (at Kashima Stadium) First Goal : 31-Aug-1996 Kashima Antlers -vs- Gamba Osaka (at Expo'70 Stadium) Year Team Appearances Goals 1996 Kashima Antlers 8 5 1997 Kashima Antlers 25 8 1998 Kashima Antlers 32 22 1999 Kashima Antlers 26 9 2000 Kashima Antlers 26 6 2001 Kashima Antlers 26 12 2002 Kashima Antlers 27 7 2003 Kashima Antlers 8 2 2003-04 Sampdoria 11 0 2004-05 Messina 14 0 2005- Messina 8 0 2006 Kashima Antlers 23 4 2007 Kashima Antlers 19 5 J.League TOTAL 201 75 For several years, Atsushi Yanagisawa has been one of the most inconsistent players on both the club and national team levels. Despite obvious talents and occasional streaks of brilliance, he also has fallen into extended slumps that are distressing to both supporters and detractors alike. Nevertheless, even his severest critics would have to admit that this young striker has an amazing instinct for the game of football. When he does manage to overcome self-doubts and plays up to his true abilities, he is one of the best strikers Japan has ever produced. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Yanagisawa is the fact that he has earned a reputation for being a poor finisher despite some of the most impressive statistics in Japan. Though it is true that he has occasionally fallen into slumps when he simply cannot find his scoring touch, at other times he seems to score in bunches, with virtually no effort. In his first two seasons with the Antlers, he was a scoring machine, and reached the 50-goal plateau in fewer matches than any Japanese player in history. Yet after hitting the 50 mark, he slipped into a serious goal drought and seemed to lose the confidence and killer instinct that made his so sharp in his first few seasons. For two years he struggled on the fringes of the Japan national team, and only a sudden burst of form in the second half of the 2001 season earned him a role on the national team for the 2002 World Cup. He started Japan's three World Cup pool matches in 2002, and had a laudable performance contributing two assists and generally playing well despite failing to hit the net himself. But Phillippe Troussier was always one of his greatest detractors, and for reasons which have never been adequately explained, Troussier pulled him from the lineup for the match against Turkey -- a move that would prove catastrophic for the National Team. One possible reason for Yanagisawa's reputation as a poor scorer is the fact that he seems to prefer passing the ball to taking the shot himself. While this is generally viewed as a positive trait for defenders or midfielders, when strikers pass up a shot in order to set up a teammate, it is often seen as a sign of poor confidence. Many coaches and commentators, after watching him play for a while, have concluded that he is better suited to playing a wing position, or at central midfield, rather than up front. Nevertheless, Yanagisawa's statistics as a striker suggest that he is not without talent at that position. Despite his reputation as a poor finisher, Yanagisawa's total goal tally, and even his percentages of goals per match and goals per shot, are numbers that most strikers in the J.League would be proud to have on their record. The instinctive tendency to pass off may be viewed as a weakness in some quarters, but it is an important point to consider when evaluating Yanagisawa's overall skills. Even when in a goal slump, Yanagisawa remains a potent offensive weapon, since he can do more than just score. He is a very elusive dribbler, has good speed when he puts on a burst, and he is excellent at feeding teammates for the final shot. His instincts for movement off the ball are among the best in the J.League, and he often creates goals with off-the-ball movement even when he doesnt score himself. Nevertheless, he certainly can hit the net when given the opportunity. Yanagisawa got his first chance to play in Europe in July 2003, when Sampdoria picked him up from the Antlers on a one year loan. Yanagisawa failed to make much of an impression at Sampdoria. Though coaches praised his technical skills, and he saw a fair amount of playing time off the bench, the team didnt quite know how to use him effectively. Another factor that inhibited his contributions was the inability to communicate. Yanagisawa tried to pick up Italian, but made only limited progress. Sampdoria indicated, when announcing his release, that this inability to pick up the language was a crucial reason why he failed to fit into the team. Despite his shortcomings, Yanagisawa did manage to show enough skill and promise to attract interest from other teams. Though not effective as a true striker, particularly in a competitive environment like Serie A, several teams seemed to recognise his capacity to make contributions in a set-up capacity. Messina were the top bidder, and Yanagisawa joined them in July 2004. His early performances were promising, but again he failed to establish himself in the team. By early 2006, both he and Messina were ready to deal with the Antlers to negotiate Yanagisawa's return to Japan.. The inconsistency that has been a hallmark of his career still persists. In his first match back in Japan, Yanagisawa scored a hat trick, but subsequent injuries returned him to his role as a "goalless striker", used more for his set-up skills than for his scoring. We doubt that this will ever change. Antlers fans have learned to appreciate what he CAN do, rather than bewail his shortcomings, and as long as one maintains this attitute, he can be a valuable (albeit frustrating) player to have on the team. National Team Data & History NT Caps: 55 NT Goals: 17 Tournaments: World Youth Championships (1997) Asia Cup (2000) Confederations Cup (2001) World Cup Korea/Japan (2002) Confederations Cup (2005) World Cup Germany (2006) Date vs Score Location Status Min. G 3-31-1999 Brazil 0-2 Nagai Stadium Sub 8 0 6-3-1999 Belgium 0-0 Nat'l Stadium Sub 31 0 6-6-1999 Peru 0-0 Nat'l Stadium Start 90 0 9-8-1999 Iran 1-1 Yokohama Int'l Sub 45 0 4-26-2000 Korea 0-1 Seoul, Korea Start 78 0 6-4-2000 France 2-2 Rabat, Morocco Sub 1 0 6-6-2000 Jamaica 4-0 Rabat, Morocco Sub 27 1 6-11-2000 Slovakia 1-1 Miyagi Stadium Sub 22 0 6-18-2000 Bolivia 2-0 Yokohama Int'l Start 79 2 8-16-2000 UAE 3-0 Hiroshima"BigArch" Sub 45 0 10-14-2000 Saudi Arabia 4-1 Sidon, Lebanon Start 83 1 10-26-2000 China 3-2 Beirut, Lebanon Sub 2 0 10-29-2000 Saudi Arabia 1-0 Beirut, Lebanon Sub 6 0 12-20-2000 Korea 1-1 National Stadium Start 90 0 6-4-2001 Brazil 3-0 Kashima Stadium Start 60 0 7-1-2001 Paraguay 1-0 Sapporo Dome Start 89 2 8-15-2001 Australia 3-0 Shizuoka Stadium Start 62 1 10-4-2001 Senegal 0-2 Lens, France Sub 45 0 10-4-2001 Nigeria 2-2 Southampton, England Start 90 0 11-7-2001 Italy 1-1 Saitama Stadium Start 66 1 3-21-2002 Ukraine 1-0 Nagai Stadium Start 61 0 4-17-2002 Costa Rica 1-1 Yokohama Int'l Start 28 0 4-29-2002 Slovakia 1-0 Nat'l Stadium Start 55 0 5-14-2002 Norway 0-3 Oslo, Norway Sub 45 0 5-25-2002 Sweden 1-1 Nat'l Stadium Start 66 0 6-4-2002 Belgium 2-2 Saitama Stadium Start 90 0 6-9-2002 Russia 1-0 Yokohama Int'l Start 90 0 6-14-2002 Tunisia 2-0 Nagai Stadium Start 45 0 6-18-2002 Turkey 0-1 Miyagi Stadium U.R. -- -- 10-16-2002 Jamaica 1-1 Nat'l Stadium Sub 14 0 11-20-2002 Argentina 0-2 Saitama Stadium U.R. -- -- 8-20-2003 Nigeria 3-0 Nat'l Stadium Start 90 0 9-10-2003 Senegal 0-1 Niigata Stadium Start 75 0 10-8-2003 Tunisia 1-0 Tunis, Tunisia Start 78 1 10-11-2003 Romania 1-1 Bucharest, Romania Start 90 1 11-19-2003 Cameroon 0-0 Oita Stadium Start 69 0 2-12-2004 Iraq 2-0 Shizuoka Stadium Start 90 1 2-18-2004 Oman 1-0 Shizuoka Stadium Start 45 0 3-31-2004 Singapore 2-0 Jalan Besar Stadium Start 68 0 4-28-2004 Czech Rep. 1-0 Sparta Prague Stadium Sub 27 0 5-30-2004 Iceland 3-2 Manchester, England Sub 45 0 6-01-2004 England 1-1 Manchester, England Sub 30 0 7-10-2004 Slovakia 3-2 Oita Stadium, Japan Sub 12 1 7-13-2004 Serbia 1-0 Yokohama Int'l Stadium Sub 12 0 3-25-2005 Iran 1-2 Azadi Stadium, Iran Sub 27 0 6-4-2005 Bahrain 1-0 Manama, Bahrain Start 89 0 6-8-2005 North Korea 2-0 Bangkok Thailand Start 85 1 6-15-2005 Mexico 1-2 Hannover, Germany Start 90 1 6-19-2005 Greece 1-0 Frankfurt, Germany Start 90 0 6-22-2005 Brazil 2-2 Koln, Germany Start 73 0 9-07-2005 Honduras 5-4 Miyagi Stadium Start 70 2 10-08-2005 Latvia 2-2 Riga, Latvia Start 65 0 10-12-2005 Ukraine 0-1 Ukraine Start 57 0 11-12-2005 Angola 1-0 Natl Stadium, Tokyo Start 90 0 2-28-2006 Bosnia 2-2 Westfahren Std.(Germany) Sub 19 0 6-3-2006 Germany 2-2 Kaiserslautern, Germany Start 80 0 6-11-2006 Australia 1-3 Kaiserslautern, Germany Start 79 0 6-18-2006 Croatia 0-0 Frankfurt, Germany Start 61 0

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