Vfl Wolfsburg: Makoto Hasebe

13 Makoto Hasebe

Position: MF
Born:18-Jan-1984
Height/Weight:177/65
Birthplace:Shizuoka

Former Teams: Aojima Jr.HS, Fujieda Higashi HS

Matches (J1/J2):149/0 Goals: 12/0

First Appearance: 22-Mar-2003 Urawa Reds - vs - Kashima Antlers (at Kashima Stadium)

First Goal : 06-Sep-2003 Urawa Reds - vs - Gamba Osaka (at "Banpaku" Stadium)

J.League Statistics

Year Team Matches Goals

2002 Urawa Reds 0 0

2003 Urawa Reds 28 2

2004 Urawa Reds 27 5

2004 Urawa Reds 31 2

2006 Urawa Reds 32 2

2007 Urawa Reds 31 1

TOTAL 149 12

Bundesliga

2007/08 Vfl Wolfsburg -- --

TOTAL -- --

Makoto Hasebe has gone from being one of the most highly touted players of his generation to being a nearly invisible man in the Urawa Reds championship teams of 2006 (League) and 2007 (ACL). When he first emerged on the scene for the Urawa Reds in 2003, playing 28 matches and scoring twice in his rookie season (actually his second year under contract, but the first was spent with the youth / reserve team.), he captured Rookie of the Year honours and a place in the season's best eleven. He was also a core member of the Olympic team which went to Athens in 2004, and even broke into the full national team for a few appearances ahead of the 2006 World Cup (though he failed to make the final cut). Who would have thought in late 2005 that such a rising star would virtually disappear from even his club team?
The reasons for this sudden "disappearance" are complex, and not entirely Hasebe's fault, though one would have to concede that his failure to really establish himself as a confident and imposing playmaker contributed to the situation. In 2006, the Reds were determined to claim the league title that had eluded them for so long, so coach Guido Buchwald signed midfielder Robson Ponte, a Brazilian field general who had put in sevearal seasons in the Bundesliga, for Bayer Leverkeusen, and therefore spoke fairly good German. Not surprisingly, Buchwald preferred to use Ponte as his playmaker, not only due to the Brazilian's experience, but also because the coach could communicate with him easily and convey instructions to him from the bench.
WIth Ponte ensconced in the playmaker role, Hasebe found himself relegated to an unfamiliar role, as either a substitute off the bench or a fill-in player on one of the wings. He was frequently moved to new positions when other starters were injured or suspended. Although he continued to appear in a large number of games, his total playing time dropped off, and his gloomy response to being played out of position did not help matters. In 2007 things became even more daunting for Hasebe, as Shinji Ono returned to the Reds from Europe and took over the role of first offensive sub off the bench. Again, Hasebe appeared in nearly every match, but a lot were off the bench, and almost none of the starts were in the playmaker role that he prefers.

Hasebe responded to the situation by looking for a chance to move to Europe. Several Derie A clubs expressed an interest, and there were strong rumours about a move to Siena in late 2006 and again in Mid-2007. However, when he finally did make the move, he opted to transfer to the German club Vfl Wolfsburg. A number of factors played a part in this decision, not least of which was Hasebe's familiarity with German coaching styles (he has spent time playing under both Guido Buchwald and Holger Osieck, and trained in Germany during the off-season on two past occasions). It will be interesting to see how he adapts to a new environment, but certainly he will view it as a step in the right direction. Though still seeing plenty of action at Urawa, it has been clear for at least a ear that Hasebe was losing his sharpness and initiative. Perhaps a move to Germany will revive the spark that he showed in his early years in the J.League.