The Strange Case of Takenori Hayashi

Ok, I am not a big fan of Hayashi, this should be known by now. There is one simple reason behind my opinion: this is the third season I see him play for Sanga, and he has been a decisive player in one game only, so far -- last season, at Omiya he scored a good and important goal. In theory, he is a forward, now recycled as attacking left winger, but in two seasons and a bit, he has scored the misery of two goals. If you have seen the games versus Frontale last week and Marinos this last Saturday, you probably know why. Even when completely free against the goalie, he can blast the ball, or touch it softly: it doesn't matter. He just won't score. Just as much as he will try unlikely passes in the air, roll on the ground at every tackle and as the second half starts, he'll stop defending on his side and virtually disappear from the pitch.

In Saturday's game, as the second half started, Marinos created four chances to score, mostly on Hayashi's (unprotected) side. Manager Kato should have realized that, because he finally pulled Hayashi out in the 59th minute, catapulting on he field a humble worker such as "long-leg" Nakatani. The result? Kyoto put together a string of six chances, including a goal. Marinos were completely shut-off, until the last 5 minutes, when the whole Sanga retreated.

Now, this and more evidence is not enough for Sanga fans to SEE what is happening. I tried to discuss it on forums, but all I get as answers is: "Hayashi works hard," " Hayashi can run very fast," "Hayashi moved a lot..." It really puzzles me how Japanese fans create a stereotyped image of a player, and live by it basically forever. these are the things that were true of hayashi when he was 23, he is now almost 29!! So fans have decided that Hayashi's play is somehow special and thus acceptable. No matter what, that is their opinion, even in front of the most compelling evidence against it.

Somebody has also written back to me: "You rally hate Hayashi!" Well, no, I don't, and I hope he could score a hat-trick every game. He also reminds me of my childhood's day hero Topo Gigio, and I am sure he is a nice dude. But what I see over and over (and I have been following soccer at every level for 30 years by now) is that he is a player that struggles when used as a starter in J1. He could be a good relief forward for Paulinho, or perhaps he could be a superstar in J2, as Tokushige is in Tokushima nowadays.

But if Sanga fans are satisfied with a player just because he works so hard or he runs so fast then you understand why we are an overall a club with a mediocre history in the last five years or so, and why we keep struggling to find an identity in J1.