BioMasaaki Saawanobori was a central figure at Shimizu S-Pulse throughout his career, and fully deserves the nickname "Mr. S-Pulse", for his great contributions to the team that he served faithfully for 13 years. Sawanobori helped set the mold for the Japanese play-making midfielder, and though he would soon be surpassed by a younger, more talented generation of players, when the J.League was formed back in 1993, he was one of the early stars and icons. Though not as well as those who came later, and gained fame for Japanese midfielders, Sawanobori set the standard in the early years, and pioneered the stereotype of a small, nimble player who could shred opposing defences with a single touch of the ball. Sawanobori was also a member of Japan's National Team, earning 22 caps over his NT career and scoring three goals. However, in terms of gaining fame for the National Team, his timing was unfortunate. He did not begin to see any regular action until the year following Japan's famous "Agony at Doha" match, and by the time the 1998 World Cup qualification matches began he had been edged out of the NT lineup by younger players like Hidetoshi Nakata and Hiroshi Nanami. Although it was not considered particularly unusual in the early years of the league, by the time that Sawanobori retired it was becoming rare for a player to spend his entire career with a single team. Over a 381-match J.League career, however, Sawanobori made an indelible mark for the Wingheads of eastern Shizuoka. He still ranks high in the list of J.League career leaders for goals and assists, and he certainly rates as a legend in S-Pulse team history. |
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