Kaishu Sano

ANALYSIS
Sano was one of the few midfielders to play the full 90 minutes on Sunday, finishing with two tackles, four recoveries, and one interception against the Netherlands. Offensively, he showed some promise with an 81 percent pass accuracy, though he offered little impact in the final third. His strength is typically in the physical side of the game as he averaged around a 93 percent aerial duel success rate with Mainz this season. He wasn't able to replicate that Sunday, winning just one of five attempts. Overall, his value remains tied to defensive volume rather than attacking output for Japan.