1. Overview
Yohei Sakai (坂井 洋平Sakai YoheiJapanese, born April 10, 1986) is a former Japanese professional football player who primarily played as a midfielder. His career encompassed youth development at Yokohama F. Marinos and professional stints across various tiers of Japanese football, including the J1 League, J2 League, J3 League, and regional leagues. He notably played for clubs such as Yokohama FC, SC Sagamihara, Mito HollyHock, and Thespakusatsu Gunma.
2. Personal Information
Yohei Sakai's personal information includes details about his birth and physical attributes relevant to his football career.
2.1. Birth and Background
Yohei Sakai was born on April 10, 1986, in Isogo-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
2.2. Physical Information
Sakai stands at 70 in (177 cm) and weighs 154 lb (70 kg). His preferred foot for playing is his left.
3. Playing Career
Yohei Sakai's playing career spanned both youth development and professional football across various Japanese leagues.
3.1. Youth Career
Sakai began his football journey in 1999, joining Yokohama F. Marinos Junior Youth, where he played until 2001. He then progressed to Yokohama F. Marinos Youth from 2002 to 2004. During his time with the Yokohama F. Marinos youth team in 2004, he made one appearance in the AFC Champions League.
3.2. Professional Career
Sakai's professional career commenced in 2005, seeing him play for several clubs across different tiers of Japanese football, from the top-flight J1 League down to regional leagues.
3.2.1. Yokohama FC (2005-2007)
Yohei Sakai joined Yokohama FC in 2005, marking the beginning of his professional career. He played for the club for three seasons. In 2005 and 2006, he competed in the J2 League, making 3 and 11 league appearances respectively. In 2007, Yokohama FC was promoted to the J1 League, where Sakai made 2 league appearances. During his tenure with Yokohama FC, he also featured in the J.League Cup in 2006 and 2007, making one appearance in each season.
3.2.2. SC Sagamihara (2008-2011)
From 2008 to 2011, Sakai played for SC Sagamihara, a period that saw him compete in various regional and lower-tier leagues. In 2008, he played in the Kanagawa Prefectural League 3rd Division, making 5 appearances. He continued in the Kanagawa Prefectural League 2nd Division in 2009 (1 appearance) and the 1st Division in 2010 (3 appearances). In 2011, SC Sagamihara competed in the Kanto Soccer League 2nd Division, where Sakai made 14 appearances and scored 7 goals, marking a significant contribution to the team's offense.
3.2.3. Mito HollyHock (2012)
In 2012, Sakai moved to Mito HollyHock, a club competing in the J2 League. During his single season with Mito HollyHock, he made 6 league appearances.
3.2.4. Thespakusatsu Gunma (2013-2015)
Sakai then joined Thespakusatsu Gunma, another J2 League club, where he played for three seasons from 2013 to 2015. He was a more regular feature during this period, making 21 league appearances in 2013, 26 in 2014, and 24 in 2015, totaling 71 league appearances. He scored his first J.League goal on November 17, 2013, during a J2 League match against Vissel Kobe at Shoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma. He also made appearances in the Emperor's Cup and J.League Cup during his time with Thespakusatsu Gunma.
3.2.5. SC Sagamihara (2016)
Yohei Sakai returned to SC Sagamihara for a second spell in 2016. This time, the club was competing in the J3 League. He made 26 league appearances and scored 1 goal during this season.
3.3. Career Statistics
The following table details Yohei Sakai's club performance throughout his career.
| Season | Club | League | League Apps | League Goals | Emperor's Cup Apps | Emperor's Cup Goals | J.League Cup Apps | J.League Cup Goals | Continental Apps | Continental Goals | Total Apps | Total Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Yokohama F. Marinos (Youth) | J1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 | Yokohama FC | J2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2006 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2007 | J1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2008 | SC Sagamihara | Kanagawa Pref. 3rd Div. | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2009 | Kanagawa Pref. 2nd Div. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2010 | Kanagawa Pref. 1st Div. | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2011 | Kanto 2nd Div. | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | |
| 2012 | Mito HollyHock | J2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2013 | Thespakusatsu Gunma | J2 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2 |
| 2014 | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2015 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | SC Sagamihara | J3 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 |
| Career total | 139 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 146 | 10 | ||
3.4. National and Representative Selections
Yohei Sakai was involved in various national and prefectural selections during his youth career. In 2001, he was selected for the U-14 National Training Center. He was again selected for the U-16 National Training Center in 2003. Additionally, he represented Kanagawa Prefecture in the National Sports Festival selection for three consecutive years, from 2003 to 2005.
4. Playing Position
Yohei Sakai primarily played as a midfielder throughout his football career.