In this scout report, we venture out to the J1 League in Japan and turn our attention to striker Yuma Suzuki from Kashima Antlers. At 28, Suzuki shows a maturity in his style of play and an adaptation to the nuances of striking.
Possessing an uncanny ability to create scoring chances for his team, he's in the league's top 14% for chance creation. When coupled with his goal efficiency – placing him in the top 10% amongst his peers – it underlines his quality in front of the goal. Another sterling attribute is his impressive progressive passing. Suzuki sits in top 1% of strikers, making him effectively the best in his position in the J1 league – an unparalleled strength.
Furthermore, with assists per 90, goals per 90, pass accuracy per 90, and expected assists (xA) per 90 all sitting comfortably in the upper 14 percentiles, his attacking prowess and contribution per game deserves recognitions.
However, a few weaknesses do emerge from his player stats. Despite being a forward, his ball recovery and progressive carrying stats are disappointingly low, falling into the bottom 24% and 31% respectively. This suggests he could improve on his defensive duties and carrying the ball forward.
His goal threat is substantive but falls comparatively short of his striking colleagues at 59%, hinting that he may not always present as the most dangerous threat on the pitch. His shots on target per 90 place him in the bottom 76%, and with shots per 90 at an underwhelming 17%, it does suggest a discrepancy in his goal conversion.
Overall, Suzuki's balanced attacking style coupled with electrifying progressive passing skills are his standout features, although his statistical inefficiencies in ball recovery and shooting on target hint at areas for development.
Yuma Suzuki Key stats
Yuma Suzuki Career Trend
Yuma Suzuki Shot Maps
Yuma Suzuki Shot Summary
In the 2024 season, Yuma Suzuki took 36 shots, scoring 10 goals. This output came from an Expected Goals (xG) of 7.66, averaging 0.21 xG per shot.
Right Foot: 6 goals from 17 shots. A 35.29% conversion rate. 0.28 xG per shot.
Left Foot: 3 goals from 12 shots. A 25.0% conversion rate. 0.19 xG per shot.
Headers: 1 goals from 7 headed attempts. A 14.29% conversion rate. 0.08 xG per shot.
