Shin Yamada is a 24-year-old striker who plays for Kawasaki Frontale in J1. Having gone through Japan’s University system, Yamada is a bit of a late-comer to professional football by global standards. However, he has wasted no time, racking up 19 goals and 4 assists in slightly over 2700 J-League minutes. Yamada has played once for Japan at U-23 level.
Yamada is a pure goal poacher. He does not stand out physically, standing 5’8 and weighing 165 pounds (thank you J-League broadcast graphics). However, despite his small stature, he is quite good at holding onto the ball and staying upright when getting kicked or when trying to dig it out in a physical battle. I wouldn’t say he’s slow but he does not stand out as being particularly fast either. The main thing that makes Yamada exciting is his off-the-ball movement, which is elite. Yamada is constantly on the end of one-touch finishes inside the opposition’s six-yard-box. He even gets a fair number of headed shots, despite his diminutive stature, thanks to his movement. Yamada does not dribble over great distances but he can make quick cuts with the ball to create separation and get shots off.
His first touch is good, though he definitely misses out on some chances that strikers with an elite first touch would be able to turn into a shot. Yamada is not a player who is going to drop off and receive the ball but I did observe him playing some decent passes in behind opposing defences. On the defensive side of things, Yamada doesn’t necessarily stand out as an amazing presser but he holds his place in Kawasaki’s defensive shape and basically does what’s required of him.
Yamada’s limited profile and his age mean he probably isn’t destined for the top. But his movement really is pretty incredible so I think he could be good enough to play for a top team outside the top-5 leagues. Obviously, it would need to be a team that isn’t relying on a big physical target man or a striker who is going to be on the ball a lot. His age might also make him a good financial deal because teams wouldn’t be paying a premium for as yet unrealized potential.
Target Scouting 
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