Yuki Saneto has been awarded J1 Goal of the Month for February and March, a deserved honor for the Yokohama F·Marinos man whose 95th minute bicycle kick equalizer in Matchweek 4 earned his side a draw in spectacular fashion.
Marinos were desperately pushing for an equalizer as the clock ticked past the final of four minutes of stoppage time. A last-gasp cross was headed back across goal, where Saneto halted his run, twisted his body and hit an amazing bicycle kick that sent the ball off the underside of the bar and just over the goal line.
It was an incredible goal, a result-winner, and came at the death. It was as good as it gets.
In J2, Fagiano Okayama’s Tiago Alves took home Goal of the Month for his goal from more than half-field in the season’s opening match. With Fagi up 2-1 just after halftime, Tiago Alves spotted an opportunity that only the most daring would go for and hit a 60-yard bullet that perfectly lofted over the goalkeeper, hitting the back of the net for a goal nobody in the stadium will ever forget.
Goal of the Month in J3 went to FC Imabari’s Kazaki Nakagawa, who hit a gorgeous chip in Matchweek 2 to put his side up early in a 2-1 victory.