Pentagon Pursuit | Part 6 | Stepping Up To J2 League

The streets of Takamatsu were painted blue as the fans of Kamatamare Sanuki celebrated an unexpected promotion and J3 League title win in 2024. The supporters were united in thinking there was only one man to thank for this success, their fledgling manager Robaato Rasamu, who was instilled as a fans’ favourite alongside the mighty Himan “He-Man” Morimoto.

And they weren’t alone in admiring his talent. The media linked him to the vacant managerial seat at Korean top-flight side Daegu before he was offered an interview at relegated Fukuoka, who went in another direction. The interest was largely thanks to Rasamu’s attributes being boosted by completing his second coaching course, the National B Licence.

However, Rasamu was committed to having a crack at J2 League with Sanuki. To do that, another huge rebuild was required as 18 players departed, including Yuto Mori joining Miyazaki for a new club record £120k. But to counter that, he brought in 12 new players.

The pick of the arrivals was South Korean centre-back Choi Won-Chang along with goalkeeper Issei Ouchi, striker Ko Miyazaki alongside a permanent deal for last season’s loanee Harumi Minamino, left-winger Ryunosuke Sagara, centre-backs Renta Higashi and Maaya Sako and right-back Shuto Okinawa. Rasamu also turned to the loan market to bring in exciting 17-year-old winger Yoshiki Saito from Tokyo Verdy, right-back Kunio Okamura from Shimizu, left-back Shin Won-Ho from Cheonan and holding midfielder Ryo Shibano from Yamaguchi.

With the squad massively restructured, Rasamu probably now had too many players. He initially decided to stick with the approach that worked last season with a couple of minor tweaks to the roles with a backup tactic in mind that would take more of a defensive mindset.

Stepping Up To J2 League

Sanuki came into the J2 League 2025 campaign as massive favourites to be relegated. Their title odds of 250/1 are well off those of fellow-promoted sides FC Gifu and Matsumoto Yamaga at 50/1. While relegated sides Fukuoka and Niigata are promotion favourites at Evens and 6/5 followed by Nagasaki (4/1), Iwata (9/2) and Sendai (5/1).

They began at home to Okayama, were under the cosh for most of the game and lost 2-0 to two late goals. But they were much improved a few days later at home to Gunma. Minamino gave them the lead and Gunma equalised with a dubious penalty, but the injured He-Man came off the bench to create the winner for Minamino and give Rasamu his first J2 victory. That gave them confidence for their first away day at Sendai as they raced into an early two-goal lead through Go Jun-Young and He-Man. But Sendai bossed the game and deservedly levelled but Sanuki held on for a hard-earned point.

Local rivalries were restored at Imabari, who eased to a 3-1 win, before Rasamu had fellow promoted side Matsumoto’s wasteful shooting to thank as Shin’s screamer earned a 1-0 victory. The strong home performances continued as midfielder Takumi Wakaya scored his first goal for the club then Miyazaki followed suit before Go got himself sent off and they eased to a 3-1 win.

An unexpected meeting saw Rasamu reunited with Kazuhiko Itakura, the club owner he first met at the party to celebrate his infamous thesis nearly two years ago. The pair had a good catch-up before Sanuki welcomed Verdy on Friday 28 March, with Itakura warmly praising Rasamu’s managerial achievements thus far. And there was plenty more for him to be impressed by as Rasamu’s side soaked up pressure and earned a late point through Sagare’s first goal for the club.

The one thing fans had been missing this season was the infamous He-Man celebration as the big man had been sidelined by several injuries. But they finally got their wish as he struck in the 19th minute, and delivered a dramatic rendition of “By the power of Greyskull” to rapturous applause from the 3,759 people nowhere near filling Marugame Stadium.

Sanuki had been struggling away from home, but a few subtle tactical tweaks saw them put that right at 8th-place Kofu. He-Man sent Minamino through for an early opener and was gifted a goal by some brainless defending. Kofu scored a penalty but Sanuki defended heroically to earn a huge three points. They came close to backing that up but injury-time goals cost them wins at Iwata and Kumamoto before Saito’s first goal for the club earned a point at Nagasaki.

Those away days followed a big test of their credentials at home to early leaders Mito. But Rasamu’s boys were seemingly unfazed as He-Man tapped home an early opener before Kutsuna doubled the lead. Mito came back into it but Sanuki hit them on the counter through Minamino to wrap up a special 3-0 success. But that was usurped by a dominant performance to thrash Tochigi 5-1 led by a Saito brace and a Kyoji Kutsuna assist hat-trick.

That big win took Sanuki eight games unbeaten and in an impressive 8th place at the halfway point of J2 League. Unbelievably, they were only three points off the playoff places, six off the top of the league and 13 clear of relegation trouble. Also, only leaders Mito and Nagasaki have more than Sanuki’s 32 goals.