ACE moved quickly to fill a gap in their title-chasing squad by snapping up Yuta Kasahara.
The 27-year-old has stepped down from the NPL Queensland and will make his home debut in tonight’s top-of-the-table clash with The Lakes at Wolter Park, kick-off 8.30pm.
He replaces Jarod Moran who joined us 18 months ago and became a first-team regular, but has now moved out of Brisbane.
Yuta, his replacement, is versatile, experienced and can play left or right back, left wing or number six … and “likes to get forward”.
He played for Lions last year picking up a winner’s medal from the NPL Qld Grand Final, after beating Olympic at Perry Park, where he returned for 2021 after signing for Brisbane Strikers.
Yuta played the first nine NPL games but, the Premiership winners in 2016 and 2017 have a much-changed squad and are currently bottom of the ladder.
“To be honest, I was not enjoying playing,” said Yuta, who was born in Japan and has been in Australia for three years. “It is a young team, very different to last year. I wanted to move.
“I knew ACE from three years ago when I was at Centenary Stormers in the (Brisbane) Premier League and I know the coach (Steve Glockner). I want to try and help this team and play every game I can.”
While at Stormers in 2018, Yuta was chosen for a BPL Select side to face Brisbane Roar, hitting the crossbar with Jamie Young beaten as Roar won 3-0.
ACE enter tonight’s game in second spot after last week’s 2-2 draw at Mt Gravatt, while The Lakes beat Brisbane Knights 3-1. But ACE won the only previous match between these sides, 3-0 at home in the 2019 Canale Cup.
ACE Reserves aim to keep their two-point lead at the top of the Premier League Reserves table tonight when they kick-off against The Lakes Reserves at 6.30pm.
Ryan Thomas tops the league’s scoring charts with 12 goals helping ACE to seven wins and two draws from nine games. The Lakes are seventh after four wins, one draw from 10 games.
