Cerezo Osaka defender Ayumu Ohata won the J1 100 Year Vision League’s Save of the Month WEST award for the month of February.
The 24-year-old was recognised for his remarkable goal-line clearance during Cerezo Osaka’s 2-1 defeat to Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
In the 22nd minute of the February 22 clash, Ohata produced an acrobatic effort to deny what looked like a certain goal and keep his side in the contest.
大畑 歩夢選手 ２月度の明治安田Ｊ１百年構想リーグ WEST「月間ベストセーブ賞」を受賞🏆✨… pic.twitter.com/ykSPTH2YeW
— セレッソ大阪オフィシャル (@crz_official) March 19, 2026
Despite the award traditionally being reserved for goalkeepers, his save stood out enough to earn official recognition.
“I’m honoured to have been selected for February’s Best Save Award. It means a lot, especially as I understand this is the first time an outfield player has received this recognition in the J1 League,” he said.
“We’ll continue to give everything we’ve got, so we truly appreciate your continued passionate support.”
Former Weekly Soccer Magazine editor-in-chief Satoshi Hojo described it as “an extraordinary save with massive impact”, while retired footballer Ryohei Hayashi added that he had never seen a scorpion-style block like it.
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