Thailand’s Chanathip Songkrasin continues to impress for new club Consadole Sapporo this season and has once again found the net as his side managed an impressive draw against Cerezo Osaka, to take the Hokkaido Islanders as high as fourth place in the table.
Cerezo got off to a good start on hostile territory when Matej Jonjic scored the opener for the visitors, but Chanathip managed to level the score just a minute later with an exquisite half-volley from outside the penalty box. This marks the Thai forward’s fifth goal of the season after 18 appearances. Coincidentally, Chanathip scored his first ever J-league goal against Cerezo earlier this season.
The former BEC Tero and Muangthong United star continues to be a trailblazer and an important symbol for the Thai national team. His initial loan move to Consadole back in July 2017 was credited with sparking an exodus of Thai players moving abroad, which has since seen the likes of Theerathon Bunmathan and Teerasil Dangda join the diminutive attacker in Japan, as well as the departure of Kawin Thamsatchanan to join Thai-owned OH Leuven in Belgium.
Additionally, his transfer has also been responsible for the J-league growing popularity in Thailand, as many of the division’s games are now televised in Chanathip’s homeland.
With Consadole Sapporo flying high this season, Chanathip has made his move to Hokkaido permanent, with the Japanese outfit reportedly breaking the Thai League transfer record to secure his services.