Akinori Nishizawa facts for kids
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 18 June 1976 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.80 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
Playing position | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||
Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1992–1994 | Shimizu Higashi High School | |||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
1995–2000 | Cerezo Osaka | 124 | (43) | |||||||||||||||||||
1995–1996 | →Volendam (loan) | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
2000–2001 | Espanyol | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
2001 | Cerezo Osaka | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
2001–2002 | Bolton Wanderers | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
2002–2006 | Cerezo Osaka | 148 | (41) | |||||||||||||||||||
2007–2008 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 43 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
2009 | Cerezo Osaka | 18 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
Total | 339 | (90) | ||||||||||||||||||||
National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1997–2002 | Japan | 29 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||||
Honours
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Akinori Nishizawa (西澤 明訓, Nishizawa Akinori, born 18 June 1976) is a Japanese former footballer. He was born on June 18, 1976. He played as a forward, which means he was a player who tried to score goals. Nishizawa also played for the Japan national team.
Contents
A Football Journey: Akinori Nishizawa's Club Career
Akinori Nishizawa was born in Shizuoka, Japan. After finishing high school at Shimizu Higashi High School, he started his professional football career.
Starting with Cerezo Osaka
Nishizawa joined Cerezo Osaka in 1995. This was his first professional club. He played for them for several years, becoming a key player.
Playing in Europe
In December 2000, Nishizawa moved to Europe. He joined Espanyol, a club in Spain. Later, in July 2001, he moved to England. He played for Bolton Wanderers. While at Bolton, he scored an important goal in a League Cup match against Walsall.
Returning to Japan
In 2002, Nishizawa returned to Cerezo Osaka. The team was in the J2 League at that time. They finished second in 2002 and were promoted back to the top league, J1 League. He stayed with Cerezo Osaka until 2006.
After that, he played for his local club, Shimizu S-Pulse, starting in 2007. He came back to Cerezo Osaka one last time in 2009. He retired from playing football at the end of the 2009 season. Throughout his club career, he played 339 games and scored 90 goals.
Representing Japan: International Career
Akinori Nishizawa also had an exciting career playing for his country. He was a member of the Japan national team.
First Steps with the National Team
Nishizawa played his first game for Japan on May 21, 1997. This match was against South Korea. He scored two goals in the 1998 World Cup qualification games. However, he was not chosen for the 1998 FIFA World Cup squad.
Success in Major Tournaments
In 2000, Nishizawa returned to play for Japan. He had a great performance at the 2000 Asian Cup in October. He played in all six games and scored five goals. Japan won the championship that year!
The next year, in 2001, he played in the 2001 Confederations Cup. He played four games and scored one goal. Japan did very well, finishing in second place in this tournament.
Playing in the World Cup
Nishizawa was selected for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. This was a very special event as it was held in Korea and Japan. He played in one game during the tournament. This match was his last game for the Japan national team. In total, he played 29 games for Japan and scored 10 goals.
Honours and Achievements
Akinori Nishizawa achieved several important things during his football career.
With Japan National Team
- AFC Asian Cup: Champion in 2000
- FIFA Confederations Cup: Runner-up in 2001
Individual Awards
- J1 League Best Eleven: 2000 (This means he was chosen as one of the best players in the J1 League in 2000.)
See also
In Spanish: Akinori Nishizawa para niños