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Taizo Kawamoto
川本 泰三
Personal information
Full name Taizo Kawamoto
Date of birth (1914-01-17)January 17, 1914
Place of birth Seto, Aichi, Empire of Japan
Date of death September 20, 1985(1985-09-20) (aged 71)
Place of death Osaka, Osaka, Japan
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 7+12 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1926–1930 Ichioka High School
1931–1937 Waseda University
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Waseda WMW
Osaka SC
International career
1934–1954 Japan 9 (4)
Managerial career
1958 Japan
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Taizo Kawamoto (川本 泰三, Kawamoto Taizō, January 17, 1914 – September 20, 1985) was a famous Japanese football player and coach. He played as a forward for the Japan national team. Later, he also became the manager of the Japan national team.

Playing for Clubs

Taizo Kawamoto was born in Seto, Japan, on January 17, 1914. He played football for a team called Waseda WMW. This team was made up of players and graduates from his university. In 1940, his team finished second in a big competition called the Emperor's Cup.

In 1941, Taizo Kawamoto served in the military during World War II. After the war, he was held in the Soviet Union for four years. He returned to Japan in December 1949 when he was 35 years old. He then joined a new team, Osaka SC. Osaka SC also did very well, finishing second in the Emperor's Cup three times. This happened in 1951, 1952, and 1953.

Playing for Japan's National Team

Miracle of Berlin (1936 Olympics 1st round v Sweden on August 4)

In May 1934, while still a student, Taizo Kawamoto was chosen to play for the Japan national football team. His first game was at the 1934 Far Eastern Championship Games in Manila. In that game, on May 13, he scored a goal against the Dutch East Indies.

In 1936, he was part of the Japan team for the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. He scored an important goal against Sweden. Japan won this game in a surprising comeback. This was Japan's first ever victory in football at the Olympics. This amazing win became known as the "Miracle of Berlin." In 2016, this special team was honored and chosen for the Japan Football Hall of Fame.

After World War II, Kawamoto continued to play for Japan. He played in the 1954 FIFA World Cup qualification and the 1954 Asian Games. He was also part of the team for the 1956 Summer Olympics as a player and assistant coach, but he did not play in any games. He played a total of 9 games for Japan and scored 4 goals until 1954. On May 3, 1954, he became the oldest player to ever play for the Japan national team. He was 40 years and 106 days old!

Coaching Japan's National Team

In 1956, Taizo Kawamoto worked as an assistant coach for the Japan national team. In 1958, he became the main manager for the Japan national team. This was for the 1958 Asian Games held in Tokyo. Japan played against the Philippines and Hong Kong. However, Japan lost both games. After these losses, he decided to step down as manager.

Taizo Kawamoto passed away on September 20, 1985, in Osaka. He was 71 years old. In 2005, he was honored again when he was chosen for the Japan Football Hall of Fame after his death.

National Team Statistics

Japan national team
Year Apps Goals
1934 3 2
1935 0 0
1936 2 1
1937 0 0
1938 0 0
1939 0 0
1940 1 1
1941 0 0
1942 0 0
1943 0 0
1944 0 0
1945 0 0
1946 0 0
1947 0 0
1948 0 0
1949 0 0
1950 0 0
1951 0 0
1952 0 0
1953 0 0
1954 3 0
Total 9 4

National Team Goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 13 May 1934 Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines  Dutch East Indies 1–7 Lost 1934 Far Eastern Championship Games
2. 15 May 1934 Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines  Philippines 4–3 Won 1934 Far Eastern Championship Games
3. 4 August 1936 Hertha-BSC-Platz, Berlin, Germany  Sweden 3–2 Won 1936 Summer Olympics
4. 16 June 1940 Koshien South Ground, Nishinomiya, Japan  Philippines 1–0 Won 2600th National Foundation Festival

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Taizo Kawamoto para niños

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