Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi facts for kids

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Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi

Kawaguchi with Júbilo Iwata in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi
Date of birth	(1975-08-15) 15 August 1975 (age 50)
Place of birth	Fuji, Shizuoka, Japan
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1991–1993	Shimizu Shogyo High School
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–2001	Yokohama F. Marinos	193	(0)
2001–2003	Portsmouth	12	(0)
2003–2005	Nordsjælland	8	(0)
2005–2013	Júbilo Iwata	228	(0)
2014–2015	Gifu	43	(0)
2016–2018	Sagamihara	43	(0)
Total		527	(0)
International career
1995–1996	Japan U23	10	(0)
1997–2010	Japan	116	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Japan AFC Asian Cup Winner 2000 Lebanon Winner 2004 China FIFA Confederations Cup Runner-up 2001 Korea/Japan
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (川口 能活, Kawaguchi Yoshikatsu, born 15 August 1975), also known as Yoshi Kawaguchi, is a retired Japanese football player. He was a goalkeeper, known for his amazing saves.

Kawaguchi played most of his career in Japan's top league, the J1 League. He also had short times playing in Europe. He played for the Japanese national team 116 times. This makes him one of the players with the most appearances for Japan. He was also the team's captain from 2006 to 2008.

He played in four FIFA World Cup tournaments: 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010. He also played in the AFC Asian Cup in 2004 and 2007.

Playing Career

Starting Out in Japan

Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi was born in Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. He went to Shimizu Commercial High School and was a key player on their football team. After high school, he joined the professional team Yokohama Marinos. This team later became known as Yokohama F. Marinos.

Time in England: Portsmouth

After playing very well for his club and country, Kawaguchi moved to England. He joined the club Portsmouth. This was a big move for him.

However, he found it hard to get used to playing in the English league. The games were very physical, which was different from what he was used to. He lost his starting spot to an older player, Dave Beasant.

Even though he didn't play much, fans liked him because he was always cheerful. He promised to work hard to get his place back. His last game for Portsmouth was in 2003. He came on as a substitute and received a big cheer from the fans.

Moving to Denmark: Nordsjælland

Kawaguchi realized he needed to play more games. So, he moved to Nordsjælland in the Danish league. This gave him a chance to play regularly again.

Back Home: Júbilo Iwata

Before the 2005 Japanese football season, Kawaguchi returned to Japan. He signed with Júbilo Iwata, a team that often competed for the league title. He played for Júbilo Iwata for many years.

International Matches

Early Years with Japan (1996–2001)

Kawaguchi was chosen to play for the Japan national team. He played in the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996. In one game, he managed to keep a "clean sheet" (meaning the other team didn't score) against Brazil.

He also played in Japan's very first World Cup game in 1998. Japan lost 1–0 to Argentina. Throughout that tournament, his great saves kept Japan from losing by bigger scores. In 2001, Kawaguchi was Japan's main goalkeeper. The team finished second in the Confederations Cup.

Becoming Captain (2004–2006)

Kawaguchi was known for being very good at stopping penalty kicks. In the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, he saved two penalties in a shootout against Jordan. He also saved a penalty from Croatia's Darijo Srna in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

During the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, he was a hero in the quarter-final game against Australia. He saved two penalties in the shootout, helping Japan win. He was named the "Man of the Match" for his performance.

In August 2006, he became the captain of the Japanese national team. The new manager, Ivica Osim, chose him because the previous captain wasn't playing enough for his club.

Later Years (2008–2010)

Kawaguchi is Japan's most-capped goalkeeper. He is also the third most-capped player overall, with 116 games for Japan. However, an injury in 2008 kept him from playing for a while. His long-time rival, Seigo Narazaki, became the main goalkeeper for Japan.

He broke his leg in a league game in 2008. It looked like he might miss the 2010 FIFA World Cup. But he recovered quickly! The Japanese coach, Takeshi Okada, decided to include him in the team. Kawaguchi was one of only two Japanese players to be named for their fourth World Cup. Even though he hadn't played much recently, the coach wanted his leadership and experience to help the team. Kawaguchi was made captain of the national team again on May 21, 2010.

After 2010, Kawaguchi was not chosen to play for the national team under the new coach, Alberto Zaccheroni. A younger goalkeeper, Eiji Kawashima, started playing very well. This meant Kawaguchi's time playing for Japan was over.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Awards and Achievements

Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi won many awards and titles during his football career:

• Yokohama F. Marinos

* J1 League: 1995

• Portsmouth

* Football League First Division: 2002–03

• Jubilo Iwata

* J.League Cup: 2010

• Japan National Team

* AFC Asian Cup: 2000, 2004 * AFC-OFC Challenge Cup: 2001 * Afro-Asian Cup of Nations: 2007

• Individual Awards

* J.League Rookie of the Year: 1995 * FIFA Confederations Cup All-Star Team: 2001 * AFC Player of the Month: June 2001 * AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: 2004 * J1 League Best XI: 2006 * J.League Fair Play Award: 2008 * J.League 20th Anniversary Team: 2013 * J.League 30th Anniversary Team: 2023

See also

In Spanish: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi para niños

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps