Yoshikazu Nagai facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Yoshikazu Nagai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | April 16, 1952 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 6+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1968–1970 | Urawa Minami High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1971–1988 | Furukawa Electric | 272 | (63) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 272 | (63) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1971–1980 | Japan | 69 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Japan U-20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | JEF United Ichihara | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Fukushima FC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Albirex Niigata | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Yokohama FC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Urawa Reds Ladies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Yoshikazu Nagai (永井 良和, born April 16, 1952) is a famous former Japanese football player. He also coached several teams. His son, Shunta Nagai, also played football professionally.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Nagai was born in Saitama, Japan, on April 16, 1952. After finishing high school, he joined the football club Furukawa Electric in 1971. This team was very successful during his time there.
- They won the Japan Soccer League championship twice: in 1976 and again in the 1985–86 season.
- They also won the Emperor's Cup in 1976.
- The team won the JSL Cup three times: in 1977, 1982, and 1986.
Nagai played for Furukawa Electric until he retired in 1988. He played in 272 league games and scored 63 goals. This is a record for the most appearances in the top division of the Japan Soccer League. In 1976, he was named the Japanese Footballer of the Year. He was also chosen for the "Best Eleven" team five times, which means he was one of the best players in the league.
Playing for Japan
Yoshikazu Nagai started playing for the Japan national team when he was just 19 years old. His first game was on August 13, 1971, against Iceland.
He played in important matches like the qualification games for the 1972 Summer Olympics. Even though he didn't play for Japan in 1972, he was back for the 1974 World Cup qualification games in 1973. He also represented Japan at the 1974 and 1978 Asian Games.
His last game for Japan was during the qualification for the 1980 Summer Olympics. Japan did not qualify for those Olympics. By 1980, he had played 69 games for Japan and scored 9 goals.
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Nagai became a coach. In 1988, he started coaching for his old club, Furukawa Electric, which later changed its name to JEF United Ichihara.
- In 1989, he became the manager for the Japan U-20 national team.
- He returned to JEF United Ichihara as manager from 1992 to 1993.
- In 1996, he managed Fukushima FC for one season.
- From 1998 to 2000, he managed Albirex Niigata. This club joined the new J2 League in 1999.
- In 2001, he moved to coach Yokohama FC.
- From 2006 to 2007, he coached the women's league team Urawa Reds Ladies in his local area.
In 2012, Yoshikazu Nagai was honored by being selected for the Japan Football Hall of Fame.
Club Statistics
Here's a look at Nagai's playing record for his club team:
| Club Performance | League | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Games Played | Goals Scored |
| Japan | League | |||
| 1971 | Furukawa Electric | JSL Division 1 | 10 | 2 |
| 1972 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 1973 | 18 | 2 | ||
| 1974 | 18 | 5 | ||
| 1975 | 18 | 7 | ||
| 1976 | 18 | 5 | ||
| 1977 | 18 | 14 | ||
| 1978 | 18 | 1 | ||
| 1979 | 18 | 6 | ||
| 1980 | 17 | 3 | ||
| 1981 | 15 | 6 | ||
| 1982 | 10 | 1 | ||
| 1983 | 12 | 1 | ||
| 1984 | 14 | 5 | ||
| 1985/86 | 22 | 3 | ||
| 1986/87 | 14 | 0 | ||
| 1987/88 | 22 | 2 | ||
| Total | 272 | 63 | ||
National Team Statistics
This table shows how many games Nagai played and goals he scored for the Japan national team each year:
| Japan National Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Games Played | Goals Scored |
| 1971 | 4 | 1 |
| 1972 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973 | 5 | 0 |
| 1974 | 4 | 1 |
| 1975 | 11 | 1 |
| 1976 | 17 | 2 |
| 1977 | 5 | 0 |
| 1978 | 12 | 1 |
| 1979 | 9 | 3 |
| 1980 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 69 | 9 |
Managerial Statistics
Here are the stats for Nagai's time as a football manager:
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win % | |||
| JEF United Ichihara | 1993 | 1993 | 36 | 14 | 0 | 22 | 38.89 |
| Albirex Niigata | 1999 | 2000 | 76 | 35 | 7 | 34 | 46.05 |
| Yokohama FC | 2001 | 2001 | 31 | 11 | 1 | 19 | 35.48 |
| Total | 143 | 60 | 8 | 75 | 41.96 | ||
Awards and Honors
- Japanese Footballer of the Year - 1976
- Japan Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2012
See also
In Spanish: Yoshikazu Nagai para niños
