Yūhei Tokunaga facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Yuhei Tokunaga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 25 September 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Unzen, Nagasaki, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defender | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Kunimi High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | FC Tokyo | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2017 | FC Tokyo | 382 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | V-Varen Nagasaki | 68 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Japan U-20 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Japan U-23 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Japan Olympic (O.P.) | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2013 | Japan | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Yuhei Tokunaga (徳永 悠平, Tokunaga Yūhei, born 25 September 1983) is a Japanese former footballer. He played as a defender.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Yuhei Tokunaga was born in Unzen, Japan, on September 25, 1983. He started his football journey while studying at Waseda University. During this time, he also played for the J1 League club FC Tokyo in 2003 and 2004.
Success with FC Tokyo
In 2004, FC Tokyo won their first major title, the 2004 J.League Cup. After finishing university, Tokunaga officially joined FC Tokyo in 2006. He quickly became a key player, usually playing as a right side back. He was known for his ability to play in different defensive positions.
FC Tokyo continued to achieve success with Tokunaga on the team. They won the 2009 J.League Cup again. In 2010, he even played as a defensive midfielder when another player was injured.
Moving to J2 and Back to J1
In 2010, FC Tokyo faced a tough season and was moved down to the J2 League. But they bounced back quickly! In 2011, with Tokunaga back at right side back, FC Tokyo won the J2 League and returned to J1. They also won the 2011 Emperor's Cup that year.
Tokunaga remained a regular player for FC Tokyo until 2017. He played many matches for the club over a long period.
Joining V-Varen Nagasaki
In 2018, Tokunaga moved to his hometown club, V-Varen Nagasaki. This team had just been promoted to J1. He played many games as a right back in their defense. However, V-Varen Nagasaki finished last in the 2018 season and was moved back to J2. Tokunaga continued to play for V-Varen Nagasaki until 2020.
National Team Journey
Yuhei Tokunaga also represented Japan in various national teams.
Youth National Teams
- Under-20 Team: In November 2003, he was chosen for the Japan U-20 national team. He played in all 5 matches at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, showing his skills as a right side midfielder.
- Under-23 Team (Olympics): Tokunaga was part of the Japan U-23 national team for the 2004 Summer Olympics. He played in 2 matches as a right side midfielder and right side back.
Senior National Team
On October 8, 2009, Tokunaga made his first appearance for the Japan national team. This was during a match against Hong Kong for the 2011 Asian Cup qualification. He played several matches as a right side back for the national team.
2012 London Olympics
In July 2012, Tokunaga was again selected for the Japan U-23 national team, this time as an "over-aged" player for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He played in 5 matches as a left side back. Japan performed very well, reaching the semi-finals! They lost to Mexico, who went on to win the gold medal. Japan then lost the bronze medal match to South Korea.
East Asian Cup Victory
In July 2013, Tokunaga was called up to the Japan national team again for the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup. He played in 2 matches as a left side back. Japan won the championship at this tournament, which was his last game for the national team. He played a total of 9 games for Japan between 2009 and 2013.
Honours and Achievements
Japan National Team
- EAFF East Asian Cup (1) : 2013
Club Achievements
- FC Tokyo
- J2 League (1) : 2011
- Emperor's Cup (1) : 2011
- J.League Cup (2) : 2004, 2009
See also
In Spanish: Yūhei Tokunaga para niños
