Yuji Nakazawa facts for kids
Nakazawa with Japan in 2008
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Yuji Nakazawa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 25 February 1978 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Yoshikawa, Saitama, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1992 | Yoshikawa Higashi Junior High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Misato Kogyo High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | América Mineiro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Tokyo Verdy | 83 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2018 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 510 | (31) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 593 | (36) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Japan U-23 | 12 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2010 | Japan | 110 | (17) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Yuji Nakazawa (中澤 佑二, Nakazawa Yūji, born 25 February 1978) is a famous Japanese former professional footballer. He was a strong centre back, which is a defensive player. He played for big teams like Tokyo Verdy and Yokohama F. Marinos in the J1 League. He even used to be the captain of the Japan national team. People called him "The Bomber" because of his cool hairstyle and how good he was at heading the ball!
Yuji Nakazawa is one of only seven Japanese players to play 100 games for his country. He also played the third highest number of games in the J.League, with 593 appearances. He played an amazing 178 games in a row for Yokohama F. Marinos from July 2013 to August 2018.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting Out in Football
Yuji Nakazawa began his football journey at Yoshikawa Higashi Junior High School. He then went to Misato Technology High School. Even though he played well, no professional scouts noticed him there. But Yuji was determined to become a professional player. So, he decided to go to Brazil to train with a team called América Mineiro. While in Brazil, he helped his team win a championship in the junior category.
Joining Tokyo Verdy
After a year of training in Brazil, Yuji Nakazawa came back to Japan. In 1998, he joined Verdy Kawasaki, which later became Tokyo Verdy. He started as a trainee, meaning he didn't get paid. But he worked very hard and impressed the club. The next year, they offered him a full professional contract.
His first game in the J1 League was on March 13, 1999. He played against Cerezo Osaka. He scored his first goal in the league on April 10, 1999, against Nagoya Grampus Eight. In that same year, he won the J.League Young Player of the Year award. He was also chosen for the J.League Team of the Year.
Success with Yokohama F. Marinos
In 2002, Nakazawa moved to Yokohama F. Marinos. He helped his new team win two J1 League championships in a row. They won in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, he was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the league!
From 2007, he played more than 30 games every season, except for 2010. He also played every minute of 178 games in a row from July 2013 to August 2018. This is a J.League record for a non-goalkeeper! Yuji Nakazawa retired from football on January 8, 2019, at the age of 40.
Playing for Japan
Early International Games
Philippe Troussier, the coach of the Japan national team, called Yuji Nakazawa to play. Yuji played in games to qualify for the Olympics. He also played in the Olympic finals in Sydney. Troussier then picked him for the main national team. His first game for Japan was on September 8, 1999, against Iran. He scored his first goal for Japan on February 13, 2000, against Singapore.
He was part of the Japan team that won the 2000 AFC Asian Cup in Lebanon. He played three games in that competition. However, he was not chosen for the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals.
World Cup and Asian Cup Appearances
Under the new national coach Zico, Nakazawa became a key defender. He played in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup finals. He played in all of Japan's matches and scored three goals. One of his goals was a very important one in the semi-final against Bahrain. Japan went on to win the title again!
He also played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. However, the team did not make it past the first round. After this tournament, he said he would retire from international football at age 28. But six months later, he changed his mind. Coach Ivica Osim then played him in a friendly game against Peru in 2007.
He played in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals. This time, Japan finished 4th and did not win the title.
Reaching 100 Caps
On February 14, 2010, Nakazawa played his 100th game for the Japan national team. This was against South Korea in the final match of the 2010 East Asian Football Championship. Yuji Nakazawa became only the third Japanese player to reach 100 games for his country. Later that year, Yasuhito Endo also reached 100 caps.
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Nakazawa played in all four of Japan's games. Japan reached the round of 16 but lost to Paraguay in a penalty shootout.
Career Achievements
Yokohama F. Marinos
- J1 League: 2003, 2004
- Emperor's Cup: 2013
Japan
- AFC Asian Cup: 2000, 2004
Individual Awards
- AFC Asian Cup Best Eleven – 2004
- J.League Most Valuable Player – 2004
- J.League Rookie of the Year – 1999
- J.League Best Eleven – 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2013
- J.League 20th Anniversary Team
- J.League 30th Anniversary Team
- Japanese Footballer of the Year – 2004
- Selected to AFC All Star Team – 1999
- East Asian Football Championship Best Defender – 2008
- AFC Asian Cup All-time XI: 2023
See also
In Spanish: Yūji Nakazawa para niños
