Japan’s Yuto Nagatomo has been very successful in cementing his status as one of the best defenders in Japan, which gave him a spot in their country’s National Team that is currently competing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The 23-year old Japanese will now have the chance to show why he is considered as one of the hottest players in their country.
His football career started when he played with his high school, Higashi High School, and when he graduated, he was named to the football team of Meiji University. Nagatomo started his professional career with the FC Tokyo of the Japan League (J-League). He immediately made an impact when his team went up against Tokyo Verdy after he was able to limit the production of Hulk, who is the J-Leagues best striker.
After an impressive year with FC Tokyo, he was selected in the 23-man squad of Japan that participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Men’s Football Tournament. His versatility inside the playing field also gave him a slot in Japan's lineup, which performed very well in the Asian Qualifying Tournament for the World Cup. He has already amassed a total of 26 International caps and scored a total of three international goals in his career.
A defender is usually tagged as the backbone of the team and great defenders like Nagatomo will surely be an asset for Japan in the biggest tournament in the World of Football. He has the terrific ability of constantly pressuring the offense of his opponents because he can anticipate their moves. And with his stamina, he can keep his pace throughout the game.
Yuto’s versatility will also pose threats for the opposing team. Besides being a great defender, he can easily switch to the center back position and continues to apply pressure to the opponent’s defense with his aggressiveness inside the field. Though he is not that tall, he will use his speed and agility to break the defense and create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.
Yuki Nagatomo has the fundamentals that a player needs to possess to have a successful career in football. He also has the passion of making his game better and the lessons he will learn from the World Cup will certainly help him in the long run. Playing in his first World Cup, expectations are not that high for Nagatomo, but his team needs his presence badly. His defensive intensity can fire up his teammates making their chances of pulling off another upset win higher.
Japan and National Team Coach Takeshi Okada will try to bounce back from their disappointing performance in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. The Japanese squad opened up their campaign in the World Cup with a bang when they mounted a 1-0 win against Cameroon after Keisuke Honda scored Japan’s first World Cup outside their country. The win against Cameroon boosted their confidence but it was not enough as they suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat in the hands of Denmark. They were able to keep up with the much favored Denmark squad in the first half of the game but Wesley Sneijder unleashed the game-winning goal in the 53rd minute of the match.
Japan will next face Netherlands in a crucial match that will be the turning point of their campaign this year. They have the upper hand in this match because they just need a draw to advance in the second round due to having the advantage in terms of goal difference. Coach Okada is expected to utilize the talent of his squad and Yuto Nagatomo will be ready to get it on once he is given the chance to showcase his skills.
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