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The story
Aston Villa, home to goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, faced Club Brugge in Matchday 1 of the Champions League league phase on September 8 and won 3-2. Suzuki became the first Japanese goalkeeper in history to appear in the Champions League proper, helping secure the win. He joined the club this season on a permanent transfer from Parma, and after also becoming the first Japanese player to debut in the Premier League, has locked down the starting goalkeeper role. On the 5ch “Geinou/Sports Sokuhou+” board, the thread buzzed with assessments of Suzuki’s performance, comparisons to Takefusa Kubo and legendary goalkeepers Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi and Seigo Narazaki, and discussion of how he had been Shusaku Nishikawa’s backup during his Urawa Reds days.
[Sept. 8, UEFA Champions League League Phase Matchday 1: Club Brugge 2-3 Aston Villa]
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) opened its league phase on the 8th with matches held around the continent, and Aston Villa (England), home to goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, defeated Club Brugge (Belgium) 3-2. Suzuki became the first Japanese goalkeeper ever to play in the Champions League, contributing to the winning start.
Suzuki joined Aston Villa this season from Parma. After making the first-ever Premier League debut by a Japanese player in Matchday 2 against Arsenal and claiming the starting goalkeeper job, he also earned a starting berth in the Champions League.
Source: web.gekisaka.jp / Original article here
What people said
That's something the whole world already knows.
No idea why you're bringing it up now — what's the point?
https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2096331821768183811/vid/avc1/1080×1920/uu0zHeLbdUi-L7PE.mp4
Distributor Suzuki (a nod to his long-passing/ball-distribution skills)
Moriyasu is the one who raised Zion.
All thanks to Moriyasu.
Football isn't a solo sport, you know.
No chance on the first goal, and the second was a penalty.
Zion's miles ahead, no contest.
Honestly makes no sense that people even compare them.
Though the Japanese media are probably the least interested in him, if anything.
Don't steal the spotlight from Otani and Murakami.
On sports news shows,
Zion's coverage has been picking up steadily too.
My guess: he'd have ended up just another unremarkable mixed-heritage player who's only notable for being big.
Just imagining it gets me excited.
If he'd been battling through the middle as a striker, the attacking mids behind him could've piled up goals easily lol
There's also a story that when it looked like he might not even hit 180cm as a kid, he was told, "You're a keeper — cut back on training if you have to, just sleep," and being forced to rest like that is credited with helping him grow all the way to 190cm.
If he'd stayed a forward, he'd have ended up just an average-height guy with a strong mixed-heritage build, nothing more.
Not just them — he's surpassed Boss Zaru too (a nickname for a former Japan goalkeeper).
Was he not that impressive back then?
Whenever he started, he'd rack up mistakes.
Plus Nishikawa won Asia with that team — tough guy to compete with.
He lacked experience, and
overall Nishikawa was just the better keeper.
That's all there is to it.
But even back then, didn't mighty Man United try to snap Zion up early, and he turned them down?
If that's the only way you can look at it, better not post on forums — you're just embarrassing yourself.
Background and Talking Points
Zion Suzuki’s given name, “Ayane” (彩艶), is read as “Zion,” and that’s the nickname used throughout the thread. He completed a permanent transfer from Parma to Aston Villa this summer, locked down the starting goalkeeper spot in the Premier League from the season opener, and was also handed the starting job for this Champions League match. During his time at Urawa Reds he had to settle for being backup to starting keeper Shusaku Nishikawa, but his career took off rapidly after his move abroad. While the thread lit up with comparisons to past national-team goalkeepers like Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi and Seigo Narazaki, some posts touching on Suzuki’s mixed heritage veered into discussions of race and immigration policy — those posts have been excluded from this piece.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Sokuhou+) thread “[Soccer] History-maker Zion Suzuki becomes first Japanese GK ever to debut in the Champions League!! Aston Villa win on the road.”
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