Author: Japan Reacts Editorial

Vissel Kobe goalkeeper Gonda Shuichi, in an interview, questioned the modern soccer trend of prizing a GK’s “footwork/distribution skills” above all else, saying that focus is “actually unique to Japan.” His point: a keeper who can’t stop shots should never be rated highly, yet in Japan all the attention goes to passing ability. On 5ch, many pushed back by pointing to top overseas keepers like Neuer and Ederson as proof that footwork is valued worldwide too — while others raised the recent debate over Zion Suzuki’s save performances and the view that Japanese youth development tends to overrate small, technical players, splitting the discussion.

Kobe GK Gonda Shuichi lays out his own theory on the footwork skills now demanded of modern goalkeepers

In football in recent years, a goalkeeper’s “footwork technique” has rapidly grown in importance. In an era that praises keepers for joining the attack as essentially an extra field player, Vissel Kobe’s Gonda Shuichi — who has also played in Europe — quietly feels something is off about that trend. We dig into a theory of goalkeeping that only looks genuine coming from someone who has actually fought on the field. (Reporting and text by Yusuke Konishi, FOOTBALL ZONE editorial team / Part 2 of 5)

“What is the true essence of being a goalkeeper?”

Source: football-zone.net / Original article here

*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geisoku+) thread “[Soccer] The “footwork-first” trend is “actually unique to Japan” — Gonda Shuichi sounds the alarm… modern soccer’s blind spot: “the thing pros need least”“.

It’s been reported that Danish youth international defender Tobias Storm (22, NEC Nijmegen) holds both Danish and Japanese citizenship. His father is Danish and his mother is Japanese, and he reportedly conversed in Japanese with Japan national team players Sano Kota and Ogawa Koki. The Japan Football Association (JFA) is said to have reached out to him in the past. In a thread on 5ch’s Geino/Sports Express+ board, opinions were split — both over soccer’s rules on choosing international eligibility, and over just how well Japan’s “nationality selection” system for dual citizens actually functions in practice.

Could Danish youth international defender Tobias Storm ever end up choosing Japan?

The 22-year-old Storm joined Eredivisie side NEC Nijmegen this summer. Born to a Danish father and a Japanese mother, he reportedly also spoke Japanese with Japan national team midfielder Sano Kota and forward Ogawa Koki, who left Nijmegen this past summer.

A fixture in Denmark’s youth national teams and considered a promising prospect, Storm holds both Danish and Japanese passports, according to Campo. The outlet notes that “once his time in the youth national teams is over, it isn’t certain whether he’ll go on to play for Denmark’s senior team,” leaving open the possibility that he could instead choose to represent Japan.

Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geino/Sports Express+) thread “[Soccer] Danish youth international DF Storm: “I know I have a chance since I also hold Japanese citizenship” — JFA reportedly reached out in the past.”