2008 Sports Events

Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi is very popular among Japanese soccer fans. He is a star today and for that all credit goes to his goalkeeping prowess. In 1991, he captained his team Shimizu Shogyo to the Japan High Schools Championship. In 1994, he joined a club called Yokohama Marinos. He helped his team win the league title in 1995 and was consequently voted the rookie of the year.

He played brilliantly at the 1996 Olympics leading Japan to a shock 1-0 win over Brazil. With him as a crucial player, the Japan team won the AFC Asian Cup in 2004. He also scored well against Greece and Brazil during the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany.

He suffered from lack of form in Japan's three defeats at France 98. He had a bad spell with English side Portsmouth and subsequently lost his place as a goalkeeper for 2002 World Cup in South Korea/Japan. Now he is back in form and Japanese fans are expecting a lot from him this FIFA season.