Kashima Antlers' 18-year-old forward Tokuda Yoshitaka failed a penalty shootout in the match against Gamba Osaka on the 5th (Melsta). With the second half of the 0-0, the course was 4 minutes longer, and the kick to the left of the goal was weakened, and the goalkeeper was prevented.

The penalty kick was entrusted with because he was expected to have a future. He is the youngest Japanese J1 player to be a penalty kicker at age 18 and 7 months and 17 days, and this is the first time in four years since Kashima midfielder Araki Ryotaro, who was 19 years old in his teens, succeeded in the match against Hiroshima in November 2021.

FW Suzuki Yuma, who scored three goals this season in penalty shootouts, left in that situation, but when he looked into the player's first penalty kick in J1, he found out he was 20 years old. Midfielder Endo Yasuhito, the highest scorer in J1 history, scored 31 goals for the first time at the age of 21. FW Okubo Yoshito, who ranked 27 points in the same place, is also 22 years old. Ichihara's forward, a high school graduate and a newcomer with four consecutive goals since his debut in 1994, was unable to kick penalty kicks in his first year in professional years, and was assigned as a kicker for the first time in his third year against Yokohama F in May 1996, but failed. His first penalty shootout came when he was 21 years old after transferring to Yokohama M.

To kick a penalty kick, you need not only accuracy in the kick, but also the team's trust. Above all, mental strength is required. Italian national team Roberto Baggio, who missed the championship by missing the penalty shootout in the 1994 World Cup US tournament against Brazil. “Only those who have the courage to kick a penalty kick can miss a penalty kick.”

[Ishikawa Hidekazu](Nickan Sports.com/Soccer Column “Data Talks”)

◆J1 Young Penalty Kicker The youngest member is Brazilian forward Rodrigo, who was 18 years old and 2 months and 8th, recorded in the match against Kashiwa on November 18, 1995, when he was 18 years old and 2 months old. Kashima forward Tokuda is the second person under the age of 18 to kick a penalty kick. At the age of 19, FC Tokyo's forward Shigematsu Kentaro was the first Japanese player to succeed in the match against Kyoto on April 17th, 2010.