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- Japan National Team Coach Moriyasu (Photographer Kawada Shinji) will be taking part in the press conference
On the 3rd, the Japan Football Association (JFA) announced 26 Japanese national team members who will be competing in the East Asia E-1 Championship (7th to 16th, South Korea) in Chiba City. College graduate rookie forward Nakamura Sota (22), who has scored 7 goals and assisted in 29 official matches this season, has been selected for the first time in Sanfrecce Hiroshima, which has been in good form. His weapon is his outstanding speed and he plays with wingbacks and shadows. During his time at Meiji University, he was the first ever in history to be the top scorer and assist king in the Kanto University League for two consecutive years, and took a chance to join the World Cup North and Central America Tournament, one year later. The 12 members are fresh members who are called up for the first time, and are aiming for a second consecutive victory.
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Although he was the only rookie to be selected as a national team member, there was little surprise. Nakamura, a fast-paced attacker who has made such an impact this season, commented through the club, “I am very pleased that this was my first time choosing to be the Japanese national team, which was my goal. I will do my best to contribute to the team's victory.”
He will continue to have a successful professional career. This was his first goal in his debut match in the Asian Champions League 2 (ACL2). He scored the winning goal in the opening game of the J1 season, and showed a strong presence, scoring five goals in seven official matches from the beginning of the season. He continued to secure his turn in the fierce regular spot, scoring two goals in 21 league games and six assists in second place in the league. Wonder Boy, a college student until just four months ago, got his ticket to the national team.
His outstanding speed is his signature. Manager Moriyasu highly praised his abilities, saying, “They use their sense of speed and agility in the situation to remove the situation, and the ability to play towards the goal.” With defensive dedication, he can play with both wingbacks on both sides. With his easy-to-understand features such as speed and kick, this also coincides with midfielder Soma, who won the top scorer and MVP in the last tournament in 2022, and joined the team as a member of the World Cup Qatar tournament in the same year.
Nakamura is not just a man of speed. During his time at Meiji University, he was the first ever in the Kanto University League to score the top scorer and become the MVP for the second consecutive year. This was a feat that even Mito Kaoru was unable to achieve during his time at Tsukuba University, and his determination and competitive strength led his team to an unbeaten victory. He was not the type to actively appear in public, but in his final year he was nominated as captain and was given the mark. He has also acquired mental strength and continues to achieve results while being attracted attention as a golden rookie in the pros.
In early autumn, when he began to wear No. 10 in his third year of university, he quietly muttered, “My dream is to compete in the World Cup as a member of the Japan team.” In order to make your dreams come true, the first thing to do is explode in Korea.[Sato Naru]
◆Nakamura Sota was born on October 15th, 2002 (Heisei 14) in Gunma Prefecture. He started playing soccer with the White Star U12, and was in Maebashi FC – Maebashi Ikuei High School – Meiji University. He joined Hiroshima in 2015. In his third and fourth year of university, he won two titles: the Kanto University League's top scorer and the assist title. In 2013, he swept the league MVP, Best Eleven and individual awards. He was a candidate for the U-22 Japan national team in 2013. 168cm. 64kg.
