Gotoku Sakai
Encyclopedia
is an American
born German
-Japanese
football
player currently playing for Albirex Niigata
.
, United States
, to a Japanese father and a German
mother. The family moved to Japan
when he was 2-years old. He grew up in Sanjō, Niigata prefecture
. Sakai started playing football at Sanjō junior soccer club, together with his brother Noriyoshi. At age 15, he joined Albirex Niigata
youth academy and entered Kaishi Gakuen High School. His team played at the Prince Takamado Cup
, All Japan Club Youth Soccer tournament and J. League Youth tournament.
Years later-in his final year at school, he was chosen as one of the designated players for development by J. League Division 1 and JFA
. With this status, he was able to register as a J. League club player while he was still eligible to play for his school. He made his Albirex first-team debut, at the age of 17, on 15 November 2008 in a Emperor's Cup
match against FC Tokyo. He officially signed with Albirex Niigata in the following season. After becoming professional, he was assigned the number 24 shirt. He made his professional football debut in the opening J1 League match of the 2009 season also against FC Tokyo.
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|2010
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|2011
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United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
born German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
-Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player currently playing for Albirex Niigata
Albirex Niigata
is a Japanese J. League Division 1 association football team. Despite the club's relative youth, only joining the J. League in 1999, Albirex are one of Japan's best supported teams. In 2003, while still playing in the second tier of Japanese football , Albirex attracted the best average crowd in...
.
Club career
Sakai was born in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, to a Japanese father and a German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
mother. The family moved to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
when he was 2-years old. He grew up in Sanjō, Niigata prefecture
Sanjo, Niigata
is a city located in central part of Niigata, Japan. The city has a Jōetsu Shinkansen stop at Tsubame-Sanjō Station.- Geography :Sanjō is located in the center of Niigata prefecture. It is about 2 hours from Tokyo by way of the Jōetsu Shinkansen or 4 hours on the Kan-Etsu Expressway and Hokuriku...
. Sakai started playing football at Sanjō junior soccer club, together with his brother Noriyoshi. At age 15, he joined Albirex Niigata
Albirex Niigata
is a Japanese J. League Division 1 association football team. Despite the club's relative youth, only joining the J. League in 1999, Albirex are one of Japan's best supported teams. In 2003, while still playing in the second tier of Japanese football , Albirex attracted the best average crowd in...
youth academy and entered Kaishi Gakuen High School. His team played at the Prince Takamado Cup
Prince Takamado Cup
The is an annual Japanese football competition run by the Japan Football Association for under–18 and under-15 sides. The prize is named after Norihito, Prince Takamado, a long time patron of football in Japan.-Notice:...
, All Japan Club Youth Soccer tournament and J. League Youth tournament.
Years later-in his final year at school, he was chosen as one of the designated players for development by J. League Division 1 and JFA
Japan Football Association
The Japan Football Association, sometimes known as the Japan Soccer Association , is the governing body responsible for the administration of association football in Japan. It is responsible for the national team as well as club competitions....
. With this status, he was able to register as a J. League club player while he was still eligible to play for his school. He made his Albirex first-team debut, at the age of 17, on 15 November 2008 in a Emperor's Cup
Emperor's Cup
, commonly known as or , is a Japanese association football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J. League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, Japan Soccer League...
match against FC Tokyo. He officially signed with Albirex Niigata in the following season. After becoming professional, he was assigned the number 24 shirt. He made his professional football debut in the opening J1 League match of the 2009 season also against FC Tokyo.
Career statistics
|-|2008||rowspan="4"|Albirex Niigata
Albirex Niigata
is a Japanese J. League Division 1 association football team. Despite the club's relative youth, only joining the J. League in 1999, Albirex are one of Japan's best supported teams. In 2003, while still playing in the second tier of Japanese football , Albirex attracted the best average crowd in...
||rowspan="4"|J. League 1||0||0||1||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|2009||18||0||1||0||4||0||23||0
|-
|2010
2010 J. League Division 1
The 2010 J. League Division 1 season was the 46th season of the top-flight club football in Japan and the 18th season since the establishment of J1 League. The season began on March 6 and ended on December 4....
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|2011
2011 J. League Division 1
The 2011 J. League Division 1 season is the 46th season of Japanese top flight football and 19th since the establishment of the J. League. The season began on March 5 and is scheduled to end on December 3, with a planned five-week summer break between June 27–July 29 in order to allow preparation...
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Appearances in major competitions
| Team | Competition | Category | Appearances | Goals | Team Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Sub | |||||
| 2010 AFC U-19 Championship qualification | U-18 | 3 | 1 | 2 | Qualified | |
| 2010 AFC U-19 Championship | U-19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Quarter-finals | |