Akira Matsunaga (footballer, born 1914)
Akira Matsunaga (松永 行, Matsunaga Akira, 21 September 1914 – 20 January 1943) was a Japanese footballer. He played for the Japan national team. His brother Nobuo Matsunaga and Seki Matsunaga also played for the Japan national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Akira Matsunaga | ||
| Date of birth | 21 September 1914 | ||
| Place of birth | Yaizu, Shizuoka, Empire of Japan | ||
| Date of death | 20 January 1943 (aged 28) | ||
| Place of death | Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands | ||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Shida High School | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1935–1937 | Tokyo Liberal Arts and Science University | ||
| International career | |||
| 1936 | Japan | 2 | (1) |
National team career edit
| Miracle of Berlin (1936 Olympics 1st round v Sweden on 4 August) |
In 1936, when he was a Tokyo Liberal Arts and Science University student, he was selected Japan national team for 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.[1] At this competition, on 4 August, he debuted and scored a goal against Sweden. Japan completed a come-from-behind victory against Sweden. The first victory in Olympics for the Japan and the historic victory over one of the powerhouses became later known as "Miracle of Berlin" (ベルリンの奇跡) in Japan. In 2016, this team was selected Japan Football Hall of Fame. On 7 August, he also played against Italy. He played 2 games and scored 1 goal for Japan in 1936.[2]
Death edit
In 1937, Matsunaga entered the Imperial Japanese Army and served in World War II with the 230th Infantry Regiment as a lieutenant.[3][4] On 20 January 1943, he was killed in action during the Guadalcanal Campaign at the age of 28.[5]
National team statistics edit
| Japan national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1936 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 1 |
References edit
- ^ "Akira Matsunaga". Olympedia. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ a b Japan National Football Team Database
- ^ Akira Matsunaga
- ^ . geocities.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 1 January 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
- ^ . Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
External links edit
- – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Akira Matsunaga at National-Football-Teams.com
- Japan Football Hall of Fame (Japan team at 1936 Olympics) at Japan Football Association