Shigetatsu Matsunaga

is a former Japanese football player. He played for the Japan national team.

Shigetatsu Matsunaga

Matsunaga at Nissan Motors
Personal information
Full name	Shigetatsu Matsunaga
Date of birth	(1962-08-12) August 12, 1962
Place of birth	Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1978–1980	Hamana High School
1981–1984	Aichi Gakuin University
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1985–1995	Yokohama Marinos	334	(0)
1995–1996	Tosu Futures	54	(0)
1997	Brummell Sendai	15	(0)
1997–2000	Kyoto Purple Sanga	85	(0)
Total		488	(0)
National team
1988–1995	Japan	40	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Biography

Matsunaga was educated at and played for Hamana High School and Aichi Gakuin University. After graduating from the university, he joined Japan Soccer League club Nissan Motors (later Yokohama Marinos) in 1985. The club also won 1985 Emperor's Cup. From 1988 to 1990, the club won all three major title in Japan; Japan Soccer League, JSL Cup and Emperor's Cup for 2 years in a row. In 1990s, the club won 1990 JSL Cup, 1991 and 1992 Emperor's Cup. In Asia, the club won 1991–92 Asian Cup Winners' Cup.

When Japan's first-ever professional league J1 League started in 1993, Nissan Motors was transformed to Yokohama Marinos for whom he continued to play. The club won 1992 Emperor's Cup and 1992–93 Asian Cup Winners' Cup. After he lost his position to young Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi who would also replace him as the first-choice goalkeeper in the national team, he moved to Japan Football League (JFL) side Tosu Futures in 1995. He moved to fellow JFL side Brummell Sendai in 1997. He came back to J1 League to play for Kyoto Purple Sanga in 1998 and spent 3 seasons there before he retired in 2000.

Matsunaga was capped 40 times for Japan national team between 1988 and 1995. He was the first-choice GK when Japan won the 1992 Asian Cup. However, he was sent off for retaliation in the semi-final against China and Kazuya Maekawa filled in for him for the rest of the competition. He was also tending the goal when Japan's hope to play in the 1994 World Cup finals was dashed by a late Iraqi equaliser in the 1994 World Cup qualification final qualifier, the match that the Japanese fans now refer to as the "Agony of Doha" (ドーハの悲劇).

Statistics

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		J. League Cup		Total
1985/86	Nissan Motors	JSL Division 1	15	0					15	0
1986/87			22	0					22	0
1987/88			22	0			1	0	23	0
1988/89			21	0			5	0	26	0
1989/90			22	0			4	0	26	0
1990/91			22	0			4	0	26	0
1991/92			21	0			3	0	24	0
1992	Yokohama Marinos	J1 League	-		4	0	9	0	13	0
1993			36	0	3	0	0	0	39	0
1994			43	0	4	0	3	0	50	0
1995			10	0	0	0	-		10	0
1995	Tosu Futures	Football League	24	0	1	0	-		25	0
1996			30	0	3	0	-		33	0
1997	Brummell Sendai	Football League	15	0	0	0	6	0	21	0
1997	Kyoto Purple Sanga	J1 League	6	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
1998			34	0	2	0	4	0	40	0
1999			30	0	2	0	3	1	35	1
2000			15	0	0	0	0	0	15	0
Country	Japan		488	0	19	0	42	1	549	1
Total			488	0	19	0	42	1	549	1

Japan national team
Year	Apps	Goals
1988	1	0
1989	9	0
1990	0	0
1991	1	0
1992	9	0
1993	14	0
1994	0	0
1995	6	0
Total	40	0