Akira Matsunaga (footballer, born 1914)

Akira Matsunaga (松永 行, Matsunaga Akira, September 21, 1914 – January 20, 1943) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team. His brother Nobuo Matsunaga and Seki Matsunaga also played for Japan national team.

Akira Matsunaga
松永 行
Personal information
Full name Akira Matsunaga
Date of birth (1914-09-21)September 21, 1914
Place of birth Yaizu, Shizuoka, Japan
Date of death January 20, 1943(1943-01-20) (aged 28)
Place of death Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Years Team
???? Shida High School
1935–1937 Tokyo Liberal Arts and Science University
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1936 Japan 2 (1)

National team career
Miracle of Berlin (1936 Olympics 1st round v Sweden on August 4)

Matsunaga was born in Yaizu on September 21, 1914. 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. At this competition, on August 4, 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 August 7, he also played against Italy. He played 2 games and scored 1 goal for Japan in 1936.[1]

Death

In 1937, Matsunaga entered the Imperial Japanese Army and served in World War II with the 230th Infantry Regiment.[2] On January 20, 1943 he was killed in action during the Guadalcanal Campaign at the age of 28.[3]

National team statistics

[1]

Japan national team
YearAppsGoals
193621
Total21

References
  1. Japan National Football Team Database
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20200417073130/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/akira-matsunaga-1.html Akira Matsunaga
  3. "Olympians Who Were Killed or Missing in Action or Died as a Result of War". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
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