Thursday, August 4, 2011

Japanese Footballer And World Cup Star Naoki Matsuda Has Died At Age 34

Japanese footballer Naoki Matsuda has died two days after he collapsed on the training pitch with a suspected heart attack and the 34-year-old, who represented Japan in the 2002 World Cup and he was rushed to hospital on Tuesday.

He collapsed during a training session with his club, Matsumoto Yamaga, and never regained consciousness and the former Japan manager Philippe Troussier paid tribute to the defender, saying he was a key member of the World Cup team and it's terrible to see someone die at such a young age and the Mr Troussier told Reuters news agency.

Naoki Matsuda won 40 caps for his country and the fans, friends and former players had gathered at the hospital in Matsumoto to wish the player well he played 40 times for Japan, and won two J-League titles during 15 years with the Yokohama F-Marinos and he moved to lower league Matsumoto earlier this year.

Football career for a Matsuda represented the Yokohama F. Marinos in the vast majority of his career, being promoted to a first team in 1995, at the age of 18 and he scored his first goal for the club on September 30 of that year, at Mitsuzawa Stadium and he helping it to three J. League Division 1 titles and internationally, he represented Japan at the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2002 FIFA World Cup and 2011 after nearly 20 years with the same club, Matsuda signed with lowly Matsumoto Yamaga FC, in the Japan Football League.

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