Captain Tsubasa - Sport Anime

Our Xtra Sport Special Editor Amrit Mishra publishes yet another Anime Series

Captain Tsubasa is a popular long running Japanese manga, anime, and video game series, originally created by Yoichi Takahashi in 1981. The series mainly revolves around the sport of Football (soccer).

The story focuses on the adventures of a Japanese youth football team and its football captain Tsubasa Ozora ,whose name literally translates to "Big Sky Wings". The series is characterized by dynamic football moves, often stylish and implausible.

The plot focuses on Tsubasa's relationship with his friends, rivalry with his opponents, training, competition, and the action and outcome of each football match. All of the versions of the Captain Tsubasa anime series has been broadcast by the anime satellite television network, Animax, across its original network in Japan and later across its respective networks worldwide, including East Asia, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and other regions. It has also been broadcast across several other regions over the world, including South America, Europe and the Middle East. The success of the series also spurred several Nintendo Super Famicom video game adaptations. Enoki Films holds the United States license to Captain Tsubasa, under the title Flash Kicker. U can watch Animax if u have satellite connections like Tata Sky, Airtel, etc Storyline [edit] Captain Tsubasa Tsubasa Ozora is a young Japanese Elementary school student who is deeply in love with football and dreams of one day winning the FIFA World Cup for Japan. He lives together with his mother in Japan, while his father is a seafaring captain who travels around the world. Tsubasa Ozora is known as the Soccer no Moshigo which translates as "heaven-sent child of soccer". When he was only barely a year old, he was almost run over by a rushing bus while playing with a football (soccer ball). However, Tsubasa had held the ball in front of him which served as a cushion for most of the impact. The force of the bump blew him away, but he was able to right himself over again with the ball. Hence, Tsubasa Ozora's motto of

"The ball is my friend". Ever since he was little, he always went out with a football. His mother now having concluded that he was indeed born only to play football. At a very young age, Tsubasa Ozora already has amazing speed, stamina, dribbling skills and shotpower, astounding anyone who sees him play. At the beginning of the story, both of them move to the city of Nankatsu, a town well-known for their talented high school football teams, and where Tsubasa meets Ryou Ishizaki, a football-loving young student who often sneaks out from his mother's public bathrooms and chores in order to play football, Sanae (also known as Anego), a young enthusiastic girl who also loves football and helps cheer the Nankatsu High team on, and Genzo Wakabayashi, a highly talented young goalkeeper whom he soon challenges to a game in Nankatsu's annual Sports Festival. He also meets Roberto Hongo, one of the best Brazilian football players, who is a friend of Tsubasa's father, and who arrives in Japan and starts living with Tsubasa and his mother. Roberto becomes a mentor to Tsubasa and helps him to harness his football skills, convincing him to join Nankatsu Elementary and its fledgling high school football team, which Roberto coaches later as he passes his techniques onto Tsubasa. Tsubasa also meets Taro Misaki, who has travelled around Japan due to his father's job and soon joins Nankatsu, and the two become the best of friends in both the pitch and real life, forming a partnership soon to be renowned as the "Golden Duo" or "dynamic duo" of Nankatsu. Soon Tsubasa and his Nankatsu team start taking on the best of high school football, meeting such talented players as Kojiro Hyuga, Ken Wakashimazu, Jun Misugi, Hikaru Matsuyama, and many others. His Nankatsu squad wins numerous youth national championships, and wins the U-16 World Championships for Japan, before leaving the country to play in Brazil. [edit] Captain Tsubasa World Youth Tsubasa leaves Japan for Brazil, and starts playing, with his mentor Roberto as the manager, for São Paulo[2] (F.C. Brancos in the anime[3]) , in Brazil's premier professional league, Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, winning the final against Flamengo (F.C. Domingos in the anime), 4-3. While in Brazil, Tsubasa gets to meet several talented Brazilian players, such as his teammate and roommate Pepe, who comes from humble backgrounds to become one of the primary playmakers in the squad along with Tsubasa, and Flamengo playmaker Carlos Santana, a prodigious talent. Enthusiastic football-loving youngster Shingo Aoi, whom Tsubasa once played against while in the high school national championships, leaves Japan to play football in Italy, where he hopes to play for a major Italian professional team. After arriving in Italy, however, Shingo gets tricked by a man who gives him fraudulent promises of getting him selected for an Italian team, but after Shingo is taken to a badly-furnished field, the man runs away, stealing all his money in the process. Shingo realizes that he is swindled, and tries hard to get his money back, doing such jobs as shoeshining, and his enthusiastic attitude catches the eye of one of the coaches of one of the local teams, Inter Milan, who sign him to play for their squad as an attacking midfielder. The Japan's youth side plays the first phase of AFC Youth Championship without Taro Misaki, Makoto Soda, Jito, Nitta, the Tachibana brothers and Kojiro Hyuga. After Tsubasa, Wakabayashi and Shingo join the team, it defeats Thailand 5-4 after being 4-1 down at one stage. In the second phase Japan beats Uzbekistan 8-1, China 6-3 and Saudi Arabia 4-1. In the semifinals Japan beats Iraq 3-0. The Japanese win the Asia Youth title beating South Korea 2-0 and qualifying for the FIFA World Youth Championship. In the first phase Japan defeats Mexico 2-1, Uruguay 6-5 and Italy 4-0. In the quarterfinals, they beat Sweden 1-0 and Netherlands 1-0 in the semifinal.


The Japanese win in the "Great Final" the World Youth Championship, defeating Brazil 3-2 after extra time with Tsubasa scoring a hat-trick and the golden goal despite the fact that Brazil used a new player at the extra time called Natureza, who became the second person to score a goal on Wakabayashi from outside the goal area. Tsubasa moves from São Paulo to FC Barcelona[4](FC Catalunya in the anime) , in the Spanish La Liga, after the end of the FIFA World Youth Championship final, taking his childhood friend and now wife, Sanae. He asked her out before moving to Brazil, and the couple maintained a long-distance relationship before he proposed to her after the World Youth Championship. [edit] Captain Tsubasa Road to 2002 While Tsubasa moves from São Paulo (Brancos in the anime) to FC Barcelona[5](FC Catalunya in the anime) , Kojiro Hyuga is bought by Juventus (F.C. Piemonte in the anime). Tsubasa plays very well in training, displaying all his skills, but the Dutch coach Van Saal (Edward in the anime) demotes him to FC Barcelona B,[5] the reserve team that plays in the second division, because Tsubasa and Rivaul (inspired by Rivaldo) cannot play together.[6] Meanwhile, Kojiro Hyuga plays for his first game for F.C. Juventus (F.C. Piemonte in the anime) against Parma in the Italian Serie A, but does not score because of his physical imbalance. Juventus coach Carlo Monetti replaces him with David Trezeguet (David Tresaga in the anime), who scores the winning goal as Juventus beat Parma 1-0. In Germany, Genzo Wakabayashi and his Bundesliga team, Hamburger SV (Grunwald / Gurenbald in the anime version), play against Bayern Munich (Routburg in the anime version), led by Karl Heinz Schneider. Wakabayashi makes several saves but he makes two mistakes, allowing Bayern to win 2-1. In Spain the liga championship begins and the match between Barcelona (led by Rivaul) and Valencia (San Jose in the anime) (who have just bought Tsubasa's old rival Carlos Santana) ends 2-2. Tsubasa watches the match from the tribune (in the anime version Tsubasa plays as a substitute the match and scores a goal). In the 2nd stage of the Japanese J. League, Júbilo Iwata, led by Misaki, Gon Nakayama (inspired to real player Masashi Nakayama), Ishizaki and Urabe, defeats the Urawa Red Diamonds led by Igawa and Sawada 2-1. In others J.League matches, F.C. Tokyo led by Misugi draws 1-1 with Consadole Sapporo led by Matsuyama. [7] In Italy Hyuga and Aoi are bought respectively by Reggiana and Albese. In Spain, Tsubasa plays three matches with FC Barcelona B and he records 12 goals and 11 assists in three matches. Tsubasa is inserted in the Barcelona lineup because of an injury to his rival Rivaul and the disastrous results of the Barça (one point in four matches), and plays the Súper Clásico against Real Madrid, who have just bought his old rival Natureza. Tsubasa ends the match with three goals and three assists and Barcelona wins 6-5. [edit] Captain Tsubasa Road to 2002 - Go For 2006 This is the epilogue of Captain Tsubasa Road to 2002. It is composed by 5 chapters. This manga follows Kojiro Hyuga and Shingo Aoi in Italy. In this manga Kojiro Hyuga plays in AC Reggiana while Shingo Aoi plays in Albese. Kojiro Hyuga makes a hard training and he makes his debut scoring a hat-trick. [8] [edit] Captain Tsubasa Golden 23 While Tsubasa plays for Barcelona against Real Valladolid, recording a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win, the 23 players of Japan's U-22 national team ("The Golden 23") are convoked to play two friendly matches against Denmark and Nigeria. Two futsal players, Kazami and Furukawa, join the national team and display great skills, scoring two goals in a training match. Meanwhile, the Japan U-20 side led by Takeshi Sawada win the AFC Youth Championship, defeating South Korea 6-5 on penalty kicks in the final. In Brazil, Minato Gamo, the former coach of the U-20 national team, tries unsuccessfully to convince Soga, a Japanese player who plays in Vasco da Gama, to join the national team. Tsubasa's wife Sanae informs him that she is pregnant. In Japan the match with Denmark begins. At the end of the match Japan-Denmark Japan defeats Denmark 4-2 (scorers: Misaki (J), Haas (D), Nitta (J), Nitta (J), Matsuyama (J), Haas (D)). In Germany Hamburger SV plays a Bundesliga match and Genzo Wakabayashi isn't in the line up because of the bad relationship with the coach Zeeman. In January probably Hamburg will sell him to another team. A lot of teams want buy Wakabayashi such us ACF Fiorentina, A.S. Roma, Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen. Minato Gamo meanwhile wants to convince Igawa, a player who can play in all the roles (Goalkeeper, Defender, Midfielder, Forward), to join the national team. In Spain FC Barcelona plays a liga match against Real Betis and Tsubasa scores two goals and makes an assist for Rikaar. In Japan Genzo Wakabayashi joins the national team. The match Japan-Nigeria begins and Nigeria plays very well. It has two champions Ochado (that plays in Paris SG) and Bobang (that plays with Shingo Aoi in Albese). After some minutes from the beginning of the match Nigeria has the first great opportunity to score the first goal in the match with a penalty kick but the Japanese goalkeeper Genzo Wakabayashi saves in corner kick. Wakabayashi saves another shot and makes an assist for Ken Wakashimazu who scores a goal with a overhead kick. However Nigeria scores two goals with Bobang and Ochado. Nigeria at the end of the first half is winning 2-1. Meanwhile Minato Gamo convinces Gakuto Igawa to join the national team. The second half begins, the Japan attacks and during the injury time Misaki scores the equalizing goal. The match ends 2-2. In Spain Barcelona wins 3-2 the match against Valencia led by Carlos Santana In Japan,the match Japan-Paraguay begins, at the end Japan defeats Paraguay 3-0(scorers: Gakuto with his Bullet Shoot, Wakashimazu with a Jumping Head, Nitta with a Running Volley Shoot). In Spain, Barcelona plays against Athletico Madrid, this team is very good and Fersio Torres quickly scores a goal.But Barcelona replies quickly and Tsubasa scores a goal with his famous Overhead Kick and an another goal with a Twin Shoot Tsubasa-Rivaul. The Asia qualifications begins and Japan beats Malaysia (6-0 for the first match and 5-0 for the return match), Thailand (2-0 for the first match, 3-0 for the return match), and Bahrain (score unknown for the first match and 5-0 for the return match) and qualifies to the third round. In the third round Japan beats Vietnam 5-0, draws against Saudi Arabia 1-1 and loses against Australia 3-1. Standings after Day 3 (of 6): Australia 9; Japan and Saudi Arabia 4; Vietnam 0. Only the first classified is admitted to Olympic Games. In the Day 4, Japan defeats Saudi Arabia 2-0. Unfortunately, Australia defeats Vietnam 5-0. In Day 5, Japan defeats Vietnam 4-0 and Australia draws against Saudi Arabia 1-1. Standings after Day 5 (of 6): Australia 13; Japan 10; Saudi Arabia 5; Vietnam 0. In the last day Japan plays against Australia. If Japan defeat Australia 3-0, 4-1, 5-2, 6-3 etc. qualifies to Olympic Games. If Japan wins 3-1, 4-2, 5-3 etc. plays a playoff against Australia. The match against Australia begins and Japan scores the first goal of the match with Tachibana brothers's skylub hurricane; unfortunately Tachibana brothers gets injured and are substituted by Wakashimazu and Nitta. Nitta scores another goal. Japan tries to score the third goal but unfortunately all their shots hit the bar or are saved by the goal keeper. In the second half Australia scores the goal of 2-1 but Japan reacts and scores two goals (scorers: Igawa and Misaki). Japan wins 4-1 and qualifies to Olympic Games. The manga continues running up to date. Characters Japanese Players Tsubasa Ozora (大空　翼 Ōzora Tsubasa?) • Date of birth: 28th July • National team jersey number: #10 • Position: Mid-fielder • Nickname: Soccer Genius, Field Samurai • Tsubasa, the title character, is a boy whose was destined to become a born football player. His name translates to “Big Sky Wings”. His love and dedication towards the game is truly great. With his cheerful and positive personality, he overcomes many hardships in his quest to become a world-class star player. He made many friends every where he goes; even some ill-tempered players are fascinated by his friendliness. All his shots were powerful and his techniques are unique and were difficult to follow. • Main Techniques: Drive Shoot, Flying Drive Shoot, Skywing Shoot o Other Techniques (some of them he learnt while playing with others: Barcelona Roulette (In Barça team), Heel Lift, Golden Combi (with Taro Misaki), Golden Trio (with Taro Misaki and Shingo Aoi), Sky Dive Shot, Overhead Kick (from Roberto), Drive Pass, Flying Drive Pass, Twin Shoot (with Taro), Drive Tiger Twin Shot (with Hyuga), Chokkaku Feint (from Shingo), Green Cut Pass(From Misaki),Back Spin Pass, Counter Arrow Shoot, Foul Inducing Dribble, Gamnen Block (from Ishisaki),Back Flip and acrobatics (from Dias), Sorachû Soccer Tachibana kyô (from Tachibana Bros.), Jumping Pass,Rolling Overhead Kick (from Santana), Santana Turn (from Santana), Skylab Defense (from Tachibana Bros.), Rivaul Turn (from Rivaul) Genzo Wakabayashi • Date of birth: 7th December • National team jersey number: #1 • Position: Goalkeeper • Nickname: SGGK (Super Great Goalkeeper) • Genzo Wakabayashi is an extroardinary goalkeeper who can catch almost anything thrown at him. Not many shots can come past Genzo. A charismatic guy, Genzo is also loyal to his friends and he is firm with his decisions. Genzo always keeps his feelings to himself and people close to him as seen in Shin Captain Tsubasa, when he's willingly criticize his teammates' performance in order to make them realize that football in Europe is different than what they play in Japan. His actions caused a lot of Japanese players to dislike him and Genzo only told Tsubasa his true intentions. From early childhood, he has aimed to be the best goalkeeper in the world. He tended to be selfish, and brag about his skills before he met and played a couple of games against Tsubasa. After his match against Tsubasa, he has learned to enjoy the game with his other teammates. • Special Techniques: Straight Defense and Upper Defense Kojiro Hyuga • Date of birth: 17th August • National team jersey number: #9 • Position: Forward • Nickname: Tiger Striker • To help his family, Kojiro Hyuga wants to be a professional player, an ace striker. His devotion to football and his persistence to shoot the goal is outstanding. He was both Tsubasa’s and Genzo’s top rival. A great guy, Hyuga is not only strong, he is also tough but at the same time caring. Can be a bit impulsive at times, though. He was once famous because of his roughness and many players were scared of him. But, Hyuga is actually a kind boy who cares about his family and friends. In the World Youth series, Hyuga was one of the 7 players to be excluded from the Japanese National team after they lost 3 group matches with Real Japan 7 (R.J.7). Determined to get back into the team, Hyuga developed a new shot, the Raijuu shot, a shot which is a bit similar to Tsubasa's Drive Shoot, except that Hyuga's Raijuu Shot is a ground shot that will curve upward, unlike Tsubasa's Drive Shooter which will go up then curve downward. • Special Techniques: Chokusenteki (Straight line) Dribble, Tiger Shot, Neo-Tiger Shot, Raiju Shoot, Overhead Kick and Toho Golden Combi Taro Misaki • Date of birth: 5th May • National team jersey number: #11 • Position: Mid-fielder • Nickname: Field Artist • He came to Nankatsu a few days after Tsubasa, whom he becomes his best friend. Taro moves from one place to another, following his father who works as a traveling artist. Before he met Tsubasa at Nankatsu, he played with Hyuga, Takeshi and Ken at Meiwa and with Matsuyama at Furano. Taro is sweet, kind and loyal to his friends. He is also sensitive to everybody’s feelings. Taro is a tender-hearted boy who is always smiling. But don’t underestimate him because he is as skilful as Tsubasa. Taro is also one of the 7 members to be excluded from the Japanese National Team after they lost to R.J.7 in 3 group matches in the Captain Tsubasa J series. The Boomerang Shot and the Boomerang Pass was something Taro developed after he was excluded from the Japanese Team. • Special Techniques: Boomerang Shoot, Green Cut Pass and Golden Combi Jun Misugi • Date of birth: 23rd June • National team jersey number: #14 • Position: Defender / Part-time coach • Nickname: Field no Kikoshi (Field Prince), Ace of Glass • Jun Misugi is easily one of Japan’s best players. Unfortunately his failing heart condition forces him to play for only a short time almost every game. During Japan's match against Argentina, Japan's coach silently thought to himself that Jun would have been Japan's top player(even better than Tsubasa) if it wasn't for his current heart injury; indeed, Jun scored Japan's final goal in that match. He completely recovered in the World Youth Series though. Jun is strong-willed and dedicated besides being kind and clever. Jun can read the opposing team’s formation and tactics even when he is not playing on the field; not to mention his ability on how to control his opponent’s movements. • Special Techniques: Drive shoot, Overhead Kick and Off-side strategy Hikaru Matsuyama • Date of birth: 21st June • National team jersey number: #12 • Position: Sweeper (defending midfielder) • Nickname: Wild Eagle • Hikaru Matsuyama is one of the best defenders in the world. He can intercept many passes and shots from the opposing team. Matsuyama is selfless and he is a smart leader. But he can be very reserved sometimes. Matsuyama is well-known for his great ball control and accuracy. It was stated in an episode of Captain Tsubasa that he is considered to have the best footwork among the Japanese players. Any team would be very lucky to have him as a defender. His trademark shot called Eagle Shot or Arawashishot(Wild Eagle Shot), a powerful ground shot. In the Captain Tsubasa original series, it is said that Matsuyama's Arawashi Shot was inspired when he watched a group of girls playing volleyball with the Furano team manager and later his girlfriend, Yoshiko Fujisawa. However, in the Road to 2002 / Road to Dream series, the Arawashi Shot was something Matsuyama thought up himself to defeat Tsubasa and Nankatsu FC. • Special Techniques: Eagle shoot, Eagle tackle, Avalanche strategy Shingo Aoi • Date of birth: 12th March • National team jersey number: #20 • Position: Mid-fielder • Nickname: Prince of the Sun, Green light,Midfield's Dynamo • Excellent player who debuted in the series in the World Youth saga, previous number 12 of Nakahara FC and later went to train to Italy but previous to that he received three coins from Tsubasa that Aoi keeps as luck charms. He played in FC Inter Milan and became friends with Gino Hernandez, and he developed a grude against Gentile. After two years of training in that team, he was called to go back to the Japanese Youth Team to play against Thailand. He left Inter to go to play for a Serie C1 team, Albese. He's very fast and has excellent techniques, even becoming friends with Tsubasa and Misaki to made a "Golden Trio". • Special Techniques: Overhead Kick, Chokkaku Feint, Chokkaku Tornedo Feint, Golden Trio(With Tsubasa and Misaki), Chokomaka Defense(One-Shot All Stars), Hinotama Press(One-Shot All Stars), Shinkansen Shoot, Twin Shoot, Heikaku Feint, Fake Chokkaku Feint, Chokkaku Dribble, Matanuki Shoot, Matanuki Rovesciata, Various Angle Feint. Makoto Soda • Date of birth: 10th July • National team jersey number: #7 • Position: Defender • Nickname: Ace Killer, Kamisori Fighter • Makoto Soda is a fearsome defender who knows how to injure people with tackles without the referee's knowledge. He is quite fast and he tends to put effects on his balls when he passes or shoots. A bit like Hyuga and Napoleon, he is an impulsive person and can get into a fight with someone. His various techniques include Kamisori Shoot, Kamisori pass and Kamisori tackle. • Special Techniques: Kamisori Shoot, Kamisori Centering and Kamisori Tackle Shun Nitta • Date of birth: 22nd March • National team jersey number: #18 • Position: Forward • Nickname: Speed Star, Falcon Fighter • Shun Nitta is one of the youngest player in Japan. But he is the fastest runner there. Being a forward in Japan national team, Nitta has an incredible speed. It is said that he can run 100 metres in 11 seconds or less. Nitta is very kind and he respected all the players on the team. Although he is a bit arrogant and impulsive at first, Nitta can be considered as one of the most talented forward in Japan. • Special Techniques: Falcon Shoot, Jumping Falcon Volley Shoot, Running Falcon Shoot and Left Falcon Shoot Ken Wakashimazu • Date of birth: 29th December • National team jersey number: #17 • Position: Goalkeeper, Forward • Nickname: SGKK (Super Great Karate Keeper) • Ken Wakashimazu is one of Japan’s top goalkeepers. He used to be a karate fighter before becoming a goalkeeper. Known as the“ Karate Keeper ”, Ken uses his karate skills and speed to his advantage as a goalkeeper. A cool guy, Ken is faithful to his best friends, which are Hyuga and Takeshi. He is a bit conceited at first, though. Ken is calm and can read one team’s tactics very quickly. However, he always gets competitive with Genzo in seeing who is a better goalkeeper. In the new Golden-23 series he becomes a forward and scores a goal in a friendly match against Nigeria. • Special Techniques: Shuto Defense & Sankaku geri defense Overhead Kick Ryo Ishizaki • Date of birth: 1st April • National team jersey number: 4 • Position: Defender • Nickname: Monkey • Ishizaki Ryo is Tsubasa's best friend since the story's very beginning. Though Ishizaki's soccer techniques are far from Tsubasa's level, his strong will and relentless personality has won himself a position in the national team. A demonstration of this is shown during World Youth Cup Finals when Ishizaki was knocked out-cold by blocking an extremely powerful shot at close distance with his face. • Special Techniques: Face Block Defense Takeshi Sawada • Date of birth: 2nd January • National team jersey number: 15 • Position: Mid-fielder • Nickname: Star of Next Generation, Extension of Golden Age Masao Tachibana • Date of birth: 6th October • National team jersey number: 2 • Position: Mid-fielder, Defender • Nickname: Air Monkey • Special Techniques: Aerial Soccer, Skylab Hurricane (with Kazuo or Jito) Kazuo Tachibana • Date of birth: 6th October • National team jersey number: 3 • Position: Mid-fielder, Defender • Nickname: Air Monkey • Special Techniques: Aerial Soccer, Skylab Hurricane (with Masao or Jito) Hiroshi Jito • Date of birth: 29th April • National team jersey number: 5 • Position: Defender • Nickname: Giant • Jito is a huge player. Because of this he always guards the other team's tallest player, as in the World Youth series he had to defend China's tallest member, Hi Sho, despite lack of jumping power, and Saudi Arabia's Vulcan, who is 210 cm. At first, he was a terrifying rival for Tsubasa. In the Shin Captain Tsubasa series, he scored a goal for the Hirado Football team by blowing Morisaki into the net with the ball. Tsubasa repaid him by doing the same, getting Jito in the net with his Drive Shoot. • Special Techniques: Hirado Combi (with Sano), Skylab Hurricane (with Tachibana twins) Mitsuru Sano • Date of birth: 2nd August • National team jersey number: 16 • Position: Mid-fielder • Nickname: Field Acrobat • Sano is a brilliant Midfielder. He and Jito form the Hirado Combi. He keeps the ball very skillfully from opposing players. His ball keeping ability can only be edged by Matsuyama. • Special Techniques: Hirado Combi (with Jito) Tomeya Akai • Date of birth: 10th May • National team jersey number: 23 • Position: Mid-fielder, Defender • Nickname: Red Stopper Gakuto Igawa • Date of birth: TBD • National team jersey number: 32 • Position: Any Position (Including Goalkeeper) • Nickname: TBD Furukawa • Date of birth: TBD • National team jersey number: 26 • Position: Mid-fielder • Nickname: TBD Shinnosuke Kazami • Date of birth: TBD • National team jersey number: 25 • Position: Mid-fielder • Nickname: TBD Yuji Soga • Date of birth: TBD • National team jersey number: 32 • Position: Forward • Nickname: TBD Mamoru Izawa • Date of birth: 20th December • National team jersey number: #8 • Position: Mid-fielder • Nickname: Field Soldier • Mamoru Izawa is a substitute of Japan. He is a specialist at headers and usually wins most of his heading duels. He also has a good team play especially with Kisugi and Taki. The three of them form the Shutetsu Trio which is a combination of fast passes to each other. Izawa is the most skillful in the Shutetsu Trio. Although Izawa is only a substitute of Japan, he has proved himself several times that he was a good defender. In the new Golden-23 series, in a match vs Denmark, he replaces Jito and showed that he was capable of defending. • Special Techniques: Shutetsu Trio Hajime Taki • Date of birth: 8th August • National team jersey number: #13 • Position: Forward • Nickname: Excellent Wing • Hajime Taki is a substitute of Japan. His best friend is Kisugi and they have always been together since primary school. Together with Kisugi and Izawa, The three of them form the Shutetsu Trio which is a combination of fast passes to each other. He is reasonably fast and his favourite technique is to run straight along the right side line of the field. • Special Techniques: Shutetsu Trio and Nankatsu Silver Combi Teppei Kisugi • Date of birth: 15th May • National team jersey number: #19 • Position: Forward • Nickname: Maintainer of Score of Shutetsu • Kisugi Teppei is a substitute of Japan. His best friend is Taki and they have always been together since primary school. Together with Taki and Izawa, the three of them form the Shutetsu Trio which is a combination of fast passes to each other. • Special Techniques: Shutetsu Trio & Nankatsu Silver Combi Yuzo Morisaki • Date of birth: TBD • National team jersey number: #21 • Position: Goalkeeper • Nickname: STGK (Super Tenacity Goalkeeper) • Yuzo Morisaki is the third-string goalkeeper of the team. At first, he doesn't standout very much. He was just a replacement keeper for Wakabayashi in Nankatsu. In The World Youth series versus Thailand, he was the starting keeper, as Wakashimazu left the team and Wakabayashi is still injured and in Germany. Even if he took 4 goals, which was a 4-1 start for Thailand, he held his own until Wakabayashi miraculously went to the game and praised him for his efforts, in which he managed to crash on the goal bar just to save a shot, where he got his nickname, STGK. • Special Techniques: TBD Foreign Players Karl Heinz Schneider • Date of birth: 4th July • National team jersey number: #11 • Position: Forward • Team: Bayern Munich (Germany) • Nickname: The Kaiser, King of German football • He is the captain and ace striker of the German team. He is also the guy whom Genzo admired the most when he was in Germany since many shots from Schneider were untouchable. He can be called the European version of Tsubasa since they're surprisingly similar in looks (their only real differences are the eye and hair colors; Tsubasa has black hair and black eyes, while Schneider has blond hair and blue eyes). Schneider is very sweet and kind in real life (he loves his family dearly, specially after his parent's close divorce), but he is very dangerous on the field and is a very noble and dignified rival to Genzo. • Special Techniques: Fire Shot, Neo Fire Shot, Chokusenteki Dribble Carlos Santana (Brazil) • Date of birth: 1st May • National team jersey number: #11 • Position: Forward • Team: Valencia CF (Spain) • Nickname: Son of the Soccer God, Soccer Cyborg to make Arrow Jumping Overhead(Inspired by Tsubasa), Rolling Overhead, Rising Arrow Shoot(Inspired by Tsubasa), Santana Turn, Skywing Shoot(From Roberto), Tornado Arrow Skywing Shoot(Inspired by Roberto,Tsubasa and Hino), Twin Shoot(With Natureza) Elle Sid Pierre (France) • Date of Birth: 16th August • National team Jersey Number: #10 • Position: Mid-fielder • Team: Paris Saint Germain (France) • Nickname: Field Artist, Beautiful Beast • He is the Captain, and Play maker of the France team. El Sid (Alcide) Pierre is the son of a multi-millionaire, he was disgusted with how he was treated because of this whether it was with favoritism or discrimination. His only outlet was football, he practiced football because in football there are no relations, poor or rich, the rules are the same for everyone, and everyone's objective is the ball. Pierre is very patriotic and places enormous pressure upon himself to perform well for France. He has developed a rivalry with Misaki of Japan. • Special Techniques: Slide Shoot, Off-side Strategy, Eiffel Attack(with Napoleon) Juan Diaz (Argentina) • Date of Birth: 25th January • National team Jersey Number: #10 • Position: Mid-fielder • Team: Argentinos Juniors (Argentina) • Nickname: Heaven-sent Child of Soccer, Soccer Genius • He is the Captain and top scorer of the Argentina team. At first Diaz is arrogant and conceited, but he is somewhat humbled after his match with Japan and duel with Tsubasa. Diaz has been playing football since he was 7 months old, and is considered to be a Soccer Genius. Throughout Argentina no one of his age group could compete with him, at 12 years old he was recruited by his hometown's club along with his best friend Alan Pascal. Diaz is very talented and has been deemed to be the next generation superstar of Argentina Soccer, even being compared to Diego Maradona. Because of their talents and similarities he has developed a rivalry with Tsubasa of Japan. • Special Techniques: Drive Shooter, Argentina Golden Combi(with Pascal), Drive Shoot, Acrobatics Gino Hernandez (Italy) • Date of Birth: 4th February • National team Jersey Number: #1 • Position: Goalkeeper • Team: Internazionale FC (Italy) after Gino recognized Aoi's potential and determination. Gino's skills as a keeper is superb as he is able to stop many great shots from many great players. Gino also has the ability to remain calm in dire situations and create strategies as he displayed in Italy's match against Japan. Brazil, by been born in there he never play in any club of soccer and only train in his village with his friends. He is nicknamed the King of Soccer because of his great ability with the ball, he has all the attributes to be the greatest soccer player in the world, only compared to TsubasaBarcelona. He is still playing for the Real Madrid and we can see that a second confrontation with Tsubasa is about to happened in a chapter of the Golden 23 but the result is remain unknown. • Special Techniques: Aurora Feint, Back Heel Pass, Kakudo 0 no Shoot (angle 0 shoot), Nidan Flying Drive Shoot, Rabona Feint, Flying Drive Shoot, Heel Lift, Jumping Volley, Overhead Kick, Handoshusoku Jinho (Reverse Shoot), Twin Shoot(With Roberto Carolus and Santana), Basketball Ball Keep, Brazil Golden Trio (with Santana and Rivaul) Non-players • Sanae Nakazawa (known as Anego -"older sister"- in the anime series): Oozora Tsubasa's cheerleader, team manager, girlfriend and later wife. In the new golden-23 series she is pregnant. • Yayoi Aoba: Tsubasa's first friend and Jun Misugi's close friend. • Yoshiko Fujisawa: Hikaru's assistant and later girlfriend. She moved to the United States, to return some months later. • Kumi Sugimoto: Sanae's close friend, who joins the Nankatsu club because of her crush on Tsubasa. When she declares her love for him but he tells her that he loves Sanae, she accepts it and encourages him to tell her. • Yukari Nishimoto: Originally from Nagasaki, she's the cousin of Jito Hiroshi and the best friend of Sanae. In the WYC manga, she falls for Ryo Ishizaki and they later start dating. • Kaori Matsumoto: First the castout for the Toho team, later Hyuga Kojiro's manager. • Roberto Hongo :A former Brazilian player who was forced to retire after an eye injury. Trained Tsubasa and Nankatsu's Team, and later, became the coach for Brazil.