Shuichi Gonda, goalkeeper for Japan, stood out for his team in the Group E win over Germany with a number of important saves. 

German attackers were held at bay for the majority of the game by the 33-year-old shot-stopper who competes for Shimizu S-Pulse. His best performance came in the 71st minute, when he made a run of four stops to maintain the 1-0 lead.

Who is Shuichi Gonda?

Shichi Gonda, a Japanese professional footballer for Shimizu S-Pulse and the Japan national team, was born on March 3, 1989.

Between 2007 and 2016, Gonda made 244 appearances in all competitions for current J1 League team FC Tokyo. During that time, he has won four titles with Tokyo and two with the Japan national team, for whom he made his full international debut on 6 January 2010 against Yemen in an AFC Asian Cup qualifier. He has made 32 appearances for Japan at various youth levels. Gonda departed FC Tokyo for the first time after nine years when he agreed to join Keisuke Honda’s Austrian Regional League team SV Horn on loan until December 31, 2016.