is a former

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player. He played for Japan national team.

Club career

Sakai was born in Misato on 29 June 1979. He joined JEF United Ichihara from youth team in 1997. He played many matches as defensive midfielder from first season. He moved to

Nagoya Grampus Eight ; formerly known as is a Japanese association football club that plays in the J1 League, and have for all but one season since the inauguration of the league, following promotion from the J2 League in 2017. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture an ...

in 2001. He also played as right midfielder not only defensive midfielder. His opportunity to play decreased from the middle of 2003. He moved to Urawa Reds in 2004. Although he did not have much opportunity to play, the club won the 2nd place in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

and 2005 J1 League and the champions 2005 Emperor's Cup. He moved to

Vissel Kobe is a Japanese professional football club based in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. They are currently the J1 League champions. The club's home stadium is Noevir Stad ...

in July 2007 and

Fujieda MYFC are a Japanese professional football club based in Fujieda, Shizuoka. They currently play in J2 League, the Japanese second tier of professional football. It was previously funded by online subscribers and was the first of its kind in Japan. Th ...

in 2009. From 2010, he moved to Indonesia and played for Pelita Jaya, Persiwa Wamena, Persiram Raja Ampat and Deltras Sidoarjo. He retired in 2013.

National team career

In August 1995, Sakai was selected Japan U-17 national team for 1995 U-17 World Championship. He played full-time in all 3 matches. In April 1999, he was also selected Japan U-20 national team for 1999 World Youth Championship. He played full-time in all 7 matches as right midfielder and Japan won the 2nd place. In September 2000, Sakai was selected Japan U-23 national team for

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

who carried high hopes of the nation because Sakai's teammates included such household names as Hidetoshi Nakata, Shunsuke Nakamura and

Naohiro Takahara is a Japanese Association football, football manager and former Football player, footballer. He also played for Japan national football team, Japan's national football team. Currently, he is working as president for Okinawa SV. Club career Tak ...

. Sakai played all 4 matches. However, in the team's quarterfinal match, Sakai committed a foul inside his own box at the 90th minute, conceding the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, Japan's opponents, a crucial penalty to make it 2-2. The United States went on to win the penalty shootouts after 120 minutes of play could not separate the two teams. On 20 December 2000, Sakai debuted for Japan national team against

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

.Japan National Football Team Database
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Club statistics

Honors and awards

Club honors

;Urawa Reds *

J1 League The , the J.League or the for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Japan and the highest level of the Japanese football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation ...

(1):

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

Emperor's Cup , commonly known as or Japan FA Cup, and rebranded as The JFA Emperor's Cup from 2024 onwards, is a Japanese annual football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formatio ...

(2):

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

Country honors

* FIFA World Youth Championship runner-up:

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

References

External links

* *
Japan National Football Team Database
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sakai, Tomoyuki 1979 births Living people Association football people from Saitama Prefecture Japanese men's footballers Japan men's international footballers Japan men's youth international footballers 21st-century Japanese sportsmen J1 League players JEF United Chiba players Nagoya Grampus players Urawa Red Diamonds players Vissel Kobe players Fujieda MYFC players Expatriate men's footballers in Indonesia Japanese expatriate sportspeople in Indonesia Liga 1 (Indonesia) players Madura United F.C. players Persiwa Wamena players Persiram Raja Ampat players Deltras F.C. players Footballers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Olympic footballers for Japan Japanese expatriate men's footballers Men's association football midfielders