11/01/31 20:42:25.38 FNPNDJyV0
URLﾘﾝｸ(www.goal.com)
Goal.com World Player Of The Week: Yuto Nagatomo - Japan
By Subhankar Mondal
Jan 31, 2011 10:30:00 AM
Goal.com World Player of the Week #89: Yuto Nagatomo (Castrol Ranking: 1235)
Club: Cesena
Country: Japan
Age: 24
Role: Left-Back
Achievement: Played an indispensable role in Japan's 2011 Asian Cup conquest and also provided the assist for the winner
against Australia in the final
For a left-back (and by extension a defender) to be acknowledged as the best player in any footballing competition is
quite rare, but Yuto Nagatomo deserves to be appreciated for his performance at the recently concluded 2011 Asian Cup.
The left-back was a force both in defence and in midfield throughout the competition as he established himself as
one of the better players in his position at the moment.
The Cesena player's runs up and down the flanks as well as his intelligence were key reasons for Japan's triumph in Qatar
and it was only appropriate that he set up Tandanari Lee for the extra-time winner against Australia in the final.