Eiji Kawashima

Eiji Kawashima

Personal information
Full name	Eiji Kawashima
Date of birth	March 20, 1983 (1983-03-20)
Place of birth	Yono, Saitama, Japan
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club	Lierse
Number	1
Youth career
1995–1997	Yononishi Junior High School
1998–2000	Urawa Higashi High School
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2001–2003	Omiya Ardija	41	(0)
2004–2006	Nagoya Grampus Eight	17	(4)
2007–2010	Kawasaki Frontale	113	(0)
2010–	Lierse	44	(0)
National team‡
2002–2003	Japan U-20	13	(0)
2008–	Japan	23	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 May 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 June 2011

Eiji Kawashima (川島 永嗣, Kawashima Eiji, born March 20, 1983 in Yono, Saitama, Japan) is a Japanese goalkeeper currently playing for Lierse S.K..

Career

During his time at Omiya, Kawashima went overseas to train with Serie A club Parma, and also trained in Italy in January 2010.

Kawashima was selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup squad and was expected to back up Seigo Narazaki who had impressed in the qualifiers. But he started in goal for Japan in a friendly against England on 30 May 2010 and produced numerous saves to keep England goalless for most of the game. He denied Frank Lampard twice, including a penalty kick, and a shot by Wayne Rooney before eventually being beaten by two own goals. He was subsequently selected to play in Japan's first Group E game against Cameroon on 14 June 2010 and was impressive as Japan recorded their first World Cup win on foreign soil with a 1-0 margin. On 19 June 2010, he started against the Netherlands, but was responsible for the Dutch winner as he deflected a shot from Wesley Sneijder into his own net to condemn Japan to a 1-0 defeat. Five days later he played against Denmark and was instrumental in Japan's passage in to the last 16 with a 3-1 win, unluckily denied a clean sheet from the rebound after saving goalscorer Jon Dahl Tomasson's penalty. On 29 June 2010 he kept a clean sheet against Paraguay in the last 16 clash which went to penalties, but was unable to save a single spot-kick as the South Americans won 5-3.

On 13 January 2011, Kawashima was sent off (for causing a penalty) in the group stage match against Syria at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, but Japan went on to win the game 2:1. On 26 January 2011, Kawashima saved two of the penalties that Korea shot in the semi-finals in the Penalty Shoot out. On 29 January 2011, Kawashima kept a clean sheet and was chosen as Man of the Match in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup Final.

In an incident on 19 August 2011, Kawashima was verbally abused and taunted by fans of Germinal Beerschot in a match against Lierse S.K.. Lierse was leading by a goal when Beerschot fans threw a projectile in the direction of Kawashima before insulting him with chants of "Kawashima-Fukushima!" in reference to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. The referee, after being confronted by Kawashima, brought the match to a halt for several minutes until order was restored. Kawashima spoke on the incident, stating "I can pass on many things, but not that. This is not funny. Using the drama of Fukushima in this manner is not at all funny." After the match had ended in a 1-1 draw, Kawashima left the pitch in tears, visibly upset at the insults received from the Beerschot fans.

In response to their fans' abuse, Beerschot released a club statement where they outlined their stance on the incident. "Our fans have crossed a thin line where a bit of fun turns into something serious. The chants aimed at Lierse goalkeeper Kawashima were offensive and completely out of order", the statement said. However, the statement continued by claiming Kawashima was also culpable for the incident as he provoked the fans. "The Lierse shot-stopper also took part in this as he provoked the Beerschot fans with offensive gestures and facial expressions. Our own goalkeeper Stijn Stijnen on the other hand never reacted to abusive chants and insults from the Lierse faithful." Nonetheless, Beerschot further emphasized that it is completely unacceptable to assert insults of this nature.

Career statistics

Club

Statistics accurate as of match played 7 May 2011

Club	Season	League		Cup1		League Cup2		Continental3		Other4		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Omiya Ardija	2001	0	0	0	0	0	0	-		-		0	0
	2002	8	0	4	0	-		-		-		12	0
	2003	33	0	0	0	-		-		-		33	0
	Total	41	0	4	0	0	0	-		-		45	0
Nagoya Grampus Eight	2004	4	0	0	0	8	0	-		-		12	0
	2005	3	0	1	0	6	0	-		-		10	0
	2006	10	0	0	0	4	0	-		-		14	0
	Total	17	0	1	0	18	0	-		-		36	0
Kawasaki Frontale	2007	34	0	4	0	3	0	7	0	-		48	0
	2008	34	0	1	0	1	0	-		-		36	0
	2009	34	0	1	0	3	0	9	0	-		47	0
	2010	11	0	-		-		6	0	-		17	0
	Total	113	0	6	0	7	0	22	0	-		148	0
Lierse S.K.	2010–11	23	0	2	0	-		-		5	0	30	0
	2011-12	19	0	0	0	-		-		0	0	19	0
	Total	42	0	2	0	-		-		5	0	49	0
Career total		213	0	13	0	25	0	22	0	5	0	278	0

¹Includes Emperor's Cup and Belgian Cup.

²Includes J. League Cup.

³Includes AFC Champions League.

⁴Includes Belgian Pro League Play-offs.

International

As of 7 June 2011

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Japan
	2008	1	0
	2009	7	0
	2010	8	0
	2011	12	0
	Total	28	0

Appearances in major competitions

Team	Competition	Category	Appearances		Goals	Team Record
			Start	Sub
Japan	2002 AFC Youth Championship	U-19	6	0	0	2nd place
Japan	2003 FIFA World Youth Championship	U-20	5	0	0	Quarterfinals
Japan	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification	Senior	2	0	0	Qualified
Japan	2010 FIFA World Cup	Senior	4	0	0	Round of 16
Japan	2011 AFC Asian Cup	Senior	5	0	0	Champions

Awards and honours

Japan

• AFC Asian Cup: 1

2011

• Afro-Asian Cup of Nations: 1

2007

• Kirin Cup: 3

2007, 2008, 2009

Individual

• AFC U-19 Championship Best Eleven: 1

2002

• J. League Best Eleven: 1

2009

• J. League Fair Play Award: 1

2009

External links

• Official site (Japanese)
• Eiji Kawashima – FIFA competition record
• Eiji Kawashima at National-Football-Teams.com
• Eiji Kawashima at Lierse S.K. official site