Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 8 May 1963 | ||
Place of birth | Okinawa, Japan | ||
Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder, forward | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1982–1987 | Banfield | ||
1987–1989 | All Nippon Airways | ||
1989–1992 | Chuo Bohan | ||
1992 | Shimizu S-Pulse | ||
Managerial career | |||
1996–2006 | Argentina (women) (assistant coach) | ||
2008 | Argentina U20 (women) | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Yasushi Kawakami (川上 靖, Kawakami Yasushi, born 8 May 1963) is a Japanese former football player, coach and manager.
Kawakami was born in Okinawa, Japan.[1] His family emigrated to Argentina in 1968, when he was five years old.[2] He signed with Banfield in 1982,[1] becoming the first Japanese footballer to play in the Argentine league.[3][4][5] He played eight matches and scored one goal in the Argentine second division.[1][6] A goal scored by him against All Boys on 20 July 1985 was the first goal scored by a Japanese player in the Argentine league until Naohiro Takahara scored in 2001.[7][6]
In 1987, he returned to Japan and signed with All Nippon Airways in the Japan Soccer League. From 1989, he played for Chuo Bohan and Shimizu S-Pulse. He retired from playing in 1992.
After retirement, Kawakami started coaching career in Argentina. He was the technical director of the Argentina women's national team from 1999 to 2012.[5][8] He also served as the assistant coach for Argentina women's national team from 1996 to 2006.[9] He helped the national team qualify for their first FIFA Women's World Cup in 2003 with manager Carlos Borrello.[10] In 2008, he became a manager for Argentina U-20 women's national team and managed the team in 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[9]