I could hardly believe my eyes. Gamba Osaka goalkeeper ICHIMORI Jun ran nearly 100 metres to reach the opposing team's penalty area.

It happened during the match between Urawa Reds and Gamba Osaka at Saitama Stadium 2002 on 6 May, during match week 15 of the J1 League. Urawa entered the game on a five-match winning streak, while Gamba had won their previous two, setting the stage for a closely contested battle between two in-form sides.

However, an unfortunate incident occurred almost immediately after kick-off.

After making a leap to catch a cross, Urawa’s goalkeeper, NISHIKAWA Shusaku, began to stretch his left leg, clearly in discomfort. He signalled for a stoppage and called over the team doctor. Although he initially tried to continue playing, he sat down again less than a minute later and requested to be substituted. Referee KOYA Koei quickly summoned the medical staff and a stretcher. From his movements, it was clear that Nishikawa had injured his left hamstring.

Urawa players rushed over one by one to support their visibly frustrated teammate. The stretcher was eventually taken off the pitch, presumably because Nishikawa indicated he could walk off by himself. At that moment, Gamba Osaka captain USAMI Takashi approached him. Following closely behind, in a yellow goalkeeper kit, was Ichimori, who had run all the way across the pitch.

When I first saw Ichimori running, I assumed he was going to discuss tactics with his teammates during the pause. But he continued running past the halfway line, into Urawa’s penalty area, and approached Nishikawa. Ichimori gently placed his left hand on Nishikawa’s back and spoke a few words.

After a short exchange, Usami shook hands with Nishikawa and stepped away. As Nishikawa stood up, he gave Ichimori a pat on the back, seemingly a gesture of appreciation, as the Gamba goalkeeper turned to jog back to his own goal.

Born in 1986, the 38-year-old Nishikawa was making his 639th J1 League appearance — the second-most in league history and the highest among active players. A native of Usa City in Oita Prefecture, he turned professional through Oita Trinita’s academy and later played for Sanfrecce Hiroshima before joining Urawa in 2014. This was his 21st season in Japan’s topflight.

In contrast, Ichimori — born in 1991 and 33 years old at the time — took a very different path. A product of Cerezo Osaka’s academy, he didn’t break into a J1 side as a teenager. Instead, he attended Kwansei Gakuin University and joined Renofa Yamaguchi in the Japan Football League 4 years later. He played a key role in the club’s promotions — first to J3, then to J2 after winning the J3 title — before being transfered to Gamba Osaka in 2020. However, with limited opportunities at Gamba, he was loaned to Yokohama F. Marinos in 2023. After a solid season there, he returned to Gamba and finally became their first-choice goalkeeper in 2024.

After the match, Ichimori revealed something unexpected.

Two years earlier, while playing for Yokohama FM, he played against Urawa in a match at Saitama Stadium. During the second half, he made a heroic save, putting his body on the line in the process. Although he stayed on the pitch for a few minutes, he began to feel dizzy and was eventually substituted under the concussion protocol.

The game paused for a water break while Ichimori was stretchered off, and it was then that Nishikawa approached him to see if he was all right. After the match, Nishikawa followed up again, offering kind words of encouragement.

Ichimori’s save was nothing short of courageous, and Yokohama FM would surely have conceded without it. As a fellow goalkeeper, Nishikawa recognised Ichimori’s bravery and wished him a speedy recovery.

That gesture left a deep impression on Ichimori. So, when he saw Nishikawa sit down on the pitch after trying to play on, the moment felt deeply familiar, and almost without realising it, Ichimori’s legs carried him across the pitch.

Gamba Osaka went on to win the match 1–0 after scoring the decisive goal in the second half. Losing a key player like Nishikawa was undoubtedly a huge blow for Urawa.

Fortunately, Nishikawa’s injury turned out to be less serious than feared. He returned after missing just one game and led Urawa to victory over FC Tokyo just 11 days later.

Written by OSUMI Yoshiyuki (Football Journalist)

*This article was originally posted on the Japan Football Association Newsletter, “JFAnews,” June 2025 edition.

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