Captain Tsubasa: Golden-23 - Japan Dream 2006 (キャプテン翼 GOLDEN-23 JAPAN DREAM 2006) is a 52-page oneshot released in commemoration of Japan in Germany 2006. Despite the name, the story has no direct relationship with the canon of the Golden-23 series.
The oneshot was originally published in Shueisha's seinen magazine Weekly Young Jump special issue #2006-07-15 (released on sale on 2006-06). The story was compiled, along with other short stories not related to the main series, in Captain Tsubasa Tanpenshu: Dream Field. In that tankobon, Captain Tsubasa: Golden-23 - Japan Dream 2006 is printed before Captain Tsubasa 25th Anniversary despite being published a year later and barely weeks before the volume.
Story[]
The last day of may, 2006, a football match is about to take place. The "Samurai Blue", the non-fictional Japan national football team consisting of goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, defenders Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Yuji Nakazawa, Keisuke Tsuboi, Teruyuki Moniwa, midfielders Alessandro Santos, Shunsuke Nakamura, Mitsuo Ogasawara, Hidetoshi Nakata, Takashi Fukunishi and forward Naohiro Takahara, is going to face the the U-23 Japanese Olympic team, the "Golden-23", formed by Genzo Wakabayashi as goalkeeper, Jun Misugi, Hiroshi Jito, Makoto Soda and Ryo Ishizaki as defenders, Hikaru Matsuyama, Shingo Aoi, Tsubasa Ozora and Taro Misaki as midfielders, and, Kojiro Hyuga and Ken Wakashimazu as forwards. The "Samurai Blue" coach is Zico while Kozo Kira is the coach of the "Golden-23".
The "Golden-23" are the first to attack. To support the "Samurai Blue", the "Golden-23" are going to attack like the opponents that the "Samurai Blue" will face in Germany 2006. Soda overlaps like Brazil's Roberto Carlos and sends a center pass to Wakashimazu, who jumps like Australia's and Croatia's forwards do, but Nakazawa defends before Wakashimazu can do a header. Misaki picks up the ball and acts like Niko Kranjčar would do it, sending a quick pass towards Hyuga. Hyuga, for his part, emulates Mark Viduka and shoots, but Kawaguchi is able to do a fine save. Before Aoi is able to take the rebound, Miyamoto clears the ball, but Tsubasa gets it. Tsubasa immediately attacks, mimicking Ronaldinho, and evades the defense to shoot. Kawaguchi once again does a nice save.
The "Samurai Blue" notice that the "Golden-23" are pretending to be their opponents in the group phase of Germany 2006, so they decide that they have to score. Santos moves the ball on the left side and passes the ball to Ogasawara, who does a very long shoot trying to catch Wakabayashi out of his goal, but Wakabayashi manages to save the goal. Nakata and Nakamura take the direction of the "Samurai Blue" attack to make opportunities for their forwards, but Wakabayashi stops all shoots. While picturing Mark Schwarzer, Stipe Pletikosa and Dida, Wakabayashi comments that there are no goalkeepers in the World Cup who would take goals that easily.
At the 25-minute mark, the "Samurai Blue" have a free kick, which is their strongest weapon. The "Samurai Blue" score after a well planned dummy that involved Nakata, Nakamura and Nakazawa which let Takahara score after Wakabayashi blocked Fukunishi's diving header. After this goal, the "Golden-23" stop pretending to be the future opponents of the "Samurai Blue" and start playing with their own style. With powerful team play that starts with Tsubasa and Misaki, continues with Aoi, then Matsuyama, then Misugi, then returns to Tsubasa and Miskai and finally ends with Hyuga scoring on the rebound, the "Golden-23" quickly tie the match. The "Golden-23" tell the "Samurai Blue" that in the World Cup no team will easily let them win even if they score the first goal.
Before the end of the first half, the "Samurai Blue" manage to score two more times, the first goal a shoot from Nakamura, the second a bicycle kick from Nakata. The "Golden-23" warn the "Samurai Blue" not to relax even with the two-goal lead, claiming that they won't give up and will reverse the score in the second half. The "Samurai Blue" acknowledge that the "Golden-23" are reliable kohais, so they will also fight at full strength in the second half. The public marvels at the match.
In the locker room, coach Kira informs the "Golden-23" that the futsal combi, Shinnosuke Kazami and Kotaro Furukawa, are going to come in and that Wakabayashi will be holding the captain armband during the second half instead of Tsubasa. The players are surprised to learn that Tsubasa will be playing with the "Samurai Blue" in the second half. The story ends with a support message for the "Samurai Blue" in German 2006.
Notes[]
The magazine version includes a color miniposter and sketches done by Yoichi Takahashi of all members of the "Samurai Blue" that participated in Germany 2006.
Gallery[]
