Seigo Shimokawa
Position:GK
Born:17-Nov-1975
Height/Weight:183/78
Birthplace:Hyogo
Previous Teams:Hokuyo HS, St.Andrew's U., Cerezo Osaka, Kawasaki Frontale
Appearances (J1/J2):142/35
First Appearance: 16-Jul-1997 Cerezo Osaka - vs - Vissel Kobe (at Kobe Universiade Stadium)

Bio

Seigo Shimokawa established himself as a very dependable and hard-working goaltender at Cerezo Osaka in the mid-1990s, and served as the team's unflinching starter for close to a decade. Playing on a team that was dedicated to offence, and treated defensive duties as an afterthought, Shimokawa was forced to work hard throughout his career, and though the Cerezo defence often leaked goals badly, that was never an accurate reflection of Shimokawa's contributions. On the contrary, despite a relatively high goals-against average, the Cerezo keeper even won a few calls to the National Team, though he never received a NT cap. Unlike some keepers who can lose their composure after conceding a goal, Shimokawa earned a reputation for cool and even-tempered fortitude, even when he was being barraged by shots from the opposing team.

By 2003 age, injury and competition from younger players finally pushed him out of the starting spot that he had held at Cerezo continuously since joining them out of university. Shimokawa extended his career for two more seasons with a move to Kawasaki Frontale, but was only able to win occasional playing time as age began to catch up with him. Nevertheless, his career statistics make him a suitable inclusion as a member of our hall of fame, and he will long be remembered by the Cerezo faithful for his cool presence at the back of the flaming pink defence.