Biography
Who is Masashi Oguro?
Early career and nickname
Masashi Oguro began his professional football path in 1999 when he signed with the J1 League club Gamba Osaka. During the 2001 season, the club sent him on a loan spell to Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo to gain more experience on the pitch. His performance during this time was strong enough to earn him a return to Osaka where he established himself as a primary scoring threat. Because the Chinese characters for his name are similar to the deity Daikokuten, fans gave him that name as a nickname. The official shop for Gamba Osaka was even dubbed the Shrine of Daikokuten in his honor.
International play and World Cup
The year 2005 marked a significant period for Masashi Oguro as he made his debut for the Japan national team. He played a vital role in the 2006 World Cup qualifying matches. On February 9, 2005, he scored a critical goal during injury time in a match against North Korea. This goal secured a 2-0 victory for Japan and helped the team finalize their qualification for the tournament in Germany. He finished that year as the fifth highest scorer for the national side and helped Gamba Osaka win the J1 League championship title.
Return to Japan and coaching
Masashi returned to the J1 League in June 2008 to join Tokyo Verdy. After the team was relegated, he stayed for the 2009 season in the J2 League where he scored 21 goals. He continued his career with several other Japanese clubs including Yokohama FC and FC Tokyo. In 2010, he helped FC Tokyo win the Suruga Bank Championship. He later played for Yokohama F. Marinos and moved to China in 2013 to play for Hangzhou Greentown under his former manager Takeshi Okada. This move to the Chinese Super League was a brief international stint before he headed back to Japan again.
Birthday and age
Masashi Oguro was born on May 4, 1980, which makes Masashi 46 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Masashi shares the date with 24 other famous people.
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