Michael Fitzgerald (Albirex Niigata | Japan)

Fitzgerald on the bench & Socceroo Deng starts.
Edit - a 1-1 draw.

ANZAC CB rotation. This time Fitzgerald starts & Deng is on the pine.
Niigata (15th) hosting Yokohama (17th).

Edit - Niigata win 3-1, and go up to 12th.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/09/23/japan/j1-league/albirex-niigata/yokohama-fc/4025604/

Niigata now 12 pts clear of the drop zone with 6 games left in the season. 

Niigata (14th) travel to Kawasaki Frontale (9th).
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/09/29/japan/j1-league/kawasaki-frontale/albirex-niigata/4025612/

Fitzgerald an unused sub, and full game Deng in a 3-2 win.
7 games left and Niigata (11th), look well save from relegation now.

Niigata (11th) host Sagan Tosu (12th). Niigata win and they are likely confirmed as safe from relegation with 4 games left.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/10/21/japan/j1-league/albirex-niigata/sagan-tosu/4025622/

Fitzgerald starting & Deng on the bench. Fitzgerald has just turned 35. Wonder if he will go around in 2024. He's only started 17 of 29 
J League games, so that must help keep him going.

Edit - a 1-1 draw. Full game & yellow for Fitzgerald.

Niigata (11th) travel to Michael Woud's parent club Kyoto Sanga (15th)
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/10/28/japan/j1-league/kyoto-sanga/albirex-niigata/4025633/

Deng turn to start in a 0-0 draw. Seems that him & Fitzgerald rotate. 
The Kiwi did come on at 82 mins for a midfielder.

Looks like both clubs are safe from relegation with 4 rounds left. I doubt Woud has a future at Kyoto Sanga, but they will most likely be a J1 club again in 2024.

Niigata (10th) host FC Tokyo (11th).
3 games left to finish J1 season, Niigata safe from relegation.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/11/11/japan/j1-league/albirex-niigata/fc-tokyo/4025642/

Fitzgerald off at 57 mins (replaced by Deng) in a 0-0 draw.

2nd last game of the J1 season.
Niigata (10th) travel to Kevin Muscat's Yokohama Marinos (2nd). Marinos with it all to play for, 2 pts behind 1st placed Vissel Kobbe.
 
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/11/24/japan/j1-league/yokohama-f-marinos/albirex-niigata/4025649/

0-0 draw. No Fitzgerald. Deng a full game.
Blow to Muscat's hopes of a 2nd J League title.

Vissel Kobe host Nagoya Grampus (5th) tomorrow. Kobe win and they are champions with one round left.

Last round of the J League season. Niigata (10th) host Cerezo Osaka (8th). Deng starts for Niigata, but no Fitzgerald. The 35 yr old Kiwi to retire? Otherwise he'd be a possible handy pick up for the new Auckland team, if he could somehow keep his Japanese citzenship. Made 24 match days squads (over 34 J1 games) with 18 starts.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/12/03/japan/j1-league/albirex-niigata/cerezo-osaka/4025657/

Kevin Muscat's Yokohama Marinos will finish 2nd, with Vissel Kobbe J League champs.

Edit - Niigata with a 1-0 win to finish the season 10th.

J League is 3 games in and 35 yr old Michael Fitzgerald (36 in September) is still running around. He and recalled Socceroo Thomas Deng full games on the weekend as Niigata (5th) beat Nagoya Grampus 1-0. Retired Socceroo Mitch Langerak in goal for Grampus (last).

Fitzgerald played 2 of the 3 games to date.

Arnie favourite 33 yr old Mitch Duke at Machida Zelvia, is back in the J1 for the first time since 2018. Yet to score this season.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/03/09/japan/j1-league/albirex-niigata/nagoya-grampus-eight/4309619/

Fitzgerald (yellow) and Thomas Deng full games in an upset 3-1 win at Machida Zelvia.

Mitch Duke off the bench for Machida Zelvia at 73 mins (1-3), who were only promoted from J2 last season, but are currently top of the J League. Duke made latest Soceroos selection for upcoming AFC qualifiers. He has 2 goals this J1 season. Deng missed out

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/06/01/japan/j1-league/machida-zerubia/albirex-niigata/4309760/

Fitzgerald (36 in September) has played 13 of 17 games for Niigata (14th in J1) this season.
https://us.soccerway.com/players/michael-james-fitzgerald/182901/

Harry Kewell's Yokohama F. Marinos who lost the recent AFC Champions League final, with some controversy (dodgy pen given against them, keeper sent off etc) are down in 13th currently.

coochiee

Fitzgerald (yellow) and Thomas Deng full games in an upset 3-1 win at Machida Zelvia.

Mitch Duke off the bench for Machida Zelvia at 73 mins (1-3), who were only promoted from J2 last season, but are currently top of the J League. Duke made latest Soceroos selection for upcoming AFC qualifiers. He has 2 goals this J1 season. Deng missed out

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/06/01/japan/j1-league/machida-zerubia/albirex-niigata/4309760/

Fitzgerald (36 in September) has played 13 of 17 games for Niigata (14th in J1) this season.
https://us.soccerway.com/players/michael-james-fitzgerald/182901/

Harry Kewell's Yokohama F. Marinos who lost the recent AFC Champions League final, with some controversy (dodgy pen given against them, keeper sent off etc) are down in 13th currently.

Lol. Probably put the mockers on Zelvia by posting about it. 
This match up has been a J2 match up in recent years and now is deciding the current top of the J1. 

What's the story behind this guy not playing more for the AWs? Regular starter in Japan's top division. Seems odd he's been left out, or is it by his own choice?

Hadn't previously spent much time in J1, and I guess at this point he's maybe too old to bother trying to reintegrate into the All Whites. 

Edit: well this was clearly wrong, turned out he spent most of the 2010s in J1. Was in J2 for a few years from 2019

Ninja

What's the story behind this guy not playing more for the AWs? Regular starter in Japan's top division. Seems odd he's been left out, or is it by his own choice?

Took Japanese citizenship so can play as a local non visa player in the J League. 

Japan only allows you to hold 1 passport so he decided to forgo his NZ citizenship, meaning he became ineligible for the AWs. Was capped a few times prior

Basically he’s made the decision that Japan is his home and playing as a local has given him a 10 year plus pro career. Has been as much if not more in J1, than J2

Shame from an AWs perspective as he would have been a handy addition at different times. But I don’t think you can blame him for choosing the road he has

coochiee

Ninja

What's the story behind this guy not playing more for the AWs? Regular starter in Japan's top division. Seems odd he's been left out, or is it by his own choice?

Took Japanese citizenship so can play as a local non visa player in the J League. 

Japan only allows you to hold 1 passport so he forgo his NZ citizenship then ineligible for AWs. Was capped a few times prior

Basically he’s made the decision that Japan is his home and playing as a local has given him a 10 year plus pro career. Has been as much if not more in J1, than J2

Shame from an AWs perspective as he would have been a handy addition at different times. But I don’t think you can blame for choosing the road he has

Makes complete sense. Thanks for the info

A real what might have been story thinking about Peru and Costa Rica…especially when he was a DM.