Keisuke Honda vs Shinji Kagawa
Japan against Japan. The almanac states its case, the crowd votes, you decide.
Keisuke Honda
Japan · 2010–16 · RM
- Almanac rating
- 87
- Rank in Japan
- #3 of 33
- Caps
- 98 · 38 goals
- Clubs
- Nagoya Grampus, PFC CSKA Moscow, AC Milan
Japan needed only a draw against Denmark in Rustenburg on 24 June 2010, and Honda opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a knuckling free kick that dipped away from Thomas Sorensen. The 2011 Asian Cup made him its most valuable player, and he went on to become the first Japanese player to score at three World Cups, winning a Russian league title and two Russian Cups with CSKA Moscow and the 2016 Supercoppa Italiana at Milan. Career record: 98 caps and 38 goals for Japan; club career at Nagoya Grampus, PFC CSKA Moscow, AC Milan.
Shinji Kagawa
Japan · 2011–17 · CAM
- Almanac rating
- 88
- Rank in Japan
- #2 of 33
- Caps
- 97 · 31 goals
- Clubs
- Cerezo Osaka, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United
Rooney set up all three on 2 March 2013 and he finished each one without fuss, a 4-0 win over Norwich that made him the first Asian player to score a Premier League hat-trick. Two Bundesliga titles at Dortmund in 2011 and 2012 came with the 2012 German cup, followed by the 2012-13 Premier League with Manchester United, the 2011 Asian Cup with Japan, and a second DFB-Pokal back in Dortmund in 2017. Career record: 97 caps and 31 goals for Japan; club career at Cerezo Osaka, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United.
The verdict
The almanac puts Shinji Kagawa ahead by 1 rating point, 88 against 87.
Fans have not settled this one yet. Cast the first vote in the duels.