Practice was over, but Gaku Nishimura remained on the field Wednesday honing his corner and free kicks. As the Fort Wayne FC midfielder booted curving balls in this direction or that, it conjured shades of legendary Japanese player Shunsuke Nakamura.
Perhaps that’s not surprising.
Nishimura grew up idolizing Nakamura, even getting to watch from the sidelines as Nishimura was an academy player in his hometown of Yokohama, Japan, and Nakamura played for the Yokohama F. Marinos – in the late stages of a 25-year career that included time with Scotland’s Celtic Football Club and 98 matches for Japan’s National Team.
Nishimura hopes he can someday have a professional career, too, and he’s shown plenty of potential over two USL League Two seasons with Fort Wayne FC, which will ascend to the pro ranks of USL League One next year when it opens a new soccer-specific stadium at Bass Road and I-69.
“I like the set pieces, the free kicks as well,” Nishimura said. “As long as I have a chance, I want to take us to the score. It can be a goal or an assist.”
Take the last two Fort Wayne FC matches as proof of Nishimura’s abilities; he scored in a 3-0 road victory over West Virginia United on June 4 and delivered an arcing corner kick to set up Tiago Dias’ goal off a header in a 4-2 home victory Saturday over the Dayton Dutch Lions.
“That’s my favorite, from the corner,” Nishimura said. “I gave the assist to Tiago and (he and I) practiced a lot from last year to this year. I want to give the team assists and to do that is amazing for me.”
Fort Wayne FC (5-0-1) is atop the Valley Division heading into this Saturday’s 7 p.m. match at Kings Hammer FC Cincinnati (1-2-2).
Fort Wayne FC’s next home will be 7 p.m. June 18 at Bishop D’Arcy Stadium and it’ll be Youth Soccer Night; kids wearing their youth soccer jerseys get in free with a paid adult ticket (limit two kids per adult). The first 1,000 fans will also get a free Fort Wayne FC poster, presented by Mas+.
Over 15 matches with Fort Wayne FC, Nishimura has one goal and three assists.
He’s only been on American soil for three years.
“I actually wanted to go to Europe – and, of course, everyone wants to go to Europe – but when I think about my career and my soccer, the United States has been amazing,” he said.
Nishimura played for San Jose State University from 2022 to 2023, making the all Western Athletic Conference Freshman Team in 2022, though he acknowledged the adjustment wasn’t easy because he didn’t come to America knowing how to speak English.
“It was tough to make friends and tough to communicate with teammates and coaches,” said Nishimura, who needed about six months before he could talk with those people but was fluent in English after about a year.
Nishimura transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, for the 2024 season and had two goals and two assists over 16 matches. He said playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference improved his game dramatically since it required a higher level of physicality and fitness.
“I was learning everything I could about food, speed, recovery, and what I’d need to go to the professional level next year,” Nishimura said. “Everyone here wants to sign here again next year and play in the pros.”
About Fort Wayne FC
Fort Wayne FC, founded in 2019, is currently a pre-professional club in USL League Two’s Valley Division in the Central Conference. The club won Valley Division championships in 2023 and 2024. Fort Wayne FC is moving to the professional ranks of USL League One in 2026 at a new state-of-the-art stadium. www.fortwaynefc.com
About United Soccer League
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States, impacting more than 200 communities nationwide. The USL is the first and only organization to offer a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women under one ecosystem. This structure includes four men’s leagues: the newly announced, top-tier professional Division I league, the USL Championship (Division II), USL League One (Division III), and USL League Two (pre-professional). The women’s pathway includes the top-tier USL Super League (Division I), which debuted in 2024, and USL W League, the country’s leading pre-professional women’s league. The USL also oversees USL Academy, a progressive talent development platform, and USL Youth, a premier national youth platform.
