Kazuyoshi Miura

Kazuyoshi Miura (三浦知良 Miura Kazuyoshi, born on February 26, 1967),^[1] often known simply as Kazu, is a Japanese football (soccer) striker. He has played for the Japanese national team and was the first Japanese recipient of the Asian Player of the Year award in 1993,^[2] an award presented annually by the Asian Football Confederation.^[3] He is currently with Yokohama FC in the J. League Division 2.^[4][5] Kazu, whose rise to fame in Japan coincided with the launch of the J. League in 1993,^[6] was arguably Japan's first superstar in football. He played his last national team match in 2000 and finished with the second-most career goals in Japanese national team history with 55 goals in 89 matches. Being 43, Miura is currently oldest footballer in the Japan's professional leagues.

Club career

In 1982 Miura left the Shizuoka Gakuen High School after less than a year, and travelled alone to Brazil at the age of fifteen to become a professional footballer there.^[2] He signed with Clube Atlético Juventus, a youth club in São Paulo, and in 1986, Kazu signed his first professional contract with Santos. He played for several Brazilian clubs including Palmeiras and Coritiba until his return to Japan in 1990.^[2]

His time in Brazil elevated him to star status and on his return to Japan, he joined the Japan Soccer League side Yomiuri FC, which later spun off from its parent company Yomiuri Shinbun and became Verdy Kawasaki with the launch of the J. League in 1993.^[1][7] With Yomiuri/Kawasaki, Kazu won four consecutive league titles playing alongside fellow Japanese national team regulars Ruy Ramos and Tsuyoshi Kitazawa. Yomiuri won the last two JSL titles in 1991 and 1992 and Verdy Kawasaki won the first two J. League titles in 1993 and 1994. He was named the first J. League Most Valuable Player in 1993 and the last unofficial Asian Footballer of the Year in 1993.^[2][8]

Miura then became the first Japanese footballer to play in Italy, joining Genoa C.F.C. in the 1994–1995 Serie A season.^[2] In his Italian stint, he played 21 times and scored just 1 goal, during the Genoa derby against Sampdoria. He returned to Verdy Kawasaki for the 1995 season and played with them until the end of the 1998 season.^[2] Kazu made another attempt at playing in Europe with Dinamo Zagreb in 1999. He returned to Japan however, following a brief trial with A.F.C Bournemouth, in the same year, and played with Kyoto Purple Sanga and Vissel Kobe, before eventually signing for Yokohama FC in 2005.

He played with Sydney FC of the A-League on a 2 month loan in late 2005, appearing in league matches and the 2005 FIFA World Club Championship held in Japan. Kazu scored 2 goals in his second A-League match, a 3-2 defeat at league leaders Adelaide United.

He is known for his trade mark Kazu Feint and his famous kazu dance when he scores great goals or great plays. In 2007, Kazuyoshi Miura was selected for the 2007 JOMO All Stars match for J-East and played exceptionally well.^[9]

National team career (1990–2000)

• Debut against Bangladesh (September 26, 1990)
• Appearances: 89
• Goals: 55

Honors

Individual

• Japan Soccer League MVP: 1992
• J. League Cup MVP: 1992
• AFC Asian Cup MVP: 1992
• AFC Asian Cup Best Eleven: 1992
• Asian Footballer of the Year: 1993
• J. League MVP: 1993
• J. League Best Eleven: 1993, 1995, 1996
• J. League Top Scorer: 1996

Team

• Campeonato Paranaense Winner - 1989
• Japan Soccer League Winner - 1991, 1992
• AFC Asian Cup Winner - 1992
• J. League Cup Winner - 1992, 1993
• J. League Winner - 1993
• Emperor's Cup Winner - 1996
• Prva HNL Winner - 1998–99

Achievements

• Nominated for FIFA World Player of the Year: 1996

Career statistics

National team statistics

^[10]

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	August 26, 1992	Beijing, China	Korea DPR	4-1	Won	1992 Dynasty Cup
2.	November 3, 1992	Hiroshima, Japan	Iran	1-0	Won	1992 AFC Asian Cup Group Stage
3.	March 14, 1993	Tokyo, Japan	United States	3-1	Won	Friendly
4.	March 14, 1993	Tokyo, Japan	United States	3-1	Won	Friendly
5.	April 8, 1993	Kobe, Japan	Thailand	1-0	Won	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
6.	April 11, 1993	Tokyo, Japan	Bangladesh	8-0	Won	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
7.	April 11, 1993	Tokyo, Japan	Bangladesh	8-0	Won	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
8.	April 11, 1993	Tokyo, Japan	Bangladesh	8-0	Won	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
9.	April 11, 1993	Tokyo, Japan	Bangladesh	8-0	Won	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
10.	April 15, 1993	Tokyo, Japan	Sri Lanka	5-0	Won	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
11.	April 15, 1993	Tokyo, Japan	Sri Lanka	5-0	Won	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
12.	April 30, 1993	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	Bangladesh	4-1	Won	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
13.	May 5, 1993	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	Sri Lanka	6-0	Won	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
14.	October 4, 1993	Tokyo, Japan	Côte d'Ivoire	1-0	Won	Afro-Asian Cup of Nations
15.	October 21, 1993	Doha, Qatar	Korea DPR	3-0	Won	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
16.	October 21, 1993	Doha, Qatar	Korea DPR	3-0	Won	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
17.	October 25, 1993	Doha, Qatar	Korea Republic	1-0	Won	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
18.	October 28, 1993	Doha, Qatar	Iraq	2-2	Drew	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
19.	July 8, 1994	Nagoya, Japan	Ghana	3-2	Won	Friendly
20.	July 8, 1994	Nagoya, Japan	Ghana	3-2	Won	Friendly
21.	July 14, 1994	Kobe, Japan	Ghana	2-1	Won	Friendly
22.	October 3, 1994	Hiroshima, Japan	United Arab Emirates	1-1	Drew	1994 Asian Games Group Stage
23.	October 11, 1994	Hiroshima, Japan	Korea Republic	2-3	Lost	1994 Asian Games Quarter-Finals
24.	January 8, 1995	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	Argentina	1-5	Lost	1995 King Fahd Cup Group Stage
25.	May 28, 1995	Tokyo, Japan	Ecuador	3-0	Won	Friendly
26.	May 28, 1995	Tokyo, Japan	Ecuador	3-0	Won	Friendly
27.	September 20, 1995	Tokyo, Japan	Paraguay	1-2	Lost	Friendly
28.	October 24, 1995	Tokyo, Japan	Saudi Arabia	2-1	Won	Friendly
29.	October 28, 1995	Tokyo, Japan	Saudi Arabia	2-1	Won	Friendly
30.	February 19, 1996	Hong Kong, China	Poland	5-0	Won	Friendly
31.	May 26, 1996	Tokyo, Japan	Yugoslavia	1-0	Won	Friendly
32.	May 29, 1996	Fukuoka, Japan	Mexico	3-2	Won	Friendly
33.	August 25, 1996	Osaka, Japan	Uruguay	5-3	Won	Friendly
34.	August 25, 1996	Osaka, Japan	Uruguay	5-3	Won	Friendly
35.	December 9, 1996	Al Ain, United Arab Emirates	Uzbekistan	4-0	Won	1996 AFC Asian Cup Group Stage
36.	March 15, 1997	Bangkok, Thailand	Thailand	1-3	Lost	Friendly
37.	March 15, 1997	Muscat, Oman	Macau	10-0	Won	1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
38.	March 15, 1997	Muscat, Oman	Macau	10-0	Won	1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
39.	May 21, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Korea Republic	1-1	Drew	Friendly
40.	June 8, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Croatia	4-3	Won	Friendly
41.	June 8, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Croatia	4-3	Won	Friendly
42.	June 22, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Macau	10-0	Won	1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
43.	June 22, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Macau	10-0	Won	1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
44.	June 22, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Macau	10-0	Won	1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
45.	June 22, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Macau	10-0	Won	1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
46.	June 22, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Macau	10-0	Won	1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
47.	June 22, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Macau	10-0	Won	1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
48.	June 25, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Nepal	3-0	Won	1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
49.	June 25, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Nepal	3-0	Won	1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
50.	September 7, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Uzbekistan	6-3	Won	1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
51.	September 7, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Uzbekistan	6-3	Won	1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
52.	September 7, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Uzbekistan	6-3	Won	1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
53.	September 7, 1997	Tokyo, Japan	Uzbekistan	6-3	Won	1998 FIFA World Cup Qualification
54.	February 16, 2000	Macau, China	Brunei	9-0	Won	2000 AFC Asian Cup Qualification
55.	June 6, 2000	Casablanca, Morocco	Jamaica	4-0	Won	Friendly

References

External links

• BOA SORTE KAZU! (Official site)
• National Football Teams

Japan squad – 1992 AFC Asian Cup Champions (1st Title) 1 Matsunaga • 2 Otake • 3 Katsuya • 4 Horiike • 5 Hashiratani • 6 Tsunami • 7 Ihara • 8 Fukuda • 9 Takeda • 10 Ramos • 11 Miura • 12 Yamada • 13 Sakakura • 14 Kitazawa • 15 Yoshida • 16 Nakayama • 17 Moriyasu • 18 Jinno • 19 Maekawa • 20 Takagi • Coach: Ooft

Japan squad – 1995 King Fahd Cup 1 Matsunaga • 2 Natsuka • 3 Tsunami • 4 Ihara • 5 Hashiratani • 6 Moriyasu • 7 Horiike • 8 Kitazawa • 9 T. Yamaguchi • 10 Ramos • 11 Kazu • 12 Kikuchi • 13 Hasegawa • 14 Isogai • 15 M. Yamaguchi • 16 Fukuda • 17 Soma • 18 Yanagimoto • 19 Okano • 20 Kojima • Coach: Kamo

Japan squad – 1996 AFC Asian Cup 1 Kojima • 2 Yanagimoto • 3 Soma • 4 Ihara • 5 Omura • 6 Yamaguchi • 7 Honda • 8 Maezono • 9 Takagi • 10 Nanami • 11 Miura • 12 Michiki • 13 Hattori • 14 Okano • 15 Morishima • 16 Saito • 17 Akita • 18 Jo • 19 Shimokawa • 20 Narazaki • Coach: Kamo