Akira Narahashi facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | November 26, 1971 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Chiba, Chiba, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Right-back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1989 | Chiba Eiwa High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1996 | Bellmare Hiratsuka | 199 | (21) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2006 | Kashima Antlers | 196 | (16) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Shonan Bellmare | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 396 | (37) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–2003 | Japan | 38 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Akira Narahashi (名良橋 晃, Narahashi Akira, born November 26, 1971) is a Japanese former professional footballer. He played as a right-back, which is a defensive position on the right side of the field. He was a key player for the Japan national team, playing 38 games between 1994 and 2003. This included three matches in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, a huge event in football.
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Akira Narahashi's Club Career
Akira Narahashi was born in Chiba, Japan, on November 26, 1971. After finishing high school in 1990, he joined a football club called Fujita Industries. This club later changed its name to Bellmare Hiratsuka and then Shonan Bellmare.
Early Days with Bellmare Hiratsuka
When Narahashi first joined, his team played in the Japan Soccer League Division 2. In 1992, the league changed, and his club joined the new Japan Football League. His team did very well, winning the championship in 1993. This win meant they were promoted to the top league, the J1 League. In 1994, they won the Emperor's Cup, a major Japanese football tournament. The club also achieved success in Asia, winning the 1995 Asian Cup Winners' Cup.
Joining Kashima Antlers
In 1997, Narahashi moved to Kashima Antlers, another big club. He wanted to learn from Jorginho, a famous Brazilian player who was at Kashima. This move helped Narahashi grow as a player.
The year 2000 was amazing for Kashima Antlers. They won all three major titles in Japan: the J1 League, the J.League Cup, and the Emperor's Cup. This was the first time in J.League history that a club won all three in one year! During his time with Kashima Antlers, the club won the J1 League three times, the J.League Cup three times, and the Emperor's Cup two times.
As the mid-2000s approached, Narahashi played less often. At the end of the 2006 season, Kashima Antlers decided not to renew his contract.
Return to Shonan Bellmare and Retirement
Narahashi returned to his first club, Shonan Bellmare, in February 2007. However, he was released in August of the same year. On February 1, 2008, Akira Narahashi announced that he was retiring from professional football.
Akira Narahashi's International Career
Akira Narahashi made his first appearance for the Japan national team on September 27, 1994. This was in a match against Australia. For a while, he competed with another player, Hiroshige Yanagimoto, for the right-back position.
Playing in the FIFA World Cup
In 1997, Yanagimoto got injured, and Narahashi became the regular right-back. He played a big part in the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification. Japan successfully qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup for the very first time in their history! In 1998, Narahashi played in all three of Japan's matches at the World Cup.
Later International Appearances
After the 2002 FIFA World Cup, a new manager named Zico selected Narahashi for the Japan team again in October. This was his first call-up in four years. He was also chosen for the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, but he did not play in any matches during that tournament. In total, Akira Narahashi played 38 games for Japan until 2003.
Career Statistics
Here are the details of Akira Narahashi's career, showing how many games he played and how many goals he scored for his clubs and the national team.
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Asia | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bellmare Hiratsuka | 1990–91 | JSL Division 2 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | 26 | 5 | |||
| 1991–92 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 0 | – | 28 | 3 | |||||
| 1992 | Football League | 18 | 1 | – | – | 18 | 1 | |||||
| 1993 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 23 | 5 | |||
| 1994 | J1 League | 39 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 44 | 2 | ||
| 1995 | 46 | 4 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 48 | 4 | ||||
| 1996 | 29 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 1 | – | 46 | 2 | |||
| Kashima Antlers | 1997 | J1 League | 17 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 1 | – | 29 | 2 | |
| 1998 | 33 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 38 | 5 | |||
| 1999 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | – | 24 | 4 | |||
| 2000 | 26 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | – | 37 | 4 | |||
| 2001 | 27 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 36 | 3 | |||
| 2002 | 25 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | – | 38 | 1 | |||
| 2003 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 1 | ||
| 2004 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 16 | 0 | |||
| 2005 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 | 0 | |||
| 2006 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | |||
| Shonan Bellmare | 2007 | J2 League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 396 | 37 | 36 | 1 | 68 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 503 | 42 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 1994 | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 13 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 38 | 0 | |
Honors and Achievements
Akira Narahashi won many awards and championships during his football career.
With Shonan Bellmare
- Emperor's Cup: 1994
- Asian Cup Winner's Cup: 1995
With Kashima Antlers
- J - League: 1998, 2000, 2001
- Emperor's Cup: 1997, 2000
- J - League Cup: 1997, 2000, 2002
- Japanese Super Cup: 1997, 2000, 2002
Individual Awards
- J1 League Best Eleven: 2001 (This means he was chosen as one of the best 11 players in the J1 League for that year!)
See also
In Spanish: Akira Narahashi para niños
