Daigo Kobayashi facts for kids
Daigo Kobayashi with Stabæk in 2009
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Daigo Kobayashi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 19 February 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Fuji, Shizuoka, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Shimizu Commercial High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2005 | Tokyo Verdy | 104 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Omiya Ardija | 90 | (14) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | → Stabæk (loan) | 29 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Iraklis | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 29 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 30 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | New England Revolution | 94 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Las Vegas Lights | 32 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Birmingham Legion | 41 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Japan U-20 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Japan | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Daigo Kobayashi (小林 大悟, Kobayashi Daigo, born 19 February 1983) is a Japanese professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder, which means he helps both with defense and offense on the field. Daigo has played for many different football clubs around the world, including teams in Japan, Norway, Greece, and the United States.
Contents
Daigo Kobayashi's Football Journey
Playing for Clubs
Daigo Kobayashi started his professional football career in 2001 with Tokyo Verdy in Japan. While playing for Tokyo Verdy, his team won the 2004 Emperor's Cup and the 2005 Japanese Super Cup. These are important football trophies in Japan. After five years, he moved to another Japanese team, Omiya Ardija, in 2006. He quickly became a key player for them.
In 2009, Daigo had a chance to play in Europe. He joined the Norwegian club Stabæk on a loan. He wore the number 10 jersey and made a strong start. In his first official game for Stabæk, he scored a goal from a free kick. He showed off his amazing ball skills. After his time in Norway, Daigo moved to Greece and played for Iraklis for a short period.
He then returned to Japan in 2011 to play for Shimizu S-Pulse. In 2013, Daigo decided to try playing in North America. He joined Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the MLS, which is the top football league in the United States and Canada. He played well there and later moved to the New England Revolution in 2014. He played many games for them over several seasons.
Later in his career, Daigo played for Las Vegas Lights FC in 2018 and then for Birmingham Legion FC starting in 2019. He continued to play professional football until 2021.
Playing for Japan
Daigo Kobayashi also represented his home country, Japan, in football. He played for the Japan U-20 national team in 2003. They competed in the FIFA World Youth Championship, which is a big tournament for young players from around the world. Japan's team reached the quarter-finals, where they were beaten by Brazil.
Before that, in 2002, he also played for Japan U-20 in the AFC Youth Championship. His team finished second in that tournament.
Daigo earned his first cap, or official appearance, for the senior Japan in 2006. He played in a friendly match against Trinidad and Tobago.
What He Won
Daigo Kobayashi won several awards and trophies during his football career:
- Tokyo Verdy
- Emperor's Cup: 2004
- Japanese Super Cup: 2005
- Stabæk
- Super Cup: 2009
- Japan
- AFC Youth Championship Runner-up: 2002
- New England Revolution
- MLS Eastern Conference
- Winners (Playoff): 2014
Individual Awards
- J.League All-Star Soccer selected: 2006, 2007
See also
In Spanish: Daigo Kobayashi para niños
