Hajime Moriyasu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hajime Moriyasu
森保 一

Moriyasu in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Hajime Moriyasu
Date of birth	(1968-08-23) 23 August 1968 (age 56)
Place of birth	Kakegawa, Shizuoka, Japan
Height	1.74 m
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Japan (manager)
Youth career
1984–1986	Nagasaki Nihon University High School
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1987–2001	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	271	(34)
1998	→ Kyoto Purple Sanga (loan)	32	(1)
2002–2003	Vegalta Sendai	45	(0)
Total		348	(35)
National team
1992–1996	Japan	35	(1)
Teams managed
2012–2017	Sanfrecce Hiroshima
2017–2021	Japan U23
2018–	Japan
Honours Men's football Representing  Japan (as player) AFC Asian Cup Winner 1992 Japan Representing  Japan (as manager) EAFF Championship Winner 2022 Japan Runner-up 2019 South Korea AFC Asian Cup Runner-up 2019 UAE
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Hajime Moriyasu (森保 一, Moriyasu Hajime, born 23 August 1968) is a famous Japanese football (soccer) manager and a former player. He is currently the manager of the Japan national football team, also known as the "Samurai Blue."

As a player, he spent 14 years with Sanfrecce Hiroshima, playing over 250 games. He also played for Kyoto Purple Sanga and Vegalta Sendai. Moriyasu played 35 times for the Japan national team. His brother and two sons have also played football professionally.

Playing Career: Midfielder for Japan

Hajime Moriyasu went to Nagasaki Nihon University High School. After school, he joined the Japan Soccer League team Mazda in 1987. The new manager, Hans Ooft, saw his talent. He made Moriyasu a key defensive midfielder.

In 1990, Moriyasu even had a tryout with Manchester United in England. When Japan's first professional league, the J.League, started in 1993, Mazda became Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Moriyasu continued to play for them. He helped Hiroshima win the second stage of the 1994 J1 League season.

In 1998, his former manager Hans Ooft, who was now at Kyoto Purple Sanga, wanted Moriyasu to join his team. Fans of Hiroshima were upset about him leaving. So, he joined Kyoto on a loan deal for one season. He was a very important player for Kyoto that year.

Moriyasu returned to Hiroshima in 1999. However, he found it harder to get playing time. Younger players like Kazuyuki Morisaki were challenging for his spot. In 2002, he was offered a coaching job at Hiroshima. But he wanted to keep playing. So, he moved to Vegalta Sendai and retired from playing at the end of the 2003 season.

International Career: Representing Japan

In 1992, Hans Ooft became the coach of the Japan national football team. He called up Moriyasu for his first game against Argentina. At that time, many of his teammates didn't even know how to say his name! Ooft gave him a simple job: "win the ball and pass it to the main playmaker, Ruy Ramos."

Moriyasu was part of the Japan team that won the 1992 Asian Cup. He played in almost all the games. He missed the final against Saudi Arabia because he had too many yellow cards.

Japan then tried to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. Moriyasu was playing in the final qualifying match. Japan needed to win, but Iraq scored a goal in the very last minute. This meant Japan did not qualify. Japanese fans still remember this moment as the "Agony of Doha."

He played 35 games for Japan between 1992 and 1996. He scored one goal for his country in a friendly match against Australia in 1996.

Coaching Career: Leading the Samurai Blue

Moriyasu coaching Japan at 2019 AFC Asian Cup

After retiring as a player, Moriyasu became a coach for Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 2004. He also coached Japan's national youth teams. These teams played in the 2006 AFC Youth Championship and the 2007 U-20 World Cup. He coached Hiroshima's main team from 2007 to 2009. Then he had a short time coaching at Albirex Niigata.

In 2011, it was announced that Moriyasu would return to Sanfrecce Hiroshima as their manager. He led the team to win the J1 League title in both 2012 and 2013. He left the club in July 2017 after some difficult results.

Moriyasu then became the coach of Japan's under-23 national team. This team was getting ready for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In 2018, Moriyasu helped coach the senior national team at the World Cup finals in Russia. After the World Cup, on July 26, 2018, the Japan Football Association chose Hajime Moriyasu as the new coach of the men's national team. His goal was to prepare the team for the 2022 World Cup.

He led Japan to the final of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. They beat Iran 3–0 in the semi-finals. However, they lost 3–1 to Qatar in the final. This was Japan's first loss in a continental final.

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Moriyasu coached Japan to some amazing wins. They beat two strong teams, Germany and Spain, both by a score of 2-1. In the Round of 16, Japan played against Croatia. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. Japan unfortunately lost in a penalty shootout (1-3).

Family Life

Hajime Moriyasu has two sons who also played football professionally. His son, Keigo Moriyasu, played as a striker in Australia. Another son, Shohei, played for a team called Kamatamare Sanuki in Japan.

Honors and Awards

As a Player

Japan

• AFC Asian Cup: 1992

As a Manager

Sanfrecce Hiroshima

• J1 League: 2012, 2013, 2015
• Japanese Super Cup: 2013, 2014, 2016

Japan

• EAFF E-1 Football Championship: 2022

Individual Awards

• J.League Manager of the Year: 2012, 2013, 2015
• Asian Coach of the Year: 2022