Hiroshi Ochiai facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Hiroshi Ochiai | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 28 February 1946 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Saitama, Saitama, Empire of Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defender, Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1961–1963 | Urawa High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1964–1965 | Toshiba | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1966–1984 | Mitsubishi Motors | 267 | (56) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 267 | (56) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1980 | Japan | 63 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Hiroshi Ochiai (落合 弘, Ochiai Hiroshi, born 28 February 1946) is a famous former Japanese football player. He was known for his amazing skills on the field. He also played for the Japan national team.
Contents
Playing Career: A Football Star
Hiroshi Ochiai was born in Saitama, Japan, on February 28, 1946. He grew up loving football. After finishing high school, he joined the Toshiba football club in 1964.
Early Days and Moving Clubs
When he first started, Ochiai played as an offensive player. This meant his main job was to score goals. In 1966, he moved to a club closer to his hometown, Mitsubishi Motors. This team played in the top league in Japan, called the Japan Soccer League (JSL).
Becoming a Champion at Mitsubishi Motors
Ochiai became a key player for Mitsubishi Motors. He played in every single one of their 260 league matches until 1981. That's a lot of games!
- In 1969, he was the top scorer in the JSL. His team, Mitsubishi Motors, won the league championship for the first time that year.
- In the 1970s, Ochiai changed his playing position. He moved from offense to defense. This showed how versatile and skilled he was.
- In 1973, his team won both the JSL and the Emperor's Cup.
- The year 1978 was super special! Mitsubishi Motors won all three major titles in Japan: the JSL, the JSL Cup, and the Emperor's Cup. Because of his amazing performance, Hiroshi Ochiai was named the Japanese Footballer of the Year.
He played a total of 267 games and scored 56 goals in the league before he retired in 1984. Only one other player, Yoshikazu Nagai, played more games in the JSL. Ochiai was also chosen for the "Best Eleven" team 10 times. This means he was considered one of the top 11 players in the league for many years.
Representing Japan: National Team Journey
In September 1974, Hiroshi Ochiai was chosen to play for the Japan national team. His first game was against Israel during the 1974 Asian Games.
After his first game, he played in many important matches for Japan. These included qualifying games for the 1976 Summer Olympics and the 1978 World Cup. He also played in the 1978 Asian Games.
His last game for Japan was in 1980 during the 1980 Summer Olympics qualification. Overall, he played 63 games for Japan and scored 9 goals.
Life After Playing: Coaching and Honors
After he stopped playing football, Hiroshi Ochiai continued to be involved in the sport.
Becoming a Coach
In 1988, he became a coach for the Japan national football team. He worked alongside his former teammate, Kenzo Yokoyama, who was the manager. Later, in 1992, Ochiai became a coach for Urawa Reds, which was his old club, Mitsubishi Motors, under a new name.
Hall of Fame
In 2010, Hiroshi Ochiai was honored for his amazing career. He was chosen to be part of the Japan Football Hall of Fame. This is a very special award for people who have made a huge impact on Japanese football.
Personal Achievements
Hiroshi Ochiai received many awards and honors during his career:
- Japan Soccer League Top Scorer in 1969.
- Japanese Footballer of the Year in 1978.
- Japan Soccer League Best Eleven: He was chosen 10 times for this team, which picks the best players in the league each year. He was on the team for 9 years in a row from 1973 to 1981!
- Inducted into the Japan Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
See also
In Spanish: Hiroshi Ochiai para niños
