Kazushi Kimura facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Kazushi Kimura | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | July 19, 1958 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.68 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1976 | Hiroshima Kogyo High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1994 | Yokohama Marinos | 233 | (51) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 233 | (51) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1979–1986 | Japan | 54 | (26) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Yokohama F. Marinos | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Kazushi Kimura (木村 和司, Kimura Kazushi, born July 19, 1958) is a famous Japanese football player and manager. He was born in Hiroshima and became a talented Midfielder. He played for the Japan national team and was a key player for his club, Yokohama Marinos.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Kazushi Kimura started his club career in 1981 after finishing university. He joined a team called Nissan Motors, which later became known as Yokohama Marinos. From 1982, he wore the special number 10 jersey, which is often given to the best playmakers on a team.
He was so good that he won the "Japanese Footballer of the Year" award in both 1983 and 1984. His team also won the Emperor's Cup in 1983 and 1985.
Between 1988 and 1990, Kimura's team had an amazing "golden era." They won all three major football titles in Japan: the Japan Soccer League, the JSL Cup, and the Emperor's Cup. They even won these titles two years in a row! Kimura was again named "Japanese Footballer of the Year" in 1989.
In the early 1990s, the club continued its success, winning the JSL Cup in 1990 and the Emperor's Cup in 1991 and 1992. They also won the Asian Cup Winners' Cup twice, in 1991–92 and 1992–93. Kazushi Kimura was a very important player during all these victories. He retired from playing football in 1994. He played 251 games in the league and scored 51 goals.
Representing His Country
Kazushi Kimura first played for the Japan national team on May 31, 1979, while he was still a university student. His first game was against Indonesia.
He played in important matches like the qualification rounds for the 1980 Summer Olympics and the 1982 FIFA World Cup. From 1982 onwards, he played in almost every game for Japan. This included the 1982 and 1986 Asian Games, as well as qualifications for the 1984 Summer Olympics and the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
In 1985, Kimura set a record for the Japan national team by scoring goals in six games in a row! He played a total of 54 games for Japan and scored 26 goals before he stopped playing for the national team in 1986.
National Team Statistics
| Japan national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1979 | 3 | 0 |
| 1980 | 9 | 4 |
| 1981 | 1 | 0 |
| 1982 | 8 | 1 |
| 1983 | 10 | 8 |
| 1984 | 7 | 4 |
| 1985 | 10 | 7 |
| 1986 | 6 | 2 |
| Total | 54 | 26 |
Becoming a Coach
After his playing career, Kazushi Kimura became a manager for his former club, Yokohama F. Marinos, in 2010. In 2011, his team started the season very well and was competing for the championship. However, they didn't do as well in the later part of the season and finished in 5th place. He left his coaching role at the end of the 2011 season.
Awards and Trophies
Kazushi Kimura won many awards and trophies during his football career:
Team Achievements
- Japan Soccer League Champions:
- 1988–89
- 1989–90
- JSL Cup Champions:
- 1988
- 1989
- 1990
- Emperor's Cup Champions:
- 1983
- 1985
- 1988
- 1989
- 1991
- 1992
- Asian Cup Winners' Cup Champions:
- 1991–92
- 1992–93
Individual Awards
- Japanese Football Player of the Year: 1983, 1984, 1989
- Japan Soccer League Most Valuable Player: 1989-90
- Japan Soccer League Best Eleven: (chosen 5 times) 1983, 1984, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1989–90
- Japan Soccer League Assists leader: 1984
- Japan Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2020
See also
In Spanish: Kazushi Kimura para niños
