Masakiyo Maezono facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||
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| Full name | Masakiyo Maezono | |||||||||
| Date of birth | 29 October 1973 | |||||||||
| Place of birth | Satsumasendai, Kagoshima, Japan | |||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward, Midfielder | |||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | Kagoshima Jitsugyo High School | |||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||
| 1992–1996 | Yokohama Flügels | 128 | (25) | |||||||
| 1997–2002 | Tokyo Verdy | 63 | (9) | |||||||
| 1998 | → Santos (loan) | 5 | (1) | |||||||
| 1999 | → Goiás (loan) | 0 | (0) | |||||||
| 2000 | → Shonan Bellmare (loan) | 38 | (11) | |||||||
| 2003 | Anyang LG Cheetahs | 16 | (0) | |||||||
| 2004 | Incheon United | 4 | (0) | |||||||
| Total | 263 | (47) | ||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Japan U-23 | 3 | (2) | |||||||
| 1994–1997 | Japan | 19 | (4) | |||||||
| 2009 | Japan Beach Soccer | |||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||
Masakiyo Maezono (前園 真聖, born October 29, 1973) is a famous former Japanese football player. He was a talented forward and midfielder. Maezono played for the Japan national team and was known for his exciting style of play.
Contents
Playing for Football Clubs
Masakiyo Maezono was born in Satsumasendai on October 29, 1973. After finishing high school, he joined the Yokohama Flügels club in 1992. He started playing in June 1993 and quickly became a key player for the team.
Winning with Yokohama Flügels
His team, Yokohama Flügels, won the 1993 Emperor's Cup in 1993. This was their very first major championship title. They also won their first Asian title, the 1994–95 Asian Cup Winners' Cup, in 1995. Maezono played a big part in these victories.
Moving to New Teams
In 1997, Maezono moved to Verdy Kawasaki, which later became Tokyo Verdy. He also played for clubs in Brazil, like Santos in 1998 and Goiás in 1999. In 2000, he came back to Japan to play for J2 League club Shonan Bellmare. He returned to Tokyo Verdy in 2001.
Playing in South Korea
Later, in 2003, Maezono moved to South Korea. He played for Anyang LG Cheetahs in 2003 and Incheon United in 2004. He officially stopped playing professional football in May 2005.
Playing for Japan's National Team
Masakiyo Maezono first played for the Japan national team on May 22, 1994. This game was against Australia. He also played in the 1994 Asian Games.
Captain of the U-23 Team
From 1995, Maezono focused on playing for the Japan U-23 national team. He was the captain of this team. Under his leadership, the U-23 Japan team qualified for the 1996 Summer Olympics. This was the first time Japan had qualified for the Olympics in 28 years! The last time was in 1968, when Japan won a bronze medal.
The "Miracle of Miami"
At the 1996 Olympics, Japan won two matches but did not make it past the first round. However, they achieved something amazing: they beat Brazil in their very first game. This unexpected victory is famous in Japan as the "Miracle of Miami" (マイアミの奇跡). Maezono played in three games at the Olympics and scored two goals against Hungary.
Senior Team Goals
After the 1996 Summer Olympics, Maezono was chosen to play for the senior Japan team again in August 1996. On August 25, he played against Uruguay and scored his first goal for Japan. He also played in the 1996 AFC Asian Cup in December. Overall, he played 19 games and scored 4 goals for Japan until 1997.
Beach Soccer Career
After retiring from professional football, Maezono started playing beach soccer. His former teammate, Ruy Ramos, who was the manager, selected him for the Japan national beach soccer team. In 2009, Japan won the 2009 AFC Beach Soccer Championship. This win allowed them to play in the 2009 Beach Soccer World Cup.
Awards and Achievements
Masakiyo Maezono received several honors during his career:
- J.League Best XI : 1996 (This means he was chosen as one of the best players in the J.League in 1996).
- AFC Beach Soccer Championship : 2009 (He won this championship with the Japan beach soccer team).
National Team Appearances
- 1996 Summer Olympics
- 1996 Asian Cup
See also
In Spanish: Masakiyo Maezono para niños
