Motohiro Yamaguchi facts for kids
Motohiro Yamaguchi, born on January 29, 1969, is a famous Japanese football manager and a former player. He was a talented midfielder who played for the Japanese national team.
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | January 29, 1969 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Takasaki, Gunma, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1986 | Maebashi Ikuei High School | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1998 | Yokohama Flügels | 213 | (30) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2002 | Nagoya Grampus Eight | 110 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Albirex Niigata | 83 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Yokohama FC | 84 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 490 | (42) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | Japan | 58 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Yokohama FC | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Contents
Playing for Clubs
Motohiro Yamaguchi was born in Takasaki, Japan. After finishing university, he started his professional football career in 1991. He joined a team called Yokohama Flügels.
Early Success with Yokohama Flügels
With Yokohama Flügels, Yamaguchi helped the team win their first big title, the Emperor's Cup, in 1993. They also won an important Asian competition called the 1994–95 Asian Cup Winners' Cup. In 1998, the team won the Emperor's Cup again.
Sadly, Yokohama Flügels had to close down at the end of 1998. Yamaguchi then moved to another team, Nagoya Grampus Eight, in 1999.
Moving to New Teams
At Nagoya Grampus Eight, Yamaguchi continued his winning streak, helping them win the 1999 Emperor's Cup.
In 2003, he moved to Albirex Niigata, a team in the J2 League (Japan's second division). He helped them become champions in 2003, which meant they were promoted to the top league, J1 League.
In 2005, Yamaguchi joined Yokohama FC. This club was special because it was started by supporters of his old team, Yokohama Flügels. He helped Yokohama FC become J2 League champions in 2006, and they also got promoted to the J1 League.
Yamaguchi was a very important player and leader. He was the captain for all the teams he played for. He retired from playing football at the end of the 2007 season.
Playing for Japan
Motohiro Yamaguchi also played for the Japanese national team.
First Appearances and World Cup Dream
He first played for Japan in January 1995 in a tournament called the 1995 King Fahd Cup. He quickly became a regular player for the national team.
In 1997, he played in all the matches for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification. Japan made history by qualifying for the World Cup for the very first time!
The 1998 FIFA World Cup
At the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Yamaguchi played in all three of Japan's matches. These were his last games for the national team. Overall, he played 58 games for Japan and scored 4 goals.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 February 1995 | Hong Kong, United Kingdom |  South Korea |
2–1 | 2–2 | 1995 Dynasty Cup |
| 2 | 10 February 1996 | Wollongong, Australia |  Australia |
1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 19 February 1996 | Hong Kong, UK |  Poland |
1–0 | 5–0 | 1996 Lunar New Year Cup |
| 4 | 28 September 1997 | Tokyo, Japan | South Korea |
1–0 | 1–2 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Motohiro Yamaguchi became a football manager. In March 2012, he became the manager for Yokohama FC, one of his former clubs. He managed the team until 2014.
Awards and Honors
Motohiro Yamaguchi won many awards and honors during his career:
- Yokohama Flügels
- Emperor's Cup: 1993, 1998
- Asian Cup Winners' Cup: 1995
- Asian Super Cup: 1995
- Nagoya Grampus Eight
- Emperor's Cup: 1999
- Albirex Niigata
- J2 League: 2003
- Individual Awards
- J1 League Best Eleven (one of the best players in the league): 1996, 1997
