Shoji Jo facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 17 June 1975 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.79 m | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| 1991–1993 | Kagoshima Jitsugyo High School | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||
| 1994–1996 | JEF United Ichihara | 99 | (35) | ||||||||||
| 1997–2001 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 106 | (59) | ||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | → Real Valladolid (loan) | 15 | (2) | ||||||||||
| 2002 | Vissel Kobe | 25 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Yokohama FC | 151 | (44) | ||||||||||
| Total | 396 | (141) | |||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||
| 1996 | Japan U-23 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 1995–2001 | Japan | 35 | (7) | ||||||||||
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Honours
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Shoji Jo (城 彰二, Jō Shōji, born 17 June 1975) is a Japanese former professional footballer. He played as a forward, which means he was usually trying to score goals. Shoji Jo also played for the Japan national team.
Club Career Highlights
Shoji Jo was born on Hokkaido island in Japan. He started his football journey with JEF United Ichihara in 1994. He quickly became a key player, scoring 12 goals in his very first season. His first goal was scored on his debut game against Gamba Osaka on March 12.
After playing for JEF United Ichihara for three seasons, Jo moved to the Yokohama Marinos in 1997. This team later changed its name to Yokohama F. Marinos. His great playing in the 1998–99 season caught the eye of a team in Spain.
He was loaned to Real Valladolid, a team in Spain's top league, La Liga. However, he faced some challenges there. He played in 15 games and scored two goals before getting a knee injury. After returning to Japan, it was tough for Jo to score goals as regularly as before. He played for the Marinos again and then joined Vissel Kobe in 2002.
In 2003, he moved to Yokohama FC. He scored 12 goals in his first season with them. He helped Yokohama FC win the J2 League championship in 2006. This win meant his team was promoted to the J1 League, which is the top football league in Japan. After that successful season, Shoji Jo decided to retire from playing professional football.
Playing for Japan
Shoji Jo first played for the Japan national team on September 20, 1995. His first game was against Paraguay.
He also represented Japan in big international events. In 1996, he played for the Japan U-23 national team at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
In October 1996, he returned to play for the senior Japan team. He also took part in the 1996 Asian Cup in December of that year. A big moment for Japanese football came in 1997 when Japan qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup for the very first time! Shoji Jo was part of that historic team. He played in all of Japan's matches at the 1998 World Cup. He also played in all the games at the 1999 Copa América. Overall, he played 35 games for Japan and scored 7 goals until 2001.
Images for kids
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Shoji Jo in action
See also
In Spanish: Shōji Jō para niños
