Sōta Hirayama facts for kids
Hirayama in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Sota Hirayama | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 6 June 1985 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | Kunimi High School | |||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | University of Tsukuba | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Heracles Almelo | 32 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2016 | FC Tokyo | 169 | (33) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Vegalta Sendai | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 201 | (41) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Japan U-20 | 8 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Japan U-23 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Japan | 4 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Sota Hirayama (born June 6, 1985) is a former Japanese football player. He was a forward, known for scoring goals. He played for several clubs and also represented the Japan national team.
Contents
Sota Hirayama's Early Football Days
Sota Hirayama grew up loving football. When he was a teenager, he went to Kunimi High School. This school was famous for its football team.
High School Success
While at Kunimi High School, Sota was an amazing player. He helped his team win the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament almost every year from 2001 to 2003. He became the top scorer in the tournament's history, scoring 17 goals! After high school, he went to the University of Tsukuba in 2004.
Playing Football in Europe
In 2005, Sota decided to try playing football in Europe. He went to the Netherlands, a country known for its strong football leagues.
Joining Heracles Almelo
In July 2005, Sota joined a Dutch team called Heracles Almelo. This team had just moved up to the top league, the Eredivisie. He made his first professional appearance on August 20, 2005. In that game, he played for only 15 minutes but scored 2 goals! He finished the 2005–2006 season with 8 goals in 31 games.
Even though he was doing well, Sota decided to leave Heracles Almelo in September 2006. He wanted to go back to Japan to finish his studies.
Playing for FC Tokyo
After returning to Japan, Sota signed with FC Tokyo, a big club in the J1 League.
Becoming a Key Player
Sota started playing for FC Tokyo in September 2006. Over time, he got more chances to play. By 2009, he was a regular player for the team. In the 2009 J.League Cup Final, he scored a goal that helped FC Tokyo win the championship!
However, in 2010, FC Tokyo was moved down to the J2 League. Sota also faced some tough times with injuries. In April 2011, he broke his leg, which meant he could only play one game that year.
Returning to J1 League and More Injuries
FC Tokyo returned to the J1 League in 2012. But Sota broke his leg again in May, which kept him from playing much. From 2013 onwards, he often played as a substitute, coming off the bench to help his team.
In 2017, Sota moved to another team, Vegalta Sendai. Sadly, he got injured again right after the first game of the season. He couldn't play any games that year because of his injury. In January 2018, Sota announced that he was retiring from football. He had faced many injuries throughout his career.
Sota Hirayama's International Career
Sota also played for Japan's national football teams at different age levels.
Playing for Youth Teams
In 2003, when he was just 17, Sota played for the Japan U-20 national team in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. He scored two important goals, including one that helped Japan move to the next stage of the tournament.
In 2004, he played for the Japan U-23 national team in the 2004 Summer Olympics. The next year, he played in his second 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.
Playing for Japan's Senior Team
Sota made his debut for the senior national team on January 6, 2010. It was a game against Yemen for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification. Japan was losing 2–0, but Sota scored three goals in a row! This amazing feat, called a hat trick, helped Japan win 3–2. It was a very rare achievement for a player to score three goals in their first game for Japan. He played 4 games for Japan in 2010 and scored 3 goals in total.
Career Statistics Summary
Sota Hirayama played in many matches throughout his career. Here's a quick look at his numbers:
| Japan national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Games Played | Goals Scored |
| 2010 | 4 | 3 |
| Total | 4 | 3 |
Awards and Honours
Sota Hirayama won several important trophies with his club, FC Tokyo.
Club Trophies
- FC Tokyo
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- 2009
- Suruga Bank Championship:
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- 2010
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- 2011 (This means they won the second division league)
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- 2011
See also
In Spanish: Sōta Hirayama para niños
