Takuya Yamada facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Takuya Yamada | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | August 24, 1974 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender, Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1992 | Toin Gakuen High School | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1996 | Komazawa University | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2005 | Tokyo Verdy | 235 | (22) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Cerezo Osaka | 20 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Yokohama FC | 50 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Sagan Tosu | 43 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2014 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 113 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | FC Imabari | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Nara Club | 13 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | FC Imabari | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 478 | (33) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Japan | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||
Takuya Yamada (born August 24, 1974) is a famous former Japanese football player. He played as a defender and midfielder. Yamada also proudly represented the Japan national team.
Contents
Early Football Days
Takuya Yamada started his football journey in high school. He played for Toin Gakuen High School and helped his team reach the final four in the National Championship. After high school, he went to Komazawa University. There, he won many national titles. A big highlight was winning the gold medal for Japan at the 1995 Summer Universiade. This was a huge achievement for him and his country.
Club Career Highlights
Yamada became a professional football player in 1997. He joined Verdy Kawasaki, which later became Tokyo Verdy. He played for this club for eight years. During his time there, he played almost 300 games. He was known for his strong and energetic playing style. Fans even called him "Mr. Verdy" because he was such an important player. He was also nicknamed "The Terminator" due to his tough way of playing. Yamada was the team captain for three years.
In 2006, Yamada moved to Cerezo Osaka. He then tried out for teams in Australia and the United States. In 2007, he returned to Japan and signed with Yokohama FC. He became the captain of Yokohama FC in 2008. The next year, in 2009, he joined Sagan Tosu.
Playing in the United States
On January 1, 2010, Takuya Yamada made a big move. He signed with FC Tampa Bay in the United States. This team later changed its name to Tampa Bay Rowdies. He was the first Japanese player to be a co-captain in the USSF Division 2 league. Yamada stayed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies for several years. He was a key player for them.
In 2012, he played in all 28 regular season matches. He also played in two post-season matches. Yamada played the most minutes in the NASL that year. He helped his team win the NASL Soccer Bowl in 2012. He was also chosen for the NASL 2012 Best XI, which means he was one of the best players in the league. He continued to play for the Rowdies until the end of the 2014 season. He was the longest-serving player on the team.
Return to Japan and Retirement
After his time in the United States, Yamada returned to Japan in 2015. He joined FC Imabari in July of that year. In 2016, he moved to Nara Club and played there for one season. He returned to FC Imabari in August 2017. Takuya Yamada officially retired from playing professional football in November 2017.
National Team Career
Takuya Yamada had a successful international career. He was part of the Japan national team that won the gold medal at the 1995 Summer Universiade. This made him a world champion at the university level.
In December 2003, he was chosen to play for the Japan national team. He made his first appearance for Japan on December 7, 2003, against Hong Kong. He was also part of the Japan team that won the 2004 AFC Asian Cup. Even though he didn't play in every match, Japan became the champions. He played as a defensive midfielder. In total, he played 4 games for Japan until 2004.
Playing Style and Leadership
Takuya Yamada was known as a very smart player on the field. He could make accurate short and long passes. He was a versatile player, meaning he could play in many different positions. He played as a midfielder and a defender. He was good at playing on the sides of the field and in the middle.
Yamada was also a tough player who wasn't afraid to challenge opponents. He was also good at making sharp runs forward to score goals when needed. He was a natural leader both on and off the field. He served as captain for three different clubs during his career.
Honors and Awards
Takuya Yamada achieved many great things during his football career.
Team Achievements
- North American Soccer League:
- Champion (1) 2012 (with Tampa Bay Rowdies)
- Emperor's Cup: Champion 2004 (with Tokyo Verdy)
- J.League XEROX Super Cup: Champion 2005 (with Tokyo Verdy)
- AFC Asian Cup: Champion 2004 (with Japan national team)
- Universiade Fukuoka (World University Games): World Champion (Gold Medal) 1995 (with Japanese College National Team)
Individual and Leadership Awards
- 2012: NASL Best XI
- 2010: Co-Captain of FC Tampa Bay
- 2008: Captain of Yokohama FC
- 2002-2005: Captain of Tokyo Verdy
- 1996: All-Japan University Best 11
- 1995: All-Japan University Best 11
- 1993: All-Japan High School Select Team
See also
In Spanish: Takuya Yamada para niños
