| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Shintaro Harada | ||
| Date of birth | November 8, 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Sayama, Saitama, Japan | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Playing position | Defender/Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | ||
| Number | 21 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999–2001 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 16 | (1) |
| 2002 | Omiya Ardija | 2 | (0) |
| 2003–2005 | Tokushima Vortis | 51 | (3) |
| 2005–2006 | ALO's Hokuriku | 38 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | Crystal Palace Baltimore | 59 | (1) |
| 2010– | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 24 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of June 10, 2011. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Shintaro Harada (Japanese: 原田慎太郎) (born November 8, 1980 in Sayama, Saitama) is a Japanese footballer. He currently plays for Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the USL Professional Division.
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‘Shin’ as he is known, started his professional career as a 19-year-old for Yokohama F. Marinos when their then manager Ossie Ardiles handed him his debut. Shin continued in the team that season, playing against international legends such as Bebeto and helped guide his team to their first League Championship (Stage 1). Shin played alongside Japanese national hero Shunsuke Nakamura, who also started his career at Yokohoma. In 2002 acquired by Omiya Ardija and then Tokushima Vortis.[1]
He played part of the 2005 season and all of the 2006 season for ALO's Hokuriku of the Japan Football League in Japan. After successful spells in J-League Shin decided to move abroad in 2007 and entered the open trials for the newly-formed Crystal Palace Baltimore in the USL Second Division, arriving with a little bit of English and his boots.
In his first season in Baltimore, Harada was named to the USL Second Division All-League Second-Team, and followed that up by being named in the USL Second Division All-League First-Team in 2008, 2009, and 2010.[2]
Harada has become USL-2 All-League regular by making his fourth consecutive appearance on an All-League team. He was also the Most Valuable Defender finalist in 2009, and earned that award in 2010.[3] He is nominated as 2010 USL Second Division Most Valuable Player.[4]
During the 2008 off-season, several Major League Soccer clubs showed interest in him, and invited to take part in their trials such by Chicago Fire, Real Salt Lake, and San Jose Earthquakes, but due to injury had to return to Palace for the 2009 season.
Following his impressive performances in the 2009 season, Harada went on trial at Baltimore's English parent club, Crystal Palace.[5]
After an unheard 3 months of training with Crystal Palace F.C., he was selected as the "Palace's Other Player Of The Year" on Crystal Palace F.C.'s official club magazine,[6] and featured also on Major League Soccer's expansion team Philadelphia Union's official website as a strong candidate for the club's tryout.[7]
On March 22, 2010, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds announced the signing of Harada to a contract for the 2010 season.[8]
While in the second division, Harada won the league's Best 11 for 4 consecutive years. He re-signed with Pittsburgh, now playing in the USL Pro league, on February 21, 2011.[9]
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J. League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 1999 | Yokohama F. Marinos | J. League 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 1 | ||
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2002 | Omiya Ardija | J. League 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | |
| 2003 | Otsuka Pharmaceuticals | Football League | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | 30 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | 23 | 2 | |||
| 2005 | Tokushima Vortis | J. League 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | |
| 2005 | ALO's Hokuriku | Football League | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 14 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 27 | 0 | - | - | 27 | 0 | ||||
| United States | League | Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 2007 | Crystal Palace Baltimore | USL Second Division | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 21 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | 23 | 0 | |||
| 2009 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 21 | 0 | |||
| 2010 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | USL PRO | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 18 | 0 | |
| 2011 | - | |||||||||
| Country | Japan | 107 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 117 | 4 | |
| United States | 78 | 1 | 7 | 0 | - | 85 | 1 | |||
| Total | 183 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 202 | 5 | ||
Proved as a quality utility player who plays both holding midfielder, and center defender by being selected to All-League First-Team for both positions. Known for his accurate distribution, and play making in the middle as the control tower. Admires the Mexican National Team's Rafael Márquez, and FC Barcelona's Josep Guardiola.
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