Ryoichi Maeda

Ryoichi Maeda
Personal information
Date of birth9 October 1981
Place of birthKobe, Japan
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing positionStriker
Club information
Current team
FC Tokyo
Number9
Youth career
1994–1996Gyosei Gakuen Junior High School
1997–1999Gyosei Gakuen High School
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2000–2014Júbilo Iwata363(154)
2015–FC Tokyo0(0)
National team‡
2000–2001Japan U-2012(5)
2003–2004Japan U-235(0)
2007–2013Japan33(10)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 December 2014.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:09, 22 June 2013 (UTC)

Ryoichi Maeda (前田 遼一 Maeda Ryōichi, born 9 October 1981 in Kobe) is a Japanese footballer who plays as a striker for FC Tokyo of the J. League Division 1.[1]

Club career

Maeda was born in Kobe, Japan but spent his childhood in the United States.[2] He was educated at and played for Gyosei Junior High and Ghosei High School in Tokyo. While he was a high school student, he was chosen as one of the Designated Players for Development by J. League and JFA. Because of this status, Maeda was able to register as a Verdy Kawasaki player while he was still eligible to play for his high school club. However, he did not play any official match for Verdy.

After graduating from his high school in 2000, he joined Jubilo Iwata. His first appearance as a professional player came on 3 May 2000 in a league match against Kawasaki Frontale. His first professional goal came on 28 August 2001 in a J. League Cup game against JEF United Ichihara. In the season 2009 was the J. League Top Scorer with twenty goals. In the 2010 season, Maeda became the top scorer again, netting 17 times.

Curse of Maeda

Since the 2007 season, for 6 straight seasons, each team Maeda scores his first goal of the league campaign against has eventually been relegated to J. League Division 2. This has given rise to the so-called "curse of (Ryoichi) Maeda".[3] It became a topic of wide public conversation in late 2012 as Gamba Osaka, the team that he scored his first goal of that season against, was in the relegation zone despite having not ranked lower than 3rd in the previous 3 seasons. Consistent with the "curse", Gamba Osaka was relegated to J2 following the last game of the season in which they lost against, funnily enough, Jubilo Iwata 2–1 with Maeda scoring a goal and an assist. The curse will have come to an end by the end of the 2013 season, however, as Maeda's first goal of the 2013 season came in a loss to Urawa, who will not be relegated.

International career

Maeda played for Japan U-20 at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina. He also played for Japan U-23 at the 2004 Summer Olympics qualification but failed to be picked up to the squad for the finals in Greece. After impressive performance at club, Maeda made his international debut for Japan in a friendly against Cameroon on 22 August 2007 at Ōita Stadium.[4] He scored his first international goal on 17 October 2007 in a friendly against Egypt at Nagai Stadium in Osaka.[4] In 2011, Maeda participated in his first major full international tournament at 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar and started all six games in Japan's Asian Cup winning campaign.

Career statistics

As of 29 December 2014
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Japan League Emperor's Cup League Cup Asia Total
2000Júbilo IwataDivision 11030--40
2001922151-164
2002403120-91
20032875195-4213
20042785361314113
20052512-22303014
200627153271-3718
2007221221--2413
2008228---228
200934202163-4224
2010331710103-4420
20112814-31-3115
201233131142-3816
20133390041-3710
2014Division 237170000-3717
Career total 3631542912582061456187

[5]

Japan national team
YearAppsGoals
200721
200811
200920
201020
201194
201284
201390
Total3310

National team career statistics

Appearances in major competitions

Team Competition Category Appearances Goals Team Record
Start Sub
 Japan2001 FIFA World Youth ChampionshipU-20300Group stage
 Japan2011 AFC Asian CupSenior603Champion

Goals for senior national team

[4]

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 17 October 2007 Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan  Egypt 3–0 4–1 2007 Afro-Asian Cup of Nations
2. 17 February 2008 Olympic Sports Center, Chongqing, China PR  North Korea 1–1 1–1 East Asian Football Championship 2008
3. 17 January 2011 Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar  Saudi Arabia 0–3 0–5 2011 AFC Asian Cup
4. 17 January 2011 Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar  Saudi Arabia 0–4 0–5 2011 AFC Asian Cup
5. 25 January 2011 Al-Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar  South Korea 1–1 2–2 2011 AFC Asian Cup
6. 11 November 2011 Pamir Stadium, Dushanbe, Tajikistan  Tajikistan 0–3 0–4 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
7. 24 February 2012 Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan  Iceland 1–0 3–1 International Friendly
8. 3 June 2012 Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan  Oman 2–0 3–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
9. 8 June 2012 Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan  Jordan 1–0 6–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
10. 11 September 2012 Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan  Iraq 1–0 1–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Japan

Club

Júbilo Iwata

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Stats Centre: Ryoichi Maeda Facts". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2009.
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ The curse of Ryoichi Maeda Goal.com 26 September 2012 retrieved 4 December 2012
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "MAEDA Ryoichi". Japan National Football Team Database.
  5. ↑ Ryoichi Maeda at National-Football-Teams.com
  6. ↑ "Asian Player of the Year". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 5 January 2013.

External links