Sota Hirayama
Encyclopedia
, is a Japanese
footballer who currently plays for FC Tokyo. He has represented Japan
's U-20 team at the 2003
and 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
, and the U-23 team at the 2004 Olympics
.
. There, he won the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament
all three years at the school, leading the tournament in scoring in 2002 and 2003. In 2003, he played in the U-20 FIFA Youth Championship as a 17-year-old and scored two goals, including the game winner against Egypt to put Japan through to the knockout stage.
After graduation in 2004, he enrolled at Tsukuba University instead of joining a professional club. That summer, Hirayama played in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and the following year, played in his second FIFA World Youth Championship.
In July 2005, Hirayama joined the Eredivisie
club Feyenoord on trial and a week later, he joined another Dutch side, the newly promoted Heracles Almelo
. He made his professional debut with Heracles on August 20, 2005 against ADO Den Haag
, playing 15 minutes and scoring 2 goals. He finished the 2005-2006 season with 31 appearances and 8 goals.
Although both Japan's senior side manager Zico
and Japan Football Association
chairman Saburo Kawabuchi praised Hirayama's progress with Heracles, he was not called up to Japan's squad
for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
.
On September 4, 2006, after the transfer period ended Heracles Almelo announced that Hirayama left the club by mutual consent and after being released he returned to Japan to finish his study. Only a few days later he signed a contract with FC Tokyo without informing Heracles as a free agent, while he still had a contract until 2008 before his release. Heracles appealed to this unexpected move by Hirayama.
came on January 6, 2010 in a 2011 AFC Asian Cup
qualifier against Yemen
, and would be a game he would never forget. After 30 minutes, Japan were down 2-0, but Hirayama scored a hat trick
to help Japan to a 3-2 victory. It was the first time in 80 years and the second time overall for a Japan player to score three goals on his debut. Takeo Wakabayashi last managed that in 1930.
*Includes other competitive competitions, including the UEFA Intertoto Cup Play-offs
and Suruga Bank Championship
.
|2010
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Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
footballer who currently plays for FC Tokyo. He has represented Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
's U-20 team at the 2003
2003 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in United Arab Emirates between November 27 and December 19, 2003. The 2003 championship was the 14th contested...
and 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in The Netherlands between 10 June and 2 July 2005. The 2005 championship was the 15th contested.- Venues :- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship...
, and the U-23 team at the 2004 Olympics
Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics started on 11 August, , and ended on 28 August.The men's tournament is played by U-23 national teams, with up to three over age players allowed per squad...
.
Career
As a teenager, Hirayama attended Kunimi High School in Nagasaki PrefectureNagasaki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...
. There, he won the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament
All Japan High School Soccer Tournament
The of Japan, commonly known as "Winter Kokuritsu" , is an annual nationwide high school association football tournament. It is the largest scale amateur sport event in Japan, even as soccer continues to gain more attention....
all three years at the school, leading the tournament in scoring in 2002 and 2003. In 2003, he played in the U-20 FIFA Youth Championship as a 17-year-old and scored two goals, including the game winner against Egypt to put Japan through to the knockout stage.
After graduation in 2004, he enrolled at Tsukuba University instead of joining a professional club. That summer, Hirayama played in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and the following year, played in his second FIFA World Youth Championship.
In July 2005, Hirayama joined the Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
club Feyenoord on trial and a week later, he joined another Dutch side, the newly promoted Heracles Almelo
Heracles Almelo
Heracles Almelo is a football club from Almelo, Netherlands.Heracles Almelo were founded on May 3, 1903 as Heracles, after the demigod son of Zeus. They changed their name on July 1, 1974 to SC Heracles '74 and finally settled on the current name in 1998. The club has won the Dutch national title...
. He made his professional debut with Heracles on August 20, 2005 against ADO Den Haag
ADO Den Haag
Alles Door Oefening Den Haag , commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag , is a Dutch football club from the city of The Hague. The club was for a time known as FC Den Haag , with ADO representing the amateur branch of the club...
, playing 15 minutes and scoring 2 goals. He finished the 2005-2006 season with 31 appearances and 8 goals.
Although both Japan's senior side manager Zico
Zico
Arthur Antunes Coimbra , better known as Zico , is a Brazilian coach and former footballer. He is the current head coach of the Iraq national football team. Often called the "White Pelé", he is commonly considered one of the most skilled finishers and one of the best passers ever and possibly the...
and Japan Football Association
Japan Football Association
The Japan Football Association, sometimes known as the Japan Soccer Association , is the governing body responsible for the administration of association football in Japan. It is responsible for the national team as well as club competitions....
chairman Saburo Kawabuchi praised Hirayama's progress with Heracles, he was not called up to Japan's squad
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
.
On September 4, 2006, after the transfer period ended Heracles Almelo announced that Hirayama left the club by mutual consent and after being released he returned to Japan to finish his study. Only a few days later he signed a contract with FC Tokyo without informing Heracles as a free agent, while he still had a contract until 2008 before his release. Heracles appealed to this unexpected move by Hirayama.
International career
Hirayama has played for younger Japanese national teams including their U/20's and U/23's team. His debut for the senior teamJapan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
came on January 6, 2010 in a 2011 AFC Asian Cup
2011 AFC Asian Cup
The 2011 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Qatar on 7–29 January 2011. It was the fifteenth time the tournament has been held, and the second time it has been hosted by Qatar, the other being the 1988 AFC Asian Cup...
qualifier against Yemen
Yemen national football team
The Yemen national football team , is the national team of Yemen and is controlled by the Yemen Football Association.When the nation was split into North Yemen and South Yemen before 1990, two national teams existed. After unification, the Yemen national football team is considered the successor of...
, and would be a game he would never forget. After 30 minutes, Japan were down 2-0, but Hirayama scored a hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
to help Japan to a 3-2 victory. It was the first time in 80 years and the second time overall for a Japan player to score three goals on his debut. Takeo Wakabayashi last managed that in 1930.
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Champions League | Other* | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Kunimi H.S. | 2001 | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 2002 | - | 3 | 3 | - | - | - | 3 | 3 | |||||
| Total | - | 5 | 4 | - | - | - | 5 | 4 | |||||
| Heracles Almelo Heracles Almelo Heracles Almelo is a football club from Almelo, Netherlands.Heracles Almelo were founded on May 3, 1903 as Heracles, after the demigod son of Zeus. They changed their name on July 1, 1974 to SC Heracles '74 and finally settled on the current name in 1998. The club has won the Dutch national title... |
2005–06 | 31 | 8 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | 33 | 8 | ||
| 2006–07 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 32 | 8 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | 34 | 8 | |||
| F.C. Tokyo | 2006 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 7 | 2 | ||
| 2007 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 25 | 7 | |||
| 2008 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 4 | - | - | 35 | 8 | |||
| 2009 | 26 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 4 | - | - | 38 | 9 | |||
| 2010 2010 J. League Division 1 The 2010 J. League Division 1 season was the 46th season of the top-flight club football in Japan and the 18th season since the establishment of J1 League. The season began on March 6 and ended on December 4.... |
29 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 39 | 12 | ||
| 2011 2011 J. League Division 2 The 2011 J. League Division 2 season is the 40th season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 13th season since the establishment of J2 League... |
- | - | - | ||||||||||
| Total | 106 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 25 | 9 | - | 1 | 1 | 144 | 38 | ||
| Career total | 138 | 28 | 17 | 12 | 25 | 9 | - | 3 | 1 | 183 | 50 | ||
*Includes other competitive competitions, including the UEFA Intertoto Cup Play-offs
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
and Suruga Bank Championship
Suruga Bank Championship
The J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship Final, officially called the Suruga Bank Championship , is an annual intercontinental football match contested by the reigning champions of the J. League Cup and the Copa Sudamericana.-History:...
.
International
|-|2010
Japan national football team in 2010
The Japan national football team in 2010, managed by head coach Takeshi Okada, began by competing in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification and the 2010 East Asian Football Championship in amongst other international friendly matches in the build-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals where they would...
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Under-20
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 19 October 2003 |  Sendai StadiumSendai Stadium Yurtec Stadium Sendai is a football stadium in the Nanakita Park, Izumi-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It was built in 1997 and is home to the J. League club Vegalta Sendai and the Japan Football League club Sony Sendai F.C.. The stadium was specifically designed for football, and the... , Sendai |
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AFC Youth Championship 2004 qualification | |
| 2. | 23 October 2003 | Sendai Stadium Sendai Stadium Yurtec Stadium Sendai is a football stadium in the Nanakita Park, Izumi-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It was built in 1997 and is home to the J. League club Vegalta Sendai and the Japan Football League club Sony Sendai F.C.. The stadium was specifically designed for football, and the... , Sendai |
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AFC Youth Championship 2004 qualification | |
| 3. | 23 October 2003 | Sendai Stadium Sendai Stadium Yurtec Stadium Sendai is a football stadium in the Nanakita Park, Izumi-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It was built in 1997 and is home to the J. League club Vegalta Sendai and the Japan Football League club Sony Sendai F.C.. The stadium was specifically designed for football, and the... , Sendai |
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AFC Youth Championship 2004 qualification | |
| 4. | 23 October 2003 | Sendai Stadium Sendai Stadium Yurtec Stadium Sendai is a football stadium in the Nanakita Park, Izumi-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It was built in 1997 and is home to the J. League club Vegalta Sendai and the Japan Football League club Sony Sendai F.C.. The stadium was specifically designed for football, and the... , Sendai |
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AFC Youth Championship 2004 qualification | |
| 5. | 23 October 2003 | Sendai Stadium Sendai Stadium Yurtec Stadium Sendai is a football stadium in the Nanakita Park, Izumi-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It was built in 1997 and is home to the J. League club Vegalta Sendai and the Japan Football League club Sony Sendai F.C.. The stadium was specifically designed for football, and the... , Sendai |
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|
AFC Youth Championship 2004 qualification | |
| 6. | 23 October 2003 | Sendai Stadium Sendai Stadium Yurtec Stadium Sendai is a football stadium in the Nanakita Park, Izumi-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It was built in 1997 and is home to the J. League club Vegalta Sendai and the Japan Football League club Sony Sendai F.C.. The stadium was specifically designed for football, and the... , Sendai |
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AFC Youth Championship 2004 qualification | |
| 7. | 5 December 2003 |  Al-Maktoum StadiumAl-Maktoum Stadium Al-Maktoum Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Al Nasr SC. The stadium holds 12,000 people.-External links:*... , Dubai Dubai Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi... |
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2003 FIFA World Youth Championship 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship The 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in United Arab Emirates between November 27 and December 19, 2003. The 2003 championship was the 14th contested... |
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| 8. | 12 December 2003 | Al-Rashid Stadium Al-Rashid Stadium Al-Rashid Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 18,000 people.... , Dubai Dubai Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi... |
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2003 FIFA World Youth Championship 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship The 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in United Arab Emirates between November 27 and December 19, 2003. The 2003 championship was the 14th contested... |
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| 9. | 25 September 2004 |  Larkin Stadium, Johor BahruJohor Bahru Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland... |
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2004 AFC Youth Championship | |
| 10. | 6 October 2004 | Cheras Stadium KLFA Stadium KLFA Stadium or Kuala Lumpur Football Association Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the current home stadium of Kuala Lumpur FA, and also host home matches for Felda United FC. Former Malaysia teams that... , Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million... |
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2004 AFC Youth Championship | |
| 11. | 10 June 2005 |  Parkstad Limburg StadionParkstad Limburg Stadion The Parkstad Limburg Stadion is a football stadium in Kerkrade, completed in 2000. With a present day capacity of 19.979 seats, the stadium was officially openend on August 15, 2000 with a friendly between Roda JC and Real Zaragoza .... , Kerkrade Kerkrade Kerkrade is a town and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands.It is the western half of the divided region and de facto city, taken together with the eastern half, the German town of Herzogenrath... |
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2005 FIFA World Youth Championship 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship The 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in The Netherlands between 10 June and 2 July 2005. The 2005 championship was the 15th contested.- Venues :- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship... |
Under-23
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 8 February 2004 | Saitama Stadium, Saitama Saitama, Saitama ' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance... |
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Friendly Match (2004 Kirin Challenge Cup) | |
| 2. | 30 July 2004 | National Stadium, Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... |
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Friendly Match (2004 Kirin Challenge Cup) | |
| 3. | 3 December 2006 |  Qatar SC StadiumQatar SC Stadium Qatar SC Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Doha, Qatar. It is currently used mostly for football matches and home of the football team Qatar Sports Club. The stadium holds 20,000 people.... , Doha Doha Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar... |
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2006 Asian Games 2006 Asian Games The 15th Asian Games, officially known as the XV Asiad, is Asia's Olympic-style sporting event that was held in Doha, Qatar from December 1 to December 15, 2006. Doha was the first city in its region and only the second in West Asia to host the games... |
Senior team
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 6 January 2010 |  Ali Muhesen StadiumAli Muhesen Stadium Ali Muhesen Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in San‘a’, Yemen. It is currently used mostly for football matches and serves as the home stadium of Al-Ahli. The stadium holds 25,000 people.... , Sana'a Sana'a -Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:... |
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2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification The 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification saw various countries take part to determine 10 spots to the final tournament in Qatar under the new qualification system set by the Asian Football Confederation .... |
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| 2. | 6 January 2010 | Ali Muhesen Stadium Ali Muhesen Stadium Ali Muhesen Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in San‘a’, Yemen. It is currently used mostly for football matches and serves as the home stadium of Al-Ahli. The stadium holds 25,000 people.... , Sana'a Sana'a -Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:... |
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2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification The 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification saw various countries take part to determine 10 spots to the final tournament in Qatar under the new qualification system set by the Asian Football Confederation .... |
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| 3. | 6 January 2010 | Ali Muhesen Stadium Ali Muhesen Stadium Ali Muhesen Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in San‘a’, Yemen. It is currently used mostly for football matches and serves as the home stadium of Al-Ahli. The stadium holds 25,000 people.... , Sana'a Sana'a -Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:... |
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2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification The 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification saw various countries take part to determine 10 spots to the final tournament in Qatar under the new qualification system set by the Asian Football Confederation .... |
Club
F.C. Tokyo- J. League CupJ. League CupJ. League Cup is a Japanese football competition organized by J. League. It is also known as Yamazaki Nabisco Cup or Nabisco Cup because confectionery/bakery company Yamazaki Nabisco have sponsored the competition since its inception in 1992.It is generally regarded as the Japanese equivalent to...
: 1
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- 20092009 J. League CupThe 2009 J. League Cup, more widely known as the 2009 Nabisco Cup, is the 34th edition of Japan soccer league cup tournament and the 17th edition under the current J. League Cup format. The championship started on March 25, 2009 and ended on November 3, with F.C. Tokyo defeating Kawasaki Frontale...
- Suruga Bank ChampionshipSuruga Bank ChampionshipThe J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship Final, officially called the Suruga Bank Championship , is an annual intercontinental football match contested by the reigning champions of the J. League Cup and the Copa Sudamericana.-History:...
: 1
- Suruga Bank Championship
- 20102010 Suruga Bank ChampionshipThe 2010 Suruga Bank Championship was the third edition of the match between the winners of the previous season's J. League Cup and the Copa Sudamericana. It was contested by the 2009 J. League Cup winner F.C...
- 2009