Kazuma Watanabe

Japanese footballer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kazuma Watanabe

Kazuma Watanabe (渡邉 千真, Watanabe Kazuma, born 10 August 1986) is a Japanese footballer who plays for Matsumoto Yamaga FC in the J3 League. He plays as a centre-forward and has previously had spells with Yokohama F. Marinos, FC Tokyo, Vissel Kobe and Gamba Osaka.[2][3]

Quick Facts Personal information, Full name ...
Kazuma Watanabe
Watanabe playing for FC Tokyo in 2013
Personal information
Full name Kazuma Watanabe
Date of birth (1986-08-10) 10 August 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth Nagasaki,[1] Japan
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11+12 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Matsumoto Yamaga FC
Number 49
Youth career
2002–2004 Kunimi High School
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2008 Waseda University
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2011 Yokohama F. Marinos 88 (28)
2012–2014 FC Tokyo 86 (26)
2015–2018 Vissel Kobe 114 (34)
2018–2020 Gamba Osaka 63 (11)
2021–2022 Yokohama FC 53 (7)
2023– Matsumoto Yamaga FC 0 (0)
International career
2010 Japan 1 (0)
Medal record
Representing  Japan
AFC U-19 Championship
2004 Malaysia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 November 2022
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 January 2010
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His older brother Daigo Watanabe was also a professional soccer player with Kyoto Sanga FC, Omiya Ardija, Busan IPark and Kamatamare Sanuki.[4]

Club career

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Perspective

Watanabe made his J-League debut for Yokohama F. Marinos against Sanfrecce Hiroshima on 7 March 2009 and scored his first league goal.[5] He kept up his scoring exploits throughout the 2009 season and finished with 13 league goals which broke the previous record for a rookie player set by Shoji Jo in 1994. This earned him the young player of the year award 2009. During his next two seasons in Yokohama, he did not quite hit the heights of his debut year, but he did go on to amass a respectable 15 goals in 54 league games across 2010 and 2011.

Watanabe was transferred to FC Tokyo ahead of the 2012 season and in total he spent 3 seasons in Japan's capital. 2013 was a highlight for him as he bagged 17 goals in 33 league games to help the men in blue and red finish in eighth place in the final standings. However, his other two seasons with Tokyo were rather forgettable, he scored six times in 27 league games during his first year at the Ajinomoto Stadium in 2012 before finishing off his career in the capital by netting just three times in 26 league appearances.

This loss of form in 2014 saw him shipped off to join Vissel Kobe ahead of the 2015 campaign. The move west seemed to do him good as he was immediately back into double figures in terms of goals scored, ending the 2015 season with 10 goals in 28 league appearances. The following year was even better for him personally as he scored 12 goals in 33 league games, which helped Kobe to an impressive seventh-place finish in the overall standings in 2016. That would prove to be the pinnacle of his career in the port city as he followed it up with eight goals in 34 league games in 2017 before netting just four times in 19 games in the first half of the 2018 season.

Watanabe joined Gamba Osaka in August 2018 in a deal which saw Gamba forward Shun Nagasawa move in the opposite direction.[6] He made a scoring debut for the men in blue and black with a 27th-minute strike to break the deadlock in a league match away to Vegalta Sendai. Unfortunately for him and his team-mates his goal was not enough as Sendai fought back in the second half to finish as 2–1 winners.[7] He ended the season with three goals in 12 league appearances to help Gamba to a ninth-place finish in the final league table.[2]

In 2021 he joined Yokohama FC on a free transfer.[8]

International career

Watanabe made his full, senior international debut for Japan on 6 January 2010 in a 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Yemen. He started the match and was replaced in the 85th minute by Kensuke Nagai as Japan came from two goals down to run out 3–2 winners.[9]

Career statistics

Club

Updated as of match played on 22 April 2021.[10][11]

More information Club, Season ...
Club Season League Emperor's Cup J.League Cup AFC Other1 Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Yokohama F. Marinos 2009 34133484--4521
2010 2482061--329
2011 3075152--4010
Total 8828105197--11740
FC Tokyo 2012 276103273103911
2013 33175141--4219
2014 2633140--334
Total 862692113731011434
Vissel Kobe 2015 28104387--4020
2016 33122273--4217
2017 3485470--4612
2018 1942053--267
Total 114341392713--15456
Gamba Osaka 2018 1230000--123
20191831070--263
20203362020--376
Total 63123090--7512
Yokohama FC 2021800010--90
Total 800010--90
Career total 359100351667237310469142
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1Includes Japanese Super Cup.

International

More information Japan national team, Year ...
Japan national team
YearAppsGoals
201010
Total10
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Honours

Individual

References

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