Kazuyoshi Miura - Club Career

Club Career

In 1982 Miura left the Shizuoka Gakuen School after less than a year, and travelled alone to Brazil at the age of fifteen to become a professional footballer there. He signed with Clube Atlético Juventus, a youth club in São Paulo, and in 1986, Kazu signed his first professional contract with Santos. He played for several Brazilian clubs including Palmeiras and Coritiba until his return to Japan in 1990.

His time in Brazil elevated him to star status and on his return to Japan, he joined the Japan Soccer League side Yomiuri FC, which later spun off from its parent company Yomiuri Shinbun and became Verdy Kawasaki with the launch of the J. League in 1993. With Yomiuri/Kawasaki, Kazu won four consecutive league titles playing alongside fellow Japanese national team regulars Ruy Ramos and Tsuyoshi Kitazawa. Yomiuri won the last two JSL titles in 1991 and 1992 and Verdy Kawasaki won the first two J. League titles in 1993 and 1994. He was named the first J. League Most Valuable Player in 1993 and the last unofficial Asian Footballer of the Year in 1993.

Miura then became the first Japanese footballer to play in Italy, joining Genoa C.F.C. in the 1994–1995 Serie A season. In his Italian stint, he played 21 times and scored just 1 goal, during the Genoa derby against Sampdoria. He returned to Verdy Kawasaki for the 1995 season and played with them until the end of the 1998 season. Kazu made another attempt at playing in Europe with Dinamo Zagreb in 1999. He returned to Japan however, following a brief trial with A.F.C Bournemouth, in the same year, and played with Kyoto Purple Sanga and Vissel Kobe, before eventually signing for Yokohama FC in 2005.

He played with Sydney FC of the A-League on a 2 month loan in late 2005, appearing in league matches and the 2005 FIFA World Club Championship held in Japan. Kazu scored 2 goals in his second A-League match, a 3-2 defeat at league leaders Adelaide United.

He is known for his trade mark Kazu Feint and his famous kazu dance when he scores great goals or great plays. In 2007, Kazuyoshi Miura was selected for the 2007 JOMO All Stars match for J-East and played exceptionally well.