He represented Japan at the U20 level during the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina.
Ryoichi Maeda is a notable Japanese football player and coach, recognized for his forward position on the field.
He played for Júbilo Iwata from 2000 to 2014, where he became a key player and top scorer.
Biography
Early Life
Ryoichi Maeda was born in Kobe, Japan, but spent a significant part of his childhood in the United States. He attended Gyosei Junior and Senior High School in Tokyo, where he not only excelled academically but also showcased his football talent. During his high school years, he was recognized as one of the Designated Players for Development by the J.League and the Japan Football Association, allowing him to register as a player for Verdy Kawasaki while still eligible for his high school team.
Career
Maeda began his professional career in 2000 when he joined Júbilo Iwata. His debut came on May 3, 2000, in a match against Kawasaki Frontale, and he scored his first professional goal on August 28, 2001, in a J.League Cup game. After a slow start, he became a regular player by 2003 and achieved remarkable success, becoming the J.League Top Scorer in both 2009 and 2010. In 2010, he also helped Júbilo Iwata win the J.League Cup, scoring two goals in the final and earning the MVP award. After a successful stint with Júbilo, he moved to FC Tokyo in 2015, where he played until 2018, although his playing time diminished in the later years.
On the international stage, Maeda represented Japan at various youth levels, including the U20 team during the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship and the U23 team for the 2004 Summer Olympics qualification. He made his senior debut in 2007 and was part of the squad that won the AFC Asian Cup in 2011, contributing significantly to Japan's success in the tournament.
Legacy
Throughout his career, Maeda has left a lasting impact on Japanese football. He was honored as the Asian Young Footballer of the Year in 2000 and was named to the J.League Best XI in 2009 and 2010. His contributions to Júbilo Iwata and the national team have solidified his status as a prominent figure in Japanese football history.
Collected from open sources (3) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Gallery
Career & Clubs
Maeda was born in Kobe, Japan but spent his childhood in the United States. He was educated at and played for Gyosei Junior and Senior 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 Júbilo 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. Although he could not play many matches behind Masashi Nakayama and Naohiro Takahara until 2002, he played as regular player from 2003. 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. Júbilo also won the champions in 2010 J.League Cup. At 2010 J.League Cup Final, he scored two goals and was selected MVP award in the tournament. However Júbilo was relegated to J2 League end of 2013 season. In 2014, although he scored 17 goals, Júbilo finished at the 4th place and missed promotion to J1. In 2015, Maeda moved to J1 club FC Tokyo. He played as regular player until 2016. However his opportunity to play decreased from 2017 and he could hardly score…
Maeda played for Japan U20 at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina. He also played for Japan U23 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 Oita Stadium. He scored his first international goal on 17 October 2007 in a friendly against Egypt at Nagai Stadium in Osaka. 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. He was selected Japan for 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. He played 33 games and scored 10 goals for Japan until 2013.
Club
As of end of 2018 season
International
Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Maeda goal.
- Club
- Júbilo Iwata (2000–2014)
- Club
- FC Tokyo (2015–2018)
- Club
- Japan national under-20 association football team (2000–2001)
- Club
- Japan men's national football team (2007–2013)
- Club
- Japan national under-23 football team (2002–2004)
- Club
- FC Gifu (2019–)
- National team
- Japan
Legacy
Júbilo Iwata
J1 League: 2002 J.League Cup: 2010 Japanese Super Cup: 2003 Japan
AFC Asian Cup: 2011 Afro-Asian Cup of Nations: 2007 Individual
Asian Young Footballer of the Year: 2000 J.League Top Scorer: 2009, 2010 J.League Best XI: 2009, 2010 J.League Cup MVP: 2010
Clubs
- FC Gifu2019current
- Japan national under-20 association football team2000–2001
- Júbilo Iwata2000–2014
- Japan national under-23 football team2002–2004
- Japan men's national football team2007–2013
- FC Tokyo2015–2018
Played together with
- Adaílson Pereira CoelhoFC Gifu · 2012–2012
- Adaílton dos Santos da SilvaFC Tokyo
- Adaílton dos Santos da SilvaJúbilo Iwata · 2015
- Ademir SantosJúbilo Iwata · 1987–1991
Adilson BatistaJúbilo Iwata · 1997–1999- Adílson Ferreira de SouzaJúbilo Iwata · 2014–2014
- Akihiko TakeshigeJúbilo Iwata · 2010–2014
- Akihiro NodaFC Gifu · 2011–2012
Akira KajiFC Tokyo · 2002–2005- Akira KonnoJúbilo Iwata · 1997–1999
- Aleksandar ŽivkovićJúbilo Iwata · 2000–2003
- Alessandro CambalhotaJúbilo Iwata · 1997–1998
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Ryoichi Maeda is a Japanese football coach and former player who played as a forward. He was the J.League Top Scorer and J.League Best XI in 2009 and 2010.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
…