Japanese forward ‘King Kazu' turns 58 and prepares for his 40th season in professional soccer
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese forward Kazuyoshi Miura turned 58 on Wednesday.
Happy Birthday to the player known as 'King Kazu.'
But there's more to celebrate.
He's also set to start his 40th season in professional soccer, the oldest player in the Japanese Football League.
Miura plays for Japanese fourth-division team Suzuka, on loan from second-division club Yokohama.
Suzuka was set to begin training this week with the season to open next month.
' Retiring isn't an option. I want to play as many minutes as I can in games,' Miura said late last year at a news conference, quoted by Japanese news agency Kyodo.
Miura has played professionally in Brazil, Italy, Croatia, Australia and Portugal. He made his debut in 1986 with Santos in Brazil, a club made famous by Brazilian star Pelé.
In 2017 at age 50, he became the oldest player to score in a professional match. That topped the record held by highly decorated England international Stanley Matthews.
Miura was one of the first big names in Japanese soccer. He scored 55 goals in 89 appearance and was a star with Japan's national team in the 1990s.
___
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
West Indies' top T20 batter Nicholas Pooran retires from internationals
Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) ST. JOHN'S, Antigua (AP) — Nicholas Pooran, West Indies' Twenty20 record-holder for runs and appearances, retired from international cricket on Monday. Pooran, 29, made the announcement on Instagram. Advertisement "Wearing that maroon, standing for the anthem, and giving everything I had each time I stepped on the field... it's hard to put into words what that truly means to me,' he wrote. 'To have led the team as captain is a privilege I will always hold close to my heart.' Pooran was suspended briefly in late 2019 after admitting to ball-tampering against Afghanistan, and overcame that to be named West Indies T20 vice captain about 18 months later for a tour by Australia. But he became captain when Kieron Pollard couldn't play, and led the team to a 4-1 series win. In 2022, he was named the permanent white-ball captain and took the team to that year's T20 World Cup in Australia, but in fallout from a first-round elimination he resigned. He starred when the West Indies hosted the T20 World Cup last year, overtaking Chris Gayle as the team's all-time leading scorer, and hitting his highest T20 score, 98 against Afghanistan. Advertisement Pooran played 106 T20s for 2,275 runs at an average of 26.14. He also played 61 one-day internationals, including three centuries and one World Cup. Cricket West Indies praised Pooran as a game-changer, and with 'sincere gratitude and appreciation ... for his outstanding contributions. His performances on the field and influence within the team have made a lasting impact on West Indies cricket." ___ AP cricket:
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Terry Francona returns to Cleveland as Reds manager, jokes about getting lost in renovated ballpark
Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona reacts in the dugout following the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Monday, June 2, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean) Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) watches from the dugout railing before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) watches from the dugout railing before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona reacts in the dugout following the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Monday, June 2, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean) Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) watches from the dugout railing before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) CLEVELAND (AP) — Terry Francona could have used his old scooter to get around the renovated service area beneath Progressive Field. Instead, Francona made do with walking and joked about the changes that have occurred at the ballpark he called home for 11 seasons. Advertisement Francona returned to Cleveland for the first time since being named Cincinnati's manager as the Reds opened a three-game series against the Guardians on Monday. 'I got lost about three times. That's the longest (clubhouse) hallway I've ever seen,' Francona said. 'I don't think I've seen the whole thing yet just because I don't feel like icing down my knees. But from what I've seen in the ballpark, it looks good.' Francona — who used to ride a scooter from his downtown apartment to the ballpark — isn't the only visitor who has joked about the long tunnel from the clubhouse to the dugout on the first-base side. Both clubhouses were renovated during the offseason, more than tripling their size. The 66-year-old manager enters the series unbeaten against his former team: The Reds swept a three-game series at Cincinnati last month. Advertisement Francona was at the helm in Cleveland for 11 seasons and is the franchise's leader in wins (921) and games managed (1,678). Cleveland made the playoffs six times under Francona and lost the 2016 World Series to the Chicago Cubs in seven games, falling just short of the franchise's first title since 1948. He was a senior advisor for the Guardians last year, but only made a couple of trips to Cleveland. He didn't want to get in the way of manager Stephen Vogt and his coaching staff. 'There were a couple times during spring, two hours away I wanted to come up, but I didn't think it was right,' Francona said. 'I just thought for the new staff here, they needed to be able to do things. They don't need me telling 'em how to do it or acting like I'm going to tell 'em how to do it.' 'During the season I watched a lot of baseball, probably more than I have in a long, long time. I'd turn on games that were in the eighth inning tied and I'd watch the end of it and flip to another game and really enjoyed it.' Advertisement While Francona was happy to be back in Cleveland, his focus was on trying to help the Reds extend their winning streak to four games after a weekend sweep of Arizona. 'I had 11 really fun years here and I had some great relationships. That never changes, but now we're trying to figure out a way to beat 'em tonight. That's why we're here. That'll never take away how I feel about people here,' he said. Francona was among several Reds staffers making their return. Bench coach Brad Mills and hitting coach Chris Valaika were on Francona's Cleveland staff, while first-base coach Collin Cowgill and major league coach Mike Napoli played for the franchise. Reds left fielder Will Benson, who hit four home runs during the sweep of the Guardians, was Cleveland's first-round pick in 2016. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dodgers Predicted to Enter Bidding War With Padres for Two-Time All-Star
Dodgers Predicted to Enter Bidding War With Padres for Two-Time All-Star originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Dodgers spent the offseason building what appeared to be an unbeatable starting rotation. They acquired Tyler Glasnow, signed Blake Snell, brought in Japanese star Roki Sasaki, and made long-term plans around Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. On paper, it looked elite. On the field, it's become unstable. Advertisement While Yamamoto has become a Cy Young candidate, injuries have once again wrecked the Dodgers' pitching depth. Glasnow, Snell, Sasaki, and Tony Gonsolin are all on the injured list, and Ohtani has yet to take the mound. The Dodgers have been forced to lean heavily on fill-ins Ryan Yarbrough and Landon Knack to get through the first half. While those arms have held their own, it's clear Los Angeles needs reinforcements if it wants to make a legitimate World Series push. According to Just Baseball's Zach Lutz, that instability could push the Dodgers toward one of the biggest potential trade chips this summer — Houston Astros ace Framber Valdez. Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Daikin Taormina-Imagn Images 'If Houston does sell,' Lutz writes, 'the Dodgers and Padres could be front-runners. Both are in contention and could use a durable left-handed starter.' Advertisement Valdez, a two-time All-Star and possessing a 3.07 ERA over 85 innings in 2025, would immediately slot near the top of the Dodgers' rotation and give them another playoff-caliber weapon to pair with Yamamoto. With Ohtani out as a pitcher and Glasnow and Snell uncertain long-term, Lutz suggests Los Angeles could be one of the most motivated teams at the deadline. Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres, locked in a tight NL West race with the Dodgers, have pitching needs of their own. Lutz highlights the Padres' desire to reinforce their staff behind Michael King and Dylan Cease, who has struggled with consistency. A frontline starter like Valdez could give them the boost needed to not only reach the postseason but go deeper into October. The two clubs, separated by just a game, could reignite one of the most competitive rivalries in baseball with a trade deadline bidding war. The winner of such could find it to be the difference in a division title or a Wild Card appearance. One wrinkle to Lutz's analysis is that the Astros remain just 2.5 games back of the AL West lead. If they slide in the standings, Lutz believes Los Angeles will be among the first teams to call. However, if Houston makes a strong pre-trade deadline push, it could remove Valdez from the market entirely. Related: Dodgers' Gonsolin Not Facing Worst-Case Scenario After Injury This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
