Tsuyoshi Kitazawa

Tsuyoshi Kitazawa
北澤 豪
Personal information
Full name Tsuyoshi Kitazawa
Date of birth (1968-08-10) 10 August 1968 (age 58)
Place of birth Machida, Tokyo, Japan
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position Midfielder
Youth career
1984–1986 Shutoku High School
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1991 Honda 51 (14)
1991–2002 Tokyo Verdy 265 (41)
Total 316 (55)
International career
1989 Japan Futsal
1991–1999 Japan 58 (3)
Medal record
Tokyo Verdy
WinnerJapan Soccer League1991/92
WinnerJ1 League1993
WinnerJ1 League1994
Runner-upJ1 League1995
WinnerJSL Cup1991
WinnerJ.League Cup1992
WinnerJ.League Cup1993
WinnerJ.League Cup1994
Runner-upJ.League Cup1996
WinnerEmperor's Cup1996
Runner-upEmperor's Cup1991
Runner-upEmperor's Cup1992
Representing  Japan
AFC Asian Cup
Gold medal – first place1992 Japan
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Tsuyoshi Kitazawa (北澤 豪, Kitazawa Tsuyoshi; born 10 August 1968) is a Japanese former football player who played for the Japan national team. He currently works on television as a football commentator.

Club career

When Kitazawa was a junior high school student, he joined Yomiuri Club Junior Youth after a one-week trial. After graduating from junior high school, he chose to attend Shutoku High School, where he played for the school football club. After graduating, he joined Japan Soccer League side Honda in 1987. He was the league's joint top scorer in the 1990–91 season.

He transferred to Yomiuri Club (later Verdy Kawasaki, now Tokyo Verdy) in 1991. He became a key member of Verdy's successful early-1990s side, playing alongside Kazuyoshi Miura, Ruy Ramos, Nobuhiro Takeda, Tetsuji Hashiratani and, from 1993, Bismarck. Verdy won consecutive J.League championships in 1993 and 1994, as well as three consecutive J.League Cup titles from 1992 to 1994. Kitazawa remained with Verdy until retiring in 2002.

National team career

Kitazawa earned 58 caps and scored 3 goals for the Japan national team between 1991 and 1999. He made his international debut on 2 June 1991 in a friendly against Thailand, under national coach Kenzo Yokoyama. He was a member of the Japan team that won the 1992 Asian Cup. He scored his first international goal on 6 November 1992 in the semifinal against China at Hiroshima Stadium.

He took part in Japan's unsuccessful campaign to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, appearing in two matches during the final Asian qualifying round in Doha, Qatar. He was an unused substitute in the final qualifier against Iraq, when an injury-time equaliser denied Japan qualification for the World Cup, an event remembered in Japan as the Agony of Doha.

Kitazawa was included in Japan's 25-man preliminary squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, but national coach Takeshi Okada dropped him, along with Kazuyoshi Miura and Daisuke Ichikawa, when the squad was reduced to the final 22 at the pre-tournament training camp in Nyon, Switzerland.

Futsal career

Kitazawa represented Japan national futsal team in the 1989 FIFA Futsal World Championship finals hosted by the Netherlands.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club performance League Cup League Cup Total
Season Club League AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Japan League Emperor's Cup J.League Cup Total
1987–88HondaJSL Division 10000
1988–897070
1989–9022400224
1990–912210102310
1991–92 YomiuriJSL Division 12025041293
1992Verdy KawasakiJ1 League-22111133
19933563211399
199440921314511
1995401130-4311
1996284521554811
19972912000311
19983453000375
19992843231347
200040001050
2001Tokyo VerdyJ1 League2300000230
200241002061
Total 33657289411040576

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Japan 199120
1992111
199340
199471
1995141
199650
1997110
199830
199910
Total583
Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kitazawa goal.
List of international goals scored by Tsuyoshi Kitazawa
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 6 November 1992 Hiroshima Stadium, Hiroshima, Japan  China 2–1 3–2 1992 AFC Asian Cup
2 9 October 1994 Bingo Stadium, Onomichi, Japan  Myanmar 4–0 5–0 1994 Asian Games
3 6 August 1995 Kyoto Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium, Kyoto, Japan  Costa Rica 3–0 3–0 Friendly

Honours

Japan national team

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "北澤豪＆城彰二らレジェンドがエール 森保ジャパンW杯前国内ラストマッチを日テレ系で生中継". TVガイドWeb (in Japanese). 28 May 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 高校時代のあだ名は「ヨミウリ」…元日本代表「北澤豪」が明かす読売クラブのジュニアユース時代「大人が中学生に思いっきり蟹挟みをしてくる。ただそれが超楽しかった」 [His nickname in high school was "Yomiuri": Former Japan international Tsuyoshi Kitazawa recalls his days with Yomiuri Club Junior Youth]. Daily Shincho (in Japanese). Shinchosha. 11 August 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  3. ↑ プロ化前に北澤豪は「ホンダでバイクを作っていた」。大変だったサッカーと社業の両立「エンジンがドーンと。寝る時間なかったもん」 [Before professionalisation, Tsuyoshi Kitazawa "made motorcycles at Honda": The difficulties of balancing football and company work]. Soccer Digest Web (in Japanese). Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  4. 1 2 Kuniyoshi, Yoshihiro (15 June 2021). JSL史上初、3人の得点王が同時に誕生。目を引いたのは北澤豪の思い切りの良さだった◎J前夜を歩く第34回 [For the first time in JSL history, three top scorers emerge simultaneously: Tsuyoshi Kitazawa's boldness stood out]. Soccer Magazine Web (in Japanese). Baseball Magazine Sha. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  5. 1 2 飯尾篤史 (7 April 2020). 「27年前のカズさんのプレーを堪能して」　北澤豪が語る“ヴェルディ黄金時代”. スポーツナビ (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  6. ↑ Jリーグ30年、「チームカラー別」のタイトル獲得ランキングはこれ！“青赤”は個別でカウント. ライブドアニュース (in Japanese). Qoly. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  7. ↑ 河合拓 (15 August 2024). “禁断の移籍”を拒否「それだけはやってはいけないと」　元日本代表が明かす衝撃の過去【インタビュー】. フットボールゾーン (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "KITAZAWA Tsuyoshi". Japan National Football Team Database. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  9. ↑ ワールドカップヒストリー. JFA.jp (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. Retrieved 21 September 2026.
  10. ↑ 北澤豪、日本のサッカーを語る。代表、協会、これまでとこれから［前編］ [Tsuyoshi Kitazawa talks about Japanese football: the national team, the association, the past and the future [Part 1]]. AERA Style Magazine (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun Company. 24 June 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2026.
  11. ↑ Ｗ杯23人発表で伝説の「カズ、三浦カズ」方式再び. 日刊スポーツ (in Japanese). 3 March 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  12. ↑ "Tsuyoshi KITAZAWA". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  13. ↑ "Tsuyoshi Kitazawa". J. League Data Site (in Japanese). Japan Professional Football League. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
  14. ↑ "Tsuyoshi Kitazawa". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 10 August 2026.