Naoki Matsuda

Naoki Matsuda

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Personal information
Date of birth	(1977-03-14)14 March 1977
Place of birth	Kiryū, Japan
Date of death
Place of death	Matsumoto, Japan
Height
Position(s)	Centre back
Youth career
1992–1994	Maebashi Ikuei High School
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1995–2010	Yokohama Marinos	385	(17)
2011	Matsumoto Yamaga	15	(1)
Total		400	(18)
International career
1993	Japan U17	4	(1)
1995	Japan U20	4	(0)
1996–2000	Japan U23	5	(0)
2000–2005	Japan	40	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Naoki Matsuda (松田 直樹, Matsuda Naoki, 14 March 1977 – 4 August 2011) was a Japanese footballer who played as a central defender.

Football career

Born in Kiryū, Gunma, Matsuda represented the Yokohama F. Marinos for the vast majority of his career, being promoted to the first team in 1995, at the age of 18. He scored his first goal for the club on 30 September of that year, at Mitsuzawa Stadium, and went on to appear in more than 500 official games for the Yokohama side, helping it to three J. League Division 1 titles.

Internationally, he represented Japan at the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2002 FIFA World Cup, both played on home soil, and also competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Death

In 2011, Matsuda signed with Matsumoto Yamaga FC, in the Japan Football League.

On 2 August, he collapsed during training due to a cardiac arrest after finishing a 15-minute warmup run, and doctors diagnosed his condition as "extremely severe". Two days later, he died at the age of 34.

Despite releasing him in 2010, his former club Yokohama F.Marinos retired his squad number - 3 - after his death, as an indication of his contribution not only to F.Marinos but to Japan football's development, both at league and international levels.

The funeral was held on 9 August, 2011 and attendees included players who once played for Japan and Yokohama F. Marinos.

Statistics

Club

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		J. League Cup		Asia		Total
1995	Yokohama Marinos/ Yokohama F. Marinos	J. League 1	33	1	1	0	-		-		34	1
1996			16	0	1	0	11	2	-		28	2
1997			31	2	2	0	6	0	-		39	2
1998			12	0	1	0	4	1	-		17	1
1999			27	0	3	0	2	0	-		32	0
2000			24	2	2	1	3	0	-		29	3
2001			29	0	1	0	9	0	-		39	0
2002			25	2	1	0	0	0	-		26	2
2003			20	0	0	0	5	0	-		25	0
2004			24	1	1	0	4	0	4	0	33	1
2005			27	1	1	0	4	1	4	0	36	2
2006			29	4	0	0	9	3	-		38	7
2007			8	1	2	0	5	0	-		15	1
2008			30	1	3	0	7	0	-		40	1
2009			31	1	3	0	10	2	-		44	3
2010			19	1	2	0	3	0	-		24	1
2011	Matsumoto Yamaga	JFL	15	1	-		-		-		15	1
Country	Japan		400	18	24	1	82	9	8	0	506	28
Total			400	18	24	1	82	9	8	0	506	28

National team

Japan national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2000	14	0
2001	10	0
2002	12	0
2003	0	0
2004	3	0
2005	1	1
Total	40	1

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	29 January 2005	Yokohama, Japan	Kazakhstan	4–0	Win	Friendly

Honors

Naoki Matsuda featured in the video game J-League Jikkyō Winning Eleven 97

Club

• J. League Division 1: 1995, 2003, 2004
• J. League Cup: 2001

Country

• FIFA Confederations Cup: Runner-up 2001
• AFC Asian Cup: 2000, 2004

Individual

• J. League Division 1: Best Eleven 2000, 2002

External links

• Yokohama Marinos profile (Japanese)
• Naoki Matsuda at National-Football-Teams.com
• Naoki Matsuda – FIFA competition record