Takayuki Suzuki


Takayuki Suzuki is a former Japanese football player. He made over 50 appearances for the Japanese national team and he played professionally for two decades in Japan, Brazil, Belgium, Serbia and the United States.

Club career

Suzuki has spent the majority of his playing career with Kashima Antlers, playing six stints for the team over the course of ten years, in between short periods playing in Brazil and Belgium. Suzuki played 87 games in the J1 League for Kashima, scoring 17 goals, and helping the team win the J1 Championship in 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2001.
On January 28, 2006, Suzuki signed with Red Star Belgrade during the 2005/06 season winter break at the period Toyota was the main sponsor of the club. Takayuki Suzuki had not scored for 1790 minutes/46 games consecutive, until he scored a couple of goals in an 11/4/06 Serbian Cup game against Radnički Niš as Red Star rolled to an easy 5-0 road victory. However, Suzuki's time in Serbia was a disappointment and his move back to J1 League to join Yokohama F. Marinos was announced on January 19, 2007.
On 28 March 2008 it was revealed that he signed a one-year contract with Portland Timbers of the USL First Division, joining on a free transfer.
On 8 June 2011 Suzuki agreed to join J2 League side Mito HollyHock. With the club and city in financial difficult following a massive earthquake, he promised to play for free in the 2011 season.
After only one season with JEF United Chiba, he announces his retirement from football at the age of 39.

National team career

Suzuki made his international debut for Japan national team in 2001, and scored his first international goal on June 2, 2001, in a 2001 Confederations Cup game against Cameroon.
He played all four of Japan's games at the 2002 World Cup on home soil, starting the first three and scoring in the 2–2 tie against Belgium; Japan were eliminated in the round of 16 following a 1–0 defeat to Turkey.
He was also part of the Japanese team which won the 2004 Asian Cup. He played 55 games and scored 11 goals for Japan until 2005.

Playing style

Suzuki is a no-nonsense physical player whose playing style is different compared to other forwards and strikers. He is well known for his defensive pressure on other defenders to force them to make mistakes. Suzuki was nicknamed the "Japanese Blond Bomber" because of his blond-dyed hair. As the result of world record about consecutive no goals, Japanese call Suzuki as 'Master No Goal'.

Club statistics

National team statistics

Appearances in major competitions

National team goals

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.June 2, 2001Niigata, Japan2-0Won2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Group stage
2.June 2, 2001Niigata, Japan2-0Won2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Group stage
3.October 7, 2001Southampton, UK2-2DrawFriendly
4.June 4, 2002Saitama, Japan2-2Draw2002 FIFA World Cup Group stage
5.June 9, 2004Saitama, Japan7-0Won2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.July 9, 2004Hiroshima, Japan3-1WonFriendly
7.July 31, 2004Chongqing, China1-1Draw*2004 AFC Asian Cup Quarter-finals
8.August 18, 2004Shizuoka, Japan1-2LostFriendly
9.September 8, 2004Kolkata, India4-0Won2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
10.October 13, 2004Muscat, Oman1-0Won2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
11.February 2, 2005Saitama, Japan3-0WonFriendly

Club

;Kashima Antlers
;KRC Genk
;Red Star Belgrade
;Portland Timbers
;Japan