Naoki Sōma

Naoki Soma

Personal information
Full name	Naoki Soma
Date of birth	July 19, 1971
Place of birth	Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Japan
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position	Defender, Midfielder
Youth career
1987–1989	Shimizu Higashi High School
1990–1993	Waseda University
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–2003	Kashima Antlers	250	(10)
2002	→Tokyo Verdy (loan)	27	(0)
2004–2005	Kawasaki Frontale	27	(0)
Total		304	(10)
National team
1995–1999	Japan	58	(4)
Teams managed
2010	FC Machida Zelvia
2011–2012	Kawasaki Frontale
2014–	FC Machida Zelvia
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Naoki Soma (相馬 直樹 Sōma Naoki, born July 19, 1971) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.

Career

He was capped 58 times and scored 4 goals for the Japanese national team between 1995 and 1999, including three games at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He played 289 games and scored 15 goals in J1 League, and became one of the main player in glorious era of Kashima Antlers.

He retired at the end of the 2005 season. After working as a TV pundit, Soma managed the Japan Football League side FC Machida Zelvia in 2010. He held a managerial post in charge of J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale prior to the 2011 season.

On April 12, 2012, Kawasaki dismiss coach Naoki Soma after performing 'far below expectations'. The 40-year-old coach was sacked with the club's president stating the team were performing 'far below expectations' having aimed to win the title this term.

Club statistics

Club	Season	League		Emperor's Cup		J.League Cup		Continental		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Kashima Antlers	1994	28	0	1	0	1	0	–		30	0
	1995	50	3	4	0	–		–		54	3
	1996	30	2	3	0	14	0	–		47	2
	1997	21	0	5	0	2	1	–		28	1
	1998	34	1	4	0	1	0	–		39	1
	1999	30	0	2	0	7	1	–		39	1
	2000	30	2	4	0	7	0	–		41	2
	2001	7	0	3	0	1	0	–		11	0
Tokyo Verdy	2002	27	0	0	0	6	0	–		33	0
Kashima Antlers	2003	20	2	0	0	3	1	3	0	26	3
Kawasaki Frontale	2004	15	0	1	0	–		–		16	0
	2005	12	0	2	0	3	0	–		17	0
Total		304	10	29	0	45	3	3	0	381	13

National team

• 1996 Asian Cup
• 1998 FIFA World Cup

Japan national team
Year	Apps	Goals
1995	9	0
1996	13	2
1997	21	1
1998	10	1
1999	5	0
Total	58	4

Managerial statistics

Update; December 31, 2015^[1]

Team	From	To	Record
			G	W	D	L	Win %
Kawasaki Frontale	2011	2012	41	16	6	19	39.02
FC Machida Zelvia	2014	Present	69	43	17	9	62.32
Total			110	59	23	28	53.64

Individual Honors

• J. League Best Eleven: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
• Selected to AFC All Star Team: 1997
• J. League Fair Play Individual: 1998

References

1. J.League Data Site(Japanese)

External links

• Naoki Sōma at National-Football-Teams.com
• Japan National Football Team Database
• Player statistics at J.League Data Site (Japanese)
• Manager statistics at J.League Data Site (Japanese)