Daiya Maekawa

2.1. Birth and Family

Daiya Maekawa (前川 黛也_{Maekawa Daiya}^Japanese) was born on September 8, 1994, in Hiroshima City, Aki Ward, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. He is the son of Kazuya Maekawa, who also had a distinguished career as a goalkeeper for the Japan national team and clubs like Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Oita Trinita. Their shared national team representation marks the first instance of a father and son playing for the Japan national team since the establishment of the J.League.

2.2. Early Life and Transition to Goalkeeper

Maekawa spent his formative years growing up in both Hiroshima and Oita Prefecture, moving with his father's club affiliations. He initially started his football journey as a field player until his second year at Hiroshima Municipal Yano Junior High School. During this period, his height was approximately 63 in ^{(160 cm)}. However, in his third year of junior high, he experienced a rapid growth spurt, reaching 71 in ^{(180 cm)}. This sudden change in physique was accompanied by growth pains and injuries, presenting a significant challenge in his young career. It was during this time that he made the crucial decision to transition to the goalkeeper position. His father, who was then coaching at the Sanfrecce Tsuneishi Soccer School while living away from home in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, dedicated time each Monday when he returned home to provide intensive one-on-one goalkeeper training to Daiya in a nearby park.

3.1. Youth Clubs and High School

Maekawa began his youth football development within the academy system of Oita Trinita, specifically with their U-12 team from 2003 to 2005, while attending Oita City Akeno Nishi Elementary School. He then moved to the Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C. junior team in 2006, attending Hiroshima Municipal Yano Nishi Elementary School. From 2007 to 2009, he continued his development with the Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C. junior youth team, during his time at Hiroshima Municipal Yano Junior High School. Despite his progress, he was not promoted to the Sanfrecce youth team. Consequently, he enrolled in Hiroshima Prefectural Hiroshima Minami High School from 2010 to 2012. Throughout his high school years, he faced numerous injuries, which prevented him from securing a consistent starting position as a goalkeeper.

3.2. University and Special Designation

In 2013, Maekawa joined the Kansai University football club, which was the only university that offered him a place. During his four years at Kansai University, he developed significantly, being called up to the All-Japan University Selection team for four consecutive years, establishing himself as one of the top goalkeepers of his generation. In 2015, from August to December, he was registered as a specially designated player for Cerezo Osaka, allowing him to gain experience with a professional J.League club while still enrolled in university.

4.1. Joining Vissel Kobe

Following his graduation from Kansai University, Daiya Maekawa officially joined J1 League club Vissel Kobe in 2017. Despite being a new professional player, he was immediately entrusted with the number 1 jersey, a significant indication of the club's faith in his potential.

4.2. Early Career and Breakthrough

In his debut professional season in 2017, Maekawa did not make any appearances, largely due to the presence of Kim Seung-gyu, a highly regarded South Korean international goalkeeper, who held the starting position. Kim Seung-gyu continued as the primary goalkeeper in the 2018 season. However, Maekawa made his J.League debut on November 3, 2018, starting in a match against Nagoya Grampus. Before the game, he received encouragement from his close friend and teammate, former German international Lukas Podolski, who told him, "Even if you make a mistake, enjoy it. I'll score goals." Podolski indeed scored two goals, leading Vissel Kobe to a 2-1 victory over Nagoya. Following this impressive debut, Maekawa started in all three remaining league matches of the season. After the season concluded, he had the opportunity to participate in training sessions with Hamburger SV, a club in the German 2. Bundesliga.

The 2019 season saw Maekawa continue his competition for the starting spot with Kim Seung-gyu. He was given opportunities to start in matches where Kim was unavailable due to foreign player quota restrictions. In July, Kim transferred, but Hiroki Iikura joined Vissel Kobe around the same time and quickly established himself as the new regular goalkeeper. Despite this, Maekawa made a career-high eight league appearances that season, though he often remained on the bench.

4.3. Key Seasons and Achievements

The 2020 season marked a significant turning point for Maekawa. Due to the congested match schedule caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, he gradually saw increased playing time. While Hiroki Iikura initially served as the primary goalkeeper, Maekawa eventually secured the regular starting position from mid-season onwards. He also became the regular goalkeeper for Vissel Kobe's inaugural appearance in the AFC Champions League (ACL), which resumed in November. In the semi-final match against Ulsan Hyundai FC, Maekawa made numerous crucial saves throughout the game, but an unfortunate foul in the penalty area during the final moments of extra time led to a conceded penalty, resulting in a defeat for Vissel Kobe. Maekawa later reflected on this, stating in a personal note that "the cause of the defeat was my mistake." Despite this setback, his consistent performance throughout the tournament was instrumental in Vissel Kobe reaching the semi-finals, their best-ever performance in the competition.

In the 2021 season, Maekawa capitalized on an injury to Hiroki Iikura, seizing the starting role at the beginning of the season. He maintained strong performances and solidified his position as the regular goalkeeper. Even after Iikura's recovery, Maekawa largely retained his spot in league matches. However, in July, Maekawa himself sustained an injury, forcing him out of action and allowing Iikura to regain the starting position.

The 2022 season saw Maekawa start the opening match for the third consecutive year, again benefiting from a rival's injury, as Hiroki Iikura was initially sidelined. Under manager Lluís Plaza, Maekawa fully secured the regular starting position. However, following Plaza's dismissal in late June, Maekawa once again became a backup. On October 8, during a J1 League match against Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Matchday 32), he was involved in an accidental collision during a free-kick defense, where an opposing player's knee struck his face and neck. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured and completed the match.

The 2023 season was a landmark year for both Maekawa and Vissel Kobe. With Hiroki Iikura's transfer to Yokohama F. Marinos, Maekawa started as the regular goalkeeper from the opening match and played every minute of every league game throughout the entire season. On November 12, in a crucial J1 League match against Urawa Red Diamonds (Matchday 32), Maekawa made a decisive play by catching a cross from a free-kick and immediately delivering a precise long pass to Yuya Osako, who was positioned upfront. This led to a dramatic winning goal for the team, marking Maekawa's first-ever assist in the J.League. His exceptional performance also contributed to Vissel Kobe's strong defensive record, conceding only 29 goals, the third-lowest in the league. This defensive solidity was a key factor in the club securing its historic first-ever J1 League title.

Maekawa continued his success into the 2024 season, playing a crucial role as Vissel Kobe successfully defended their J1 League title. Furthermore, he was part of the squad that won the Emperor's Cup in 2024, adding another significant trophy to his club honours.

4.4. Individual Recognition

In recognition of his outstanding performance and sportsmanship during the 2023 season, Daiya Maekawa was awarded the J.League Fair Play Award.

5.1. National Team Call-ups and Debut

On March 18, 2021, Daiya Maekawa received his first call-up to the senior Japan national squad for an international friendly match against South Korea and for the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar Asian Second Round Qualifiers and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Qualifiers match against Mongolia. This selection was particularly notable as it marked the first time in the J.League era that a father and son (Daiya and Kazuya Maekawa) had both been called up to the Japan national team. He made his international debut on November 16, 2023, coming on as a substitute in a FIFA World Cup North America Asia Second Qualifiers match against Myanmar.

5.2. Major Tournaments

Maekawa was selected as part of the Japan squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, which took place in January 2024. In the tournament, he served as a backup goalkeeper to Zion Suzuki. Despite some media suggestions and calls for Maekawa to start due to perceived inconsistencies in Suzuki's performance from the second match onwards, manager Hajime Moriyasu continued to field Suzuki as the primary goalkeeper, resulting in Maekawa not making any appearances during the tournament.

6.1. Club Statistics

6.2. International Statistics

7.1. Club Honours

; Vissel Kobe

• J1 League: 2023, 2024
• Emperor's Cup: 2019, 2024
• Japanese Super Cup: 2020

7.2. Individual Honours

; Vissel Kobe

• J.League Fair Play Award: 2023