1. Overview
Kyohei Sugiura is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Zweigen Kanazawa in the J3 League. Born in Shizuoka Prefecture, he developed his skills through the Japanese youth football system before embarking on a professional career that has seen him play for several notable clubs, including Kawasaki Frontale, Ehime FC, Vissel Kobe, and Vegalta Sendai. Sugiura is known for his consistent performance and holds the distinction of scoring the first goal in the Reiwa era of the J.League.
2. Personal Information
2.1. Early Life and Background
Kyohei Sugiura was born on January 11, 1989, in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. He is a Japanese national with an A blood type. He stands at 70 in (177 cm) tall and weighs 154 lb (70 kg). Sugiura primarily uses his right foot. His early football development took place at Seirei JFC during his elementary school years at Hamamatsu City Minamishonai Elementary School, followed by FC Yuto during his time at Hamamatsu City Shonai Junior High School.
2.2. Youth Career
Sugiura attended Shizuoka Gakuen High School from 2004 to 2006, where he played alongside Takahiro Kuniyoshi. During his high school career, he notably wore the number 10 jersey and led his team to the quarterfinals of the 85th National High School Soccer Championship.
3. Professional Career
3.1. Club Career
Kyohei Sugiura's professional career began in 2007, marking the start of his journey through various Japanese football clubs.
3.1.1. Kawasaki Frontale
Kyohei Sugiura began his professional career by joining Kawasaki Frontale in 2007. He remained with the club until 2013, though his time included loan spells. His J1 League debut came on March 30, 2008, in a J1 League 3rd match against JEF United Chiba at Todoroki Athletics Stadium. He also made appearances in the Emperor's Cup in 2009 and 2012.
3.1.2. Ehime FC
In 2010, Sugiura was loaned to Ehime FC in the J2 League. During his initial loan period, he made 35 appearances, scoring 3 goals, which was tied for the most league appearances on the team. His first J.League goal was scored on April 29, 2010, in a J2 League 9th match against Avispa Fukuoka at Ningineer Stadium. His loan was extended for the 2011 season, where he continued to play a key role, wearing the number 10 jersey.
3.1.3. Vissel Kobe
Sugiura returned to Kawasaki Frontale in 2012 but made only one appearance in the Emperor's Cup. In 2013, he was loaned to Vissel Kobe. Under coach Ryo Adachi, he gained significant trust, making 25 league appearances and scoring 4 goals. In 2014, his move to Vissel Kobe was made permanent. However, his playing opportunities diminished, and he made only 5 league appearances that season.
3.1.4. Vegalta Sendai
Seeking more playing time, Sugiura made a permanent transfer to Vegalta Sendai in 2015. He debuted for the club in the league opener but struggled to secure consistent playing time, resulting in fewer appearances than the previous year. He played for Vegalta Sendai until 2016.
3.1.5. Zweigen Kanazawa
In 2017, Sugiura transferred permanently to Zweigen Kanazawa in the J2 League, where he currently plays as a forward, wearing the number 11 jersey. He has been a consistent presence for the club since his arrival, making significant contributions in terms of appearances and goals.
3.2. International Career
Kyohei Sugiura represented Japan at the youth level, being part of the U-18 Japan national team. He participated in the 2007 SBS Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament.
4. Statistics
4.1. Club Statistics
The following table details Kyohei Sugiura's club performance throughout his professional career, with data updated through the 2024 season.
| 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 | League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||
| 2007 | Kawasaki | J1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2010 | Ehime | J2 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | 36 | 4 | |
| 2011 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 26 | 2 | |||
| 2012 | Kawasaki | J1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | |
| 2013 | Kobe | J2 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 26 | 4 | |
| 2014 | J1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | - | 12 | 1 | ||
| 2015 | Sendai | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | Kanazawa | J2 | 37 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 39 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 39 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 41 | 3 | |||
| 2019 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | 26 | 6 | |||
| 2020 | 41 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 41 | 8 | |||
| 2021 | 39 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 40 | 2 | |||
| 2022 | 37 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 38 | 7 | |||
| 2023 | 39 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 40 | 9 | |||
| 2024 | Kanazawa | J3 | 35 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 37 | 5 | |
4.2. Career Totals
| Career total | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J1 League | 10 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |||
| J2 League | 341 | 45 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 353 | 47 | |||
| J3 League | 35 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 5 | |||
| Overall Career Total | 386 | 51 | 14 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 417 | 53 | |||
4.3. Notable Records and Milestones
Kyohei Sugiura holds the distinction of scoring the first goal in the Reiwa era of the J.League across all categories. This historic goal occurred on May 3, 2019, during the J2 League Matchday 12 fixture between Zweigen Kanazawa and Avispa Fukuoka.
5. Personal Life and Anecdotes
5.1. Incidents and Anecdotes
In May 2007, Sugiura suffered a maxillary bone fracture and trigeminal nerve paralysis, which necessitated immediate surgery. However, similar to the case of fellow player Kazuki Ganaha, he faced a potential misunderstanding regarding doping regulations. This situation forced him to delay the surgery until a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) was granted by the J.League, despite his innocence later being proven.
Sugiura married on January 11, 2012. He is affectionately known by the nickname きょんぺーKyonpēJapanese.