Masashi Miyazawa

1.1. Childhood and youth career

Miyazawa started playing football in the third grade of elementary school, at the age of eight. He attended Kofu City Takumi Elementary School and Kofu City Higashi Junior High School before progressing to Teikyo Daisan High School for his senior secondary education from 1994 to 1996.

1.2. University career

In 1997, Miyazawa enrolled in Chuo University, where he continued his football career with the Chuo University Football Club. During his time at university, he distinguished himself by being selected for the Best Eleven in the Kanto University Soccer League for three consecutive years from 1998 to 2000. His performance also earned him the title of Assist King in the Kanto University Soccer League in 1998 and a spot in the Denso Cup Japan-Korea University Regular Match Best Eleven in 2000. In 1999, as a third-year student, he represented Japan at the 1999 Summer Universiade in Mallorca, Spain, as part of the Universiade Japan national team. He graduated from Chuo University in 2000.

2.1. FC Tokyo

Miyazawa joined J1 League club FC Tokyo in 2001 after graduating from Chuo University. Initially, he played as an attacking midfielder (second-line player) and struggled to find consistent playing time due to physical challenges. However, in 2002, under newly appointed manager Hiroshi Hara, Miyazawa was recognized for his "beautiful kicking form" and was re-assigned to the defensive midfield position (bocante), quickly becoming a regular starter. His outstanding performance in 2002 earned him the J.League Rookie of the Year Award.

Miyazawa became a crucial player for FC Tokyo, especially known for his precise corner kicks and free kicks, which frequently led to goals. His accurate long passes and effective side changes from deep midfield were also key to Hara's wide-play-oriented tactical approach. From 2004 onwards, his opportunities to play decreased as Yasuyuki Konno and Yohei Kajiyama emerged as dominant forces in the midfield.

Beyond his on-field contributions, Miyazawa was actively involved in player representation. He served as a branch representative for the Japan Professional Footballers Association (JPFA) in 2002 and 2003, and as a branch chief in 2004, advocating for players' interests. He remained with FC Tokyo until the end of the 2006 season.

2.2. Oita Trinita and Vegalta Sendai

In 2007, Miyazawa sought new opportunities and made a permanent transfer to fellow J1 club Oita Trinita. Although he started the season as a starter, issues with team coordination led to him being dropped from the starting lineup, and he was even temporarily deployed as a left wing-back. Following the reinforcement of midfielders Edmílson Alves and Roberto Júlio de Figueiredo, Miyazawa found himself frequently left out of the squad.

In 2008, he moved to J2 League club Vegalta Sendai on a one-year loan. His role there was primarily as a backup on the left flank, and he made only three official appearances during his loan spell.

Miyazawa returned to Oita Trinita in 2009. The club was relegated to J2 at the end of the 2009 season, facing significant financial problems that led to the departure of many key players. This situation, however, opened up a regular starting spot for Miyazawa from 2010. He also became the team captain from 2011, a role he held for three seasons until 2013. Under manager Kazuaki Tasaka, Miyazawa diligently worked on improving his defensive capabilities and off-the-ball positioning, areas where he had previously been considered weaker, earning praise for his development.

In 2013, Oita Trinita returned to J1, but increased competition in midfield due to the arrivals of Rodrigo Mancha and Yohei Kajiyama led to reduced playing time for Miyazawa. Despite this, he served as a crucial spiritual pillar for the team, working tirelessly to unite the squad amidst challenges, including their eventual relegation back to J2. After the 2013 season, his contract with Oita Trinita expired, and he departed the club.

2.3. FC Gifu and retirement

In 2014, Miyazawa moved to J2 League club FC Gifu, which was aggressively reinforcing its squad. He was brought in as a central orchestrator for the midfield, where he quickly established himself as a regular starter, distributing diverse passes from deep in the midfield.

However, in the middle of the 2015 season, his playing time began to diminish, as he ceded his starting position to younger players such as special designated player Tsubasa Aoki. At the end of the 2015 season, Miyazawa announced his retirement from professional football.

3.1. FC Tokyo staff

In 2016, Miyazawa rejoined his former club, FC Tokyo, as a scouting staff member. In September 2017, he was appointed as a first-team coach when Takayoshi Amma became the interim manager. He served in this coaching capacity until 2018. From 2019, he took on a role as a coach for the FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa youth team, contributing to the development of young talents within the club's academy system.

3.2. Chuo University coach

On January 7, 2021, it was announced that Masashi Miyazawa would become the head coach of the Chuo University Football Club, marking his return to his alma mater to lead its football program. This appointment signified the beginning of his head coaching career at the university level.

4.1. Club performance

4.2. Career milestones

During his professional playing career, Masashi Miyazawa achieved several notable milestones:

• J.League Debut:** October 31, 2001, in a J1 2nd Stage match against Yokohama F. Marinos at Tokyo Stadium.
• J.League First Goal:** April 6, 2002, in a J1 1st Stage match against JEF United Ichihara at National Kasumigaoka Stadium.
• 100th J1 League Appearance:** May 6, 2006, in a J1 match against Omiya Ardija at Ajinomoto Stadium.
• 100th J2 League Appearance:** September 2, 2012, in a J2 match against Ventforet Kofu at Oita Bank Dome.
• J1 Promotion Play-off:** In 2012, he participated in 2 matches of the J1 Promotion Play-off, scoring 0 goals.