1. Overview
Minoru Hata, born on March 30, 1989, is a former Japanese professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. His career spanned several clubs, notably Ain Foods SC, Roasso Kumamoto, and Kagoshima United FC, where he concluded his professional playing days. This article details his personal background, his progression through youth and professional football, his statistical records, and the circumstances of his retirement.
2. Personal Information
Minoru Hata was born on March 30, 1989, in Mashiki Town, Kamimashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. He stands at 76 in (192 cm) and weighs 170 lb (77 kg). Throughout his career, he primarily played as a goalkeeper.
3. Playing Career
Minoru Hata's football career began in his youth, progressing through high school and university before his professional debut. He spent a significant portion of his professional career with Roasso Kumamoto and concluded it with Kagoshima United FC.
3.1. Youth Career
Hata attended Kumamoto Prefectural Kumamoto Commercial High School from 2004 to 2006. Following his high school education, he continued his football development at Chuo University from 2007 to 2010.
3.1.1. University Achievements
During his time at Chuo University, Minoru Hata played a pivotal role in the team's success, contributing significantly to their victory in the 57th National University Championship. This achievement highlighted his potential as a promising young goalkeeper.
3.1.2. Ain Foods SC
Initially, Minoru Hata was expected to join Roasso Kumamoto for the 2011 season. However, due to various circumstances, he spent one year playing for Ain Foods SC in the Kansai Soccer League Division 1. This period was described by Roasso Kumamoto's General Manager, Ikegaya, as a "training" (修行shugyōJapanese) period, serving as a transitional step before his eventual professional debut with Roasso Kumamoto. During the 2011 season with Ain Foods SC, Hata made 14 appearances without scoring any goals.
3.1.3. Roasso Kumamoto
On January 10, 2012, Minoru Hata's transfer to Roasso Kumamoto was officially announced, marking the beginning of his professional career with the club. He remained with Roasso Kumamoto for eight seasons, from 2012 to 2019.
His professional debut came on September 8, 2013, in the second round of the 93rd Emperor's Cup against Tokushima Vortis at Umasta. In this match, Hata played a crucial role in securing his team's advancement to the third round by making key saves during the penalty shootout. His J.League debut followed on March 2, 2014, in the opening match of the J2 League season against Avispa Fukuoka, also at Umasta.
For a considerable period, Hata served as a backup goalkeeper, notably behind Yuta Minami. However, when Minami transferred to Yokohama FC, Hata seized the opportunity to establish himself as the primary goalkeeper. In 2015, his playing time was significantly reduced to just three appearances due to the arrival of new goalkeepers, Yutaro Hara and Daniel Schmidt. In 2016, with the addition of Akihiro Sato, Hata's appearances were further limited to only one match.
The 2017 season saw a change in his fortunes. Following the dismissal of manager Kiyokawa, Hata gained more playing opportunities and made a substantial contribution to stabilizing the team's defense, which had been conceding many goals. In 2018, despite the team's high number of conceded goals, Hata briefly reclaimed the starting position from Akihiro Sato mid-season but eventually lost it again. The 2019 season saw the arrival of Kaito Yamamoto, which resulted in Hata making no league appearances. On December 11, Roasso Kumamoto announced that Hata's contract would not be renewed.
3.1.4. Kagoshima United FC
Following his departure from Roasso Kumamoto, Minoru Hata joined Kagoshima United FC for the 2020 season. He made four appearances for the club during this period.
4. Statistics
The following table details Minoru Hata's club performance in various league and cup competitions throughout his professional career.
| Club performance | League | Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | Total | ||||||
| 2011 | Ain Foods | Kansai 1st | 14 | 0 | - | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2012 | Kumamoto | J2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2014 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | |||
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |||
| 2018 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |||
| 2019 | J3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2020 | Kagoshima | J3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Career total | 87 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 93 | 0 | |||
5. Retirement
At the conclusion of the 2020 season, Minoru Hata announced his retirement from professional football. His final club was Kagoshima United FC.