Yasuyuki Moriyama

1. Overview

Yasuyuki Moriyama (森山 泰行_{Moriyama Yasuyuki}^Japanese, born May 1, 1969) is a former Japanese professional football player and current coach. Primarily a striker, Moriyama was known for his agility, goal-scoring prowess, and tactical awareness, earning the nickname "Super Sub" during his time at Nagoya Grampus Eight due to his high goal-scoring rate when coming off the bench. His extensive playing career spanned numerous Japanese clubs, including Nagoya Grampus Eight, Shonan Bellmare, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Kawasaki Frontale, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, FC Gifu, and FC Maruyasu Okazaki, as well as an overseas stint with ND Gorica in Slovenia. He also made one appearance for the Japan national football team. Following his retirement as a player, Moriyama transitioned into coaching and football commentary, contributing to youth development and managing various teams.

2. Personal Information

Yasuyuki Moriyama was born on May 1, 1969, in Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. He stands at 67 in ^{(171 cm)} and weighs 159 lb ^{(72 kg)}. Throughout his career, he was affectionately known by the nickname "Gori." He primarily played as a forward (FW) and was right-footed.

3. Youth Career

Moriyama's football journey began in his hometown, where he played for Kasamatsu Junior High School. During his time there, the team achieved a notable third-place finish in the National Junior High School Football Tournament. He then advanced to Teikyo High School in Tokyo, where he played from 1985 to 1987. In high school, Moriyama's playing style evolved significantly; initially a dribbler who scored independently, he shifted to a style where he excelled at being "fed" by teammates, a change influenced by his teammate Hiroki Isobe. During his senior year, he scored five goals in the 66th National High School Football Championship. In a quarter-final match against Tokai University Shizuoka Shoyo High School, he famously continued to play despite a head injury, with his head bandaged. His teammates at Teikyo High included notable players such as Saburo Iwamoto, Seiichi Makita, Hisahisa Iijima, Hiroki Isobe, Soichi Shimane, Yasuto Honda, Nobuyasu Ikeda, Masahiro Endo, Nobuyuki Hosaka, and Tatsuya Asanuma.

After high school, Moriyama attended Juntendo University from 1988 to 1991. He became a regular player in his second year and was the top scorer in the Kanto University Soccer League during his third year. Before his final year at university, he gained international experience by studying abroad at CA Progreso in Uruguay, where he not only participated in practice matches but also played in official games. He received an offer from Uruguayan club CA Peñarol, but after consulting with Japanese football legend Kazuyoshi Miura, he was advised against the move due to concerns about unreliable agents.

4. Playing Career

Moriyama's professional football career was marked by his prolific goal-scoring ability and his impactful role as a "super sub" for several clubs, primarily in Japan, with a brief but significant period playing overseas. He also represented the Japan national team.

5. Player Characteristics and Records

Yasuyuki Moriyama was a highly effective striker, characterized by his agility and relentless pursuit of goals despite his relatively small stature. His playing style was marked by exceptional concentration and quality movement in front of the goal. He was not a player who constantly ran to create chances but rather one who calmly assessed the game, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

Moriyama's most famous role was that of a "super sub," particularly during his tenure at Nagoya Grampus Eight, especially under manager Arsène Wenger in 1995 and 1996. He was so reliable in this role that he earned the nickname "The 8:30 PM Man," indicating his tendency to score decisive goals late in matches after being introduced as a substitute.

His impact as a substitute is reflected in his impressive statistics:

• Of his 63 goals for Nagoya Grampus Eight, 22 were scored after coming on as a substitute. This figure stood as a club record as of 2020, significantly ahead of the second-highest tally of 13 goals by Tetsuya Okayama.
• Across his entire J1 League career, 23 of his 66 goals were scored as a substitute. This was a J.League record until it was surpassed by Ryuji Bando on September 10, 2011.

6. Coaching and Post-Retirement Activities

After his final retirement as a player from FC Gifu at the end of the 2008 season, Moriyama was initially expected to remain with the club in an advisory capacity. However, due to FC Gifu's severe financial difficulties, an advisory contract was not finalized in February 2009. Following this, he resumed his career as a football commentator, primarily active in the Tokai region of Japan.

Moriyama furthered his coaching qualifications by obtaining the JFA S-Class Coaching License in 2009, the highest coaching certification in Japan. On April 1, 2014, he was appointed as the manager of the football club at Urawa Gakuin High School.

He has also been actively involved in youth football development, serving as the representative for two youth clubs: CLUB GORICA, a junior youth club based in Fujimino City, Saitama Prefecture, and NKFC (Nanbata Krein Football Club), a junior club based in Fujimi City, Saitama Prefecture.

In 2019, he took on a unique dual role at FC Maruyasu Okazaki in the Japan Football League, serving as both a player and team director. This opportunity arose from an offer to become a strengthening manager in the summer of 2018. Although registered as a player, he did not make any appearances during his two seasons there (2019-2020). He officially retired from playing again in 2021.

Since 2023, Moriyama has taken on the role of manager for Asahi Intecc Loveledge Nagoya. Beyond his professional coaching and commentary roles, Moriyama has shown a strong interest in promoting football culture at the community level, co-founding the futsal team "KURO FC" with local Nagoya talent Yuichi Kuroiwa.

7. Statistics

8. Honors

• Emperor's Cup: 1995
• Asian Cup Winners' Cup Runner-up: 1996-97
• Slovenian PrvaLiga Runner-up: 1998-99