Quick Facts
Biography
Takayuki Suzuki (鈴木 隆行, Suzuki Takayuki, born June 5, 1976) is a former Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.
Career
Club
Suzuki has spent the majority of his playing career with Kashima Antlers, playing six stints for the team over the course of ten years, in between short periods playing in Brazil and Belgium. Suzuki played 87 games in the J1 League for Kashima, scoring 17 goals, and helping the team win the J1 League Championship in 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2001.
On January 28, 2006, Suzuki signed with Red Star Belgrade during the 2005/06 season winter break at the period Toyota was the main sponsor of the club. Takayuki Suzuki had not scored for 1790 minutes/46 games consecutive, until he scored a couple of goals in an 11/4/06 Serbian Cup game against Radnički Niš as Red Star rolled to an easy 5-0 road victory. However, Suzuki's time in Serbia was a disappointment and his move back to J1 League to join Yokohama F. Marinos was announced on January 19, 2007.
On 28 March 2008 it was revealed that he signed a one-year contract with Portland Timbers of the USL First Division, joining on a free transfer.
On 8 June 2011 Suzuki agreed to join J2 League side Mito Hollyhock. With the club and city in financial difficult following a massive earthquake, he promised to play for free in the 2011 season.
After only one season with JEF United Chiba, he announces his retire from football at the age of 39.
National team
Suzuki made his international debut for Japan national team in 2001, and scored his first international goal on June 2, 2001, in a 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup game against Cameroon.
He played all four of Japan's games at the 2002 World Cup, starting the first three and scoring in the 2-2 tie against Belgium.
He was also part of the Japanese team which won the 2004 AFC Asian Cup.
Playing style
Suzuki is a no-nonsense physical player whose playing style is different compared to other forwards and strikers. He is well known for his defensive pressure on other defenders to force them to make mistakes. Suzuki was nicknamed the 'Japanese Blond Bomber' after his blond-dyed hair (the original blond bomber was legendary German striker Jürgen Klinsmann). As the result of world record about consecutive no goals, Japanese call Suzuki as 'Master No Goal'.
Club statistics
| 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 | J.League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||
| 1995 | Kashima Antlers | J1 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1996 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | |||
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | |||
| Brazil | League | Copa do Brasil | League Cup | South America | Total | |||||||
| 1997 | Centro Futebol Zico | Campeonato Carioca 3° | 21 | 7 | - | - | - | 21 | 7 | |||
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||
| 1998 | Kashima Antlers | J1 League | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 4 | 1 | |
| 1998 | JEF United Ichihara | J1 League | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 8 | 0 | |
| Brazil | League | Copa do Brasil | League Cup | South America | Total | |||||||
| 1999 | Centro Futebol Zico | Campeonato Carioca 2° | 5 | 0 | - | - | - | 5 | 0 | |||
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||
| 1999 | Kashima Antlers | J1 League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | |
| 2000 | Kawasaki Frontale | J1 League | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 13 | 0 | |
| 2000 | Kashima Antlers | J1 League | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | - | 15 | 7 | |
| 2001 | 26 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 1 | - | 35 | 11 | |||
| 2002 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 8 | 0 | |||
| Belgium | League | Belgian Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2002/03 | Genk | First Division | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||
| 2003 | Kashima Antlers | J1 League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Belgium | League | Belgian Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2003/04 | Heusden-Zolder | First Division | 30 | 5 | 4 | 2 | - | - | 34 | 7 | ||
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||
| 2004 | Kashima Antlers | J1 League | 14 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 17 | 5 | |
| 2005 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 28 | 3 | |||
| Serbia | League | Serbian Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2005/06 | Red Star Belgrade | Superliga | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 7 | 2 | ||
| 2006/07 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||
| 2007 | Yokohama F. Marinos | J1 League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | |
| United States | League | Open Cup | League Cup | North America | Total | |||||||
| 2008 | Portland Timbers | USL First Division | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 27 | 1 | ||
| 2009 | 27 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 2 | ||||
| 2010 | D2 Pro League | 24 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 26 | 2 | |||
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||
| 2011 | Mito HollyHock | J2 League | 20 | 5 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 23 | 6 | ||
| 2012 | 36 | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 38 | 4 | ||||
| 2013 | 37 | 12 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 38 | 12 | ||||
| 2014 | 33 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 35 | 3 | ||||
| 2015 | JEF United Chiba | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | |||
| Country | Japan | 236 | 41 | 23 | 7 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 277 | 52 | |
| Brazil | 26 | 7 | - | - | - | 26 | 7 | |||||
| Belgium | 49 | 5 | 6 | 2 | - | 6 | 0 | 61 | 7 | |||
| Serbia | 6 | 0 | 3 | 2 | - | - | 9 | 2 | ||||
| United States | 77 | 4 | 5 | 1 | - | - | 82 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 394 | 57 | 37 | 12 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 455 | 73 | ||
National team statistics
| Japan national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2001 | 10 | 3 |
| 2002 | 13 | 1 |
| 2003 | 4 | 0 |
| 2004 | 18 | 6 |
| 2005 | 10 | 1 |
| Total | 55 | 11 |
Appearances in major competitions
| Team | Competition | Category | Appearances | Goals | Team Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Sub | |||||
 Japan | 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup | Senior | 3 | 0 | 2 | Runners-up |
| Japan | 2002 FIFA World Cup | Senior | 3 | 1 | 1 | Round of 16 |
| Japan | 2004 AFC Asian Cup | Senior | 6 | 0 | 1 | Champions |
| Japan | 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup | Senior | 0 | 1 | 0 | Round 1 |
| Japan | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | Senior | 5 | 4 | 3 | Qualified |
Goals for Senior National Team
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | June 2, 2001 | Niigata, Japan |  Cameroon | 2-0 | Won | 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Group stage |
| 2. | June 2, 2001 | Niigata, Japan | Cameroon | 2-0 | Won | 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Group stage |
| 3. | October 7, 2001 | Southampton, UK |  Nigeria | 2-2 | Draw | Friendly |
| 4. | June 4, 2002 | Saitama, Japan |  Belgium | 2-2 | Draw | 2002 FIFA World Cup Group stage |
| 5. | June 9, 2004 | Saitama, Japan |  India | 7-0 | Won | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6. | July 9, 2004 | Hiroshima, Japan |  Slovakia | 3-1 | Won | Friendly |
| 7. | July 31, 2004 | Chongqing, China |  Jordan | 1-1 | Draw* | 2004 AFC Asian Cup Quarter-finals |
| 8. | August 18, 2004 | Shizuoka, Japan |  Argentina | 1-2 | Lost | Friendly |
| 9. | September 8, 2004 | Kolkata, India | India | 4-0 | Won | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10. | October 13, 2004 | Muscat, Oman |  Oman | 1-0 | Won | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11. | February 2, 2005 | Saitama, Japan |  Syria | 3-0 | Won | Friendly |
- Japan advanced to semi-final by penalty shootout
- ^
Honors
Club
- Kashima Antlers
- J1 League Champions: 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001
- K.R.C. Genk
- Belgian Supercup Runner-up: 2002
- Red Star Belgrade
- Serbian Superliga Champions: 2005-06, 2006–07
- Serbian Cup Champions: 2006–07
- Portland Timbers
- USL First Division Commissioner's Cup: 2009
Country
- Japan
- FIFA Confederations Cup Runner-up: 2001
- FIFA Confederations Cup Silver Shoe: 2001
- Asian Cup Champions: 2004
Trivia
- Takayuki Suzuki is featured on the 2001 PlayStation 2 game cover "Jikkyou J-League Perfect Striker 4" together with Shunsuke Nakamura and Atsuhiro Miura