Former Japan striker Kazuyoshi Miura on Saturday added yet another achievement to his age-defying career, making his debut for Portuguese second-tier club UD Oliveirense at the age of 56.
Miura, who joined Oliveirense on loan from Yokohama earlier this year, came on in the 90th minute of a 4-1 win at Academico de Viseu.
Liga Portugal 2’s Web site said that Miura’s appearance made him “the oldest footballer ever to play in Portuguese football, with 56 years, one month and 24 days.”
Photo: Reuters
He is also the oldest professional soccer player in the world.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Miura, who is in his 38th season of professional soccer, has played for a string of clubs across the world including Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, Genoa CFC, GNK Dinamo Zagreb and Vissel Kobe.
Portugal is the sixth country Miura, dubbed “King Kazu” by fans, has played in after beginning his globe-trotting career with a spell at Brazil’s Santos in 1986.
He played 89 times for Japan, winning the AFC Asian Cup in 1992, and is the country’s second-highest all-time scorer with 55 goals.
His last international match was in 2000.
Additional reporting by staff writer
OFFENSE SHINES: First baseman Pan Chie-kai hit a solo homer in the fifth inning as all 10 batters Taiwan used contributed at least one hit toward their team total of 14 One day after their first shutout loss at the WBSC Premier12, Taiwan yesterday bounced back with a commanding 8-2 victory over the US, keeping their hopes for a spot in tomorrow’s final alive. The win in the Super Round marked Taiwan’s first triumph over the US at a top-tier international baseball tournament since 2003. Their previous win over the US was at the 2003 Baseball World Cup, with only one win in the previous 10 matchups since 1999. Yesterday’s game was tightly contested through the first six innings, with the margin never exceeding two runs. However, the tide turned in the top of
“Please love us. Please cheer us on. We have been working hard. Do not give up on us.” Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien’s heartfelt plea echoed across the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 tournament after a historic victory. Rather than boasting, Chen was making an earnest appeal after leading Taiwan to a 4-0 victory over Japan to claim their first major international baseball title at the senior level. Chen’s decisive three-run homer in the fifth inning and his Premier12 leading .632 batting average secured him the Premier12’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) title. He was also named one of the tournament’s outstanding defensive players
WELL-AGED: Although the youngest team in the tournament, Taiwan featured several veteran stars, including Sunday’s home-run hero Chen Chieh-hsien “I will never forget today,” veteran Taiwanese pitcher Chen Kuan-yu said after Taiwan on Sunday night blanked Japan to secure their first ever gold in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 championship. Chen, who at 34 is the oldest member on the team, said Taiwan “made every difficult step to come to today’s victory. I will never forget today.” Taiwan made history when they won their first gold medal of the Premier12 tournament, beating Japan in a 4-0 shutout victory in the final at the Tokyo Dome. It was a jaw-dropping victory for many baseball commentators who went into the game with
Nikola Jokic on Saturday scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to spark the Denver Nuggets over the Los Angeles Lakers 127-102, continuing their dominance of the NBA rivalry, while Scotty Pippen Jr scored a career-best 30 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the Chicago Bulls, 142-131. The Nuggets won for the 13th time in the past 14 contests against the Lakers, including ousting the Lakers in the playoffs the past two seasons. Serbian star Jokic failed to achieve his sixth consecutive triple-double, managing only eight assists, but his effort was plenty as Michael Porter Jr added 24 points and 11
RSS