KAWASAKI — Forty-four-year-old Kazuyoshi Miura may have rolled back the years to score in Tuesday's disaster relief charity match, but for former international teammate Naoki Soma those days are long gone.
In 2005, Soma brought down the curtain on a playing career that saw him win 58 caps as a marauding left-back for the national team, representing Japan in its first World Cup appearance in 1998 and forming an integral part of Kashima Antlers' backline as the Ibaraki club established itself as a powerhouse when the J. League began in the early '90s.
Now, after a stint working as a TV commentator, Soma is back in the game, taking over as manager of Kawasaki Frontale at the beginning of the season after a year in charge of Japan Football League side Machida Zelvia.