There may have been plenty to talk about on Wednesday as the J. League first division rounded the corner into the second half of its tumultuous season, but the only story that mattered was evergreen Kazuyoshi Miura’s first time stepping onto a J1 pitch since 2007.
At 53 years and 210 days, Miura became the top flight’s oldest player — unseating former Japan teammate Masashi “Gon” Nakayama, who set the previous mark at 45 years for Consadole Sapporo in 2012 — when he was named captain for Yokohama FC’s away clash against Kawasaki Frontale.
“Normally Kensuke (Sato) or (Masakazu) Tashiro would be captain, but everyone including our manager asked me to put on the captain’s mark,” Miura said after the match. “I wanted to carry the responsibility of everyone’s feelings when I wore that armband onto the pitch.”