Ryuzo Morioka
Position: DF
Born:07-Oct-1975
Height/Weight:180/71
Birthplace:Kanagawa
Previous Teams:Toin Gakuen Jr.HS, Toin Gakuen HS, Kashima Antlers, Shimizu S-Pulse, Kyoto Sanga
Matches (J1/J2):285/22	Goals: 9/1
First Appearance: 17-Aug-1994 Kashima Antlers - vs - Yokohama FC (at Mitsuzawa Stadium)
First Goal : 08-Nov-1995 Shimizu S-Pulse - vs - Kashima Antlers (at Nihondaira Stadium)

Bio

Ryuzo Morioka is a hardnosed defender who was the centerpiece of the Shimizu S-Pulse defence for most of his career. Morioka actually had some difficulty breaking into the lineup, at first. When he entered the league with Kashima Antlers, he could not find a spot in the lineup despite his obvious talents, and after his rookie season he requeste a transfer to Shimizu S-Pulse. At that time, S-Pulse fielded several national team players including Toshihide Saito and Katsumi Oenoki, so even there it was almost a year before he established himself as a regular starter.

But by 1998, Morioka was clearly a rising star in the league, and he was even briefly considered for inclusion in the 1998 World Cup squad. By the time Phillippe Troussier took over, Morioka was entering his prime, and his quick reflexes and positioning instincts made him an ideal choice to fill one of the slots in Troussier's "flat three" defence. Morioka played a central role in the Japanese national team throughout the Troussier Era, establishing himself as a regular starter by late 1999 and making a major contribution to Japan's victory in the 2000 Asian Cup.

But after serving as one of the most constant elements of Troussier Japan for three years, Morioka was felled by a string of bad luck. In early 2002 he injured his hamstring, and spend the months leading up to the 2002 World Cup struggling desperately to get back into shape in time to take part. June 4, 2002 was both the highlight of his career and its most tragic moment. The valiant effort he had made over the first six months of the year allowed him to win his way back into the lineup. When the national anthem played at the start of Japan's opening match against Belgium, Morioka stood proudly on the pitch, with the captain's armband proudly on his arm. But in the 73 minute -- just moments after Japan scored the go-ahead goal -- tragedy struck. As he lunged into a tackle, his hamstring tore once again, and he was forced to limp off the pitch, handing over the armband to Tsuneyasu Miyamoto. The injury prevented him from participating in the remainder of the tournament, and while Miyamto's career as Japan NT captain took off, Morioka faded into the shadows.

After the World Cup, Morioka was never the same. Injuries continued to dog him for the remainder of his career. He did get a few more chances to appear for the national team, but his era as a core member of the team was over. It took him nearly a year to return to complete health and regular duty for S-Pulse in 2004 as the defensive captain, and by that time he was clearly moving into the autumn of his playing career.

By 2006 SPulse had begun to adopt strategies that were not designed around his participation, and he had just 10 appearances over the course of the season. A move to Kyoto Sanga allowed Morioka to return to the starting lineup on a team where he could contribute much more, not only as a player, but also as a teacher and an example to younger defenders. At this point he also began studying to become a coach, and when he finally took off the cleats at the end of 2008, he was immediately hired as a youth coach for Sanga.

Though fate prevented him from achieving the World Cup fame of players like Miyamoto and Koji Nakata, Ryuzo Morioka was a key contributor to Japanese football during the critical period when the sport entered the modern era, and for that he will always hold a place in the annals of Japanese football history.