Ozu Moreira

Ozu Moreira
茂怜羅 オズ
Ozu playing at the 2021 World Cup.
Personal information
Full name Osmar Shigeru Moreira
Date of birth (1986-01-21) 21 January 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Defender
International career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013– Japan
Managerial career
2020–2022 Japan

Osmar Shigeru "Ozu" Moreira (茂怜羅 オズ, Shigeru Ozu) (born 21 January 1986) is a beach soccer player who plays as a defender.

Born in Brazil, he is the captain and head coach of the Japan national team, having gained Japanese citizenship in 2012.[1] He has won the Silver and Golden Balls at FIFA World Cups[2][3] and is known as one of the best defenders in beach soccer history.[4][5] He is particularly known for his towering presence and powerful long-range free kicks.[2][6][7] In 2019, he became the first Japanese player to score over 100 international goals.[7]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference SportivaMarch19 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference AFC1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Japan Beach Soccer National Team's MOREIRA Ozu named as the Best Five of the World at the Beach Soccer Stars 2019. Japan Football Association. 16 November 2019.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference SportivaDec16 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Ozu, um 'samurai' de Copacabana que sonha ser campeão mundial, SAPO, 8 July 2015 (in Portuguese).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference BSWW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference FIFA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).