is a Japanese football manager and former player. He played for the Japan national team He is the current manager of Omiya Ardija.

Club career

Soma was born in Shizuoka on July 19, 1971. After graduating from

Waseda University , mottoeng = Independence of scholarship , established = 21 October 1882 , type = Private , endowment = , president = Aiji Tanaka , city = Shinjuku , state = Tokyo , country = Japan , students = 47,959 , undergrad = 39,382 , postgrad ...

, he joined Kashima Antlers in 1994. He played as left-back and became one of the main player in a successful era of the club. In the 1990s, the club won several titles: the 1996 J.League, 1998 J.League, 1997 J.League Cup and

1997 Emperor's Cup Statistics of Emperor's Cup in the 1997 season. Overview It was contested by 81 teams, and Kashima Antlers won the championship. Results 1st Round *Brummell Sendai 7–0 Yamaga Club * Iwami 0–7 Juntendo University *三菱重工長崎 2–1 ...

. He was also selected for the Best Eleven for four years in a row (

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...

). In 2000, the club won all three major titles in Japan:

J1 League The , known as the for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of the system. Founded in 1992, it is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football. Contested by 18 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the J ...

J.League Cup The is a Japanese football (soccer) competition organized by J.League. It has been sponsored by Yamazaki Biscuits (YBC) of Yamazaki Baking (formerly Yamazaki Nabisco) since its inception in 1992. It is also known as the or (Levain is one of Y ...

and

Emperor's Cup , commonly known as or also Japan FA Cup is a Japanese football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football match in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J.League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, J ...

. However at Emperor's Cup in December 2000, he sustained an injury and he could not play for about a year. Although he came back in the latter half of 2001, his opportunity to play decreased behind Augusto. In 2002, he moved to

Tokyo Verdy is a Japanese professional football club based in Inagi, Tokyo. The club plays in the J2 League, the second tier of football in the country. Founded as Yomiuri F.C. in 1969, Tokyo Verdy is one of the most decorated clubs in the J.League, with ...

on loan. He returned to Kashima Antlers in 2003 and moved to

Kawasaki Frontale is a Japanese professional football club based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. Their home stadium is Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, in Nakahara W ...

in 2004. At Kawasaki Frontale, he played as defensive midfielder and sweeper. He retired at the end of the 2005 season.

International career

On May 28, 1995, Soma debuted for the Japan national team against

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

. After his debut, he became a regular player as left-back and left midfielder. In 1996, he played in all matches included

1996 AFC Asian Cup The 1996 AFC Asian Cup was the 11th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held in the United Arab Emirates between 4 and 21 Decembe ...

. In the

1998 FIFA World Cup qualification 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...

in 1997, Japan achieved qualification for

1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the 16th FIFA World Cup, the football world championship for men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. The country was chosen as the host nation by FIFA for the ...

first time Japan's history. He played in all matches at the 1998 World Cup. He also played at 1999 Copa America. He played 58 games and scored 4 goals for Japan until 1999.Japan National Football Team Database
/ref>

Coaching career

Soma retired at the end of the 2005 season. After working as a TV pundit, Soma managed the

Japan Football League The also known as simply the JFL is the 4th tier of the Japanese association football league system, positioned beneath the three divisions of the J.League. The league features fully professional teams that hold J.League associate membership am ...

side

FC Machida Zelvia is a Japanese People, Japanese football (soccer), football club based in Machida, Tokyo, Machida, Tokyo. History Machida is known as "Brazil of Tokyo" due to the popularity of football in the city; it has, in fact, produced the second-largest n ...

in 2010. He held a managerial post in charge of

side

prior to the 2011 season. On April 12, 2012, Kawasaki dismiss coach Naoki Soma after performing 'far below expectations'. The 40-year-old coach was sacked with the club's president stating the team were performing 'far below expectations' having aimed to win the title this term. In 2014, he signed with

J3 League or simply J3 is the third division of . It was established in 2013 as the third-tier professional association football league in Japan. The third-tier nationwide league is a relatively recent development in Japanese football with a first attempt ...

side

again. He led the club to won the 2nd place in 2015 and promoted to

J2 League The or simply J2 is the second division of the and the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The top tier is represented by the J1 League. It (along with the rest of the J.League) is currently sponsored by Meiji Yas ...

Career statistics

Club

International

:''Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Soma goal.''

Managerial statistics

Update; ''December 31, 2018''J.League Data Site
/ref>

Honors

Individual *

Best Eleven:

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

* Selected to AFC All Star Team: 1997 *

Fair Play Individual:

References

External links

* *
Japan National Football Team Database
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Soma, Naoki 1971 births Living people Waseda University alumni Association football people from Shizuoka Prefecture Japanese footballers Japan international footballers J1 League players J2 League players Kashima Antlers players Tokyo Verdy players Kawasaki Frontale players 1995 King Fahd Cup players 1996 AFC Asian Cup players 1998 FIFA World Cup players 1999 Copa América players Japanese football managers J1 League managers J2 League managers J3 League managers FC Machida Zelvia managers Kawasaki Frontale managers Kashima Antlers managers category:Omiya Ardija managers Association football midfielders Association football defenders