Kosuke Kimura

Kosuke Kimura

Kimura playing with the Colorado Rapids (MLS) 2011
Personal information
Date of birth	(1984-05-14) May 14, 1984 (age 33)
Place of birth	Kobe, Japan
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current team	Tulsa Roughnecks
Number	27
Youth career
1998–2002	Kawasaki Frontale
2003–2006	Western Illinois Leathernecks
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004	Thunder Bay Chill	13	(0)
2007–2012	Colorado Rapids	117	(4)
2012	Portland Timbers	17	(1)
2013–2014	New York Red Bulls	37	(0)
2015	Widzew Łódź	12	(0)
2015	Atlanta Silverbacks	19	(0)
2016	Rayo OKC	33	(0)
2017–	Tulsa Roughnecks	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of March 26, 2017.

Kosuke Kimura (木村光佑^?, Kimura Kōsuke) (born May 14, 1984) is a Japanese footballer who plays for Tulsa Roughnecks in the United Soccer League. A long-time veteran of Major League Soccer, he has also played in Poland. He was the first player in MLS history who was born in Japan.

Kimura's career in organized soccer began with the youth team of Kawasaki Frontale. By the age of 15, he played for the Kawasaki Frontale reserve team. A foot injury at age of 17 hampered his opportunity to sign a professional contract with the club. Despite this, he would eventually earn an athletic scholarship to play college soccer at Western Illinois University after moving to the United States, where he took an intensive English-language course and the SAT, on which he achieved a near-perfect score on its mathematics section. A four-year letterman with the Leathernecks from 2003 to 2006, he also played with the Thunder Bay Chill of the USL Premier Development League.

Kimura was drafted by Colorado Rapids in the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft, and in doing so became first Japanese-born player in the history of Major League Soccer. He was a bit-part player for much of his first two seasons, playing four games in his rookie season, and featuring in 18 games in 2008, 17 as a starter. He scored his first career goal on May 2, 2009, in a game against Real Salt Lake. During the 2010 playoffs, he scored the game-winning goal against San Jose that sent the Colorado Rapids to MLS Cup 2010. Kimura then played for a full 90 minutes (plus 30 minutes of extra time) to help the Colorado Rapids capture the MLS Cup against FC Dallas with a 2-1 victory in Toronto, Ontario. While with Colorado Kimura appeared in 117 league matches and scored 4 goals.