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BioWhen Yasutoshi Miura retired, at the end of 2003, he was the league's oldest player. This turned out to be a bit ironic, since Miura is probably best known for being the elder brother of Kazuyoshi "Kazu" Miura -- the player who now ranks as football's oldest player ever. But despite the heroics and fame of younger-brother Kazu, the elder Miura certainly made his own mark in the league. Yasutoshi, or "Yasu" as he was nicknamed, began the J.League era playing for Shimizu S-Pulse, in his first years as a pro. Though the Miuras have always had close ties to the prefecture where they grew up, evenutally Yasu was convinced to join his brother at Verdy Kawasaki, where the antics of these two popular, energetic and glamorous young men - both on and off the field - led sportwriters to speak jokingly of the "Kazu & Yasu Show". After Verdy's collapse in 1998, Yasutoshi moved to Avispa Fukuoka, and sank into a spell of mediocrity and relative anonymity. Vissel Kobe reunited the "Kazu & Yasu Show" in 2002, when both players had matured and apparently outgrown their wild youth. Following dedicated physical regimens in an effort to regain some of their lost form, both showed flashes of their old quality in 2003, but Yasu finally decided to hang up the cleats after the Emperor's Cup, in 2003. Despite a career in his younger brother's shadow, Yasutoshi Miura make his own mark on the league, in its early years. His greatest achievements may be as a coach - since retiring he remains closely associated with the J.League, and as head coach of numerous teams he has proven to be a highly savvy organizer and administrator, as well.
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