Japanese Drunk Driving Bad Boy Who Runs in Jeonbuk, Perfectly Resurrected in China...Help Porttrick → Help Single Lead
Japanese Drunk Driving Bad Boy Who Runs in Jeonbuk, Perfectly Resurrected in China...Help Porttrick → Help Single Lead
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"Former K Leaguer" Kunimoto Takahiro (28, Liaoning Tian) continues to play amazingly on the Chinese stage.
Kunimoto, a Japanese technician, led the team to a 7-1 landslide victory with a remarkable performance in the fifth round of the 2025 China Gap Class (second division) against Shenzhen Junios at Shenyang City Construction University Stadium in Shenyang, China on the 22nd (Korea time).
As a result, Kunimoto, who joined Liaoning in February, played in five top-class league games this season, with seven assists, leading the help ranking alone.
Kunimoto, who started as a central attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation with a number 10, assisted Anze Cuame (Chinese name An Yiyan) equalizer in the 13th minute of the first half when his team was being dragged 0-1, helped Cuame's comeback goal in the 34th minute of the first half when the opponent's defender's exit gave him a numerical advantage.
His performance continued. He helped Zhang Yipeng score his third goal in the 42nd minute of the first half, and made an "help hat trick" in the first half. He made all three of his goals with sharp side crosses. He did not stop there, but took the ball near the opponent's box in the 45th minute of the second half when his team was leading 6-1, helping Guy Mvenza score. Thanks to Kunimoto's performance, Liaoning won the most goal difference in the club's history, rising to second place alone after Chongqing (13 points) with 12 points.
Chinese portal SinaCOM said, "Kunimoto was very active in midfield. The ball was slow and fast, and he sent an unexpected cross after dribbling. It was difficult for defenders to judge because the ball flew in a curve. He often poked passes through the opponent's defense gap. He couldn't score a goal himself, but he stood tall as a true passmaster with a total of seven assists."
Kunimoto, a famous villain in Japanese soccer, first formed his relationship with the K-League by joining Gyeongnam in 2018. In the 2018 season, Kunimoto became a sensation by scoring five goals and two assists in 35 matches in the K-League 1. After impressive performances for two consecutive seasons, Kunimoto moved to championship club Jeonbuk in 2020, where he contributed to two K-League wins and two FA Cups in three seasons through the 2022 season.
However, he was disgraced as a member of the team when he was found guilty of drunk driving in July during the 2022 season. Kunimoto instantly became unemployed and moved to Casa Pia in Portugal, where he stayed for one season, before moving to Johorudarultakjim, a Malaysian club, in August 2023. Kunimoto, who became an out-of-field player from Johoru, joined Liaoning on a free contract in February last year and quickly adapted by scoring four goals in 25 games in the Chinese A-League in his first season. 안전놀이터
Kunimoto made a surprise announcement on his Instagram account in December last year. He said, "I was clumsy in my childhood, and caused a lot of trouble to people around me. Still, I can continue to play soccer as a professional player for 10 years thanks to the fans, staff, and family who support me. I'm grateful that I learned a lot from my current wife, and that everyone is heading in a good direction."
He stressed, "I really like soccer. I want to do better in the future and I am full of my desire to challenge myself to higher levels."
Kunimoto led the team to a 2-1 victory in the third round of the league against coach Lee Ki-hyung's Yanven Longing on the 6th with a man-made goal and winning goal in the 27th minute of the second half. After the propaganda match, Kunimoto said, "We're going to the Chinese Super League!!" and expressed his will to be promoted.