By Jinseong Kim
AFC Ann Arbor are happy to announce the signing of Hideyuki Ochi ahead of the 2022 USL League Two season. Born in Japan, Ochi will start his first post-college overseas career at AFCAA.
Ochi started playing soccer at JEF United Ichihara Chiba, the current J2 League outfit famous for its well-structured academy. Over the course of years, JEF have produced a number of former Japanese internationals such as Shoji Jo and Yuki Abe. Ochi went through the academy up to the U18 team.
During his time at the U14 squad, Ochi was selected to the J League U14 Selection team that participated in the Gothia Cup, an annual youth tournament held in Sweden. He scored three goals in a total of eight matches and contributed on the side that would reach the Boys U15 Division final.
After graduating JEF Academy, Ochi committed to the Tokyo-based Meiji University, which has one of the oldest soccer programs in Japan and participates in the Kanto University Soccer League Division I. During his four-year long stint, Ochi was part of Meiji’s unbeatable run as the school earned four different championship trophies in 2019 and one in 2020. Ochi wrapped up his collegiate career in early 2022.
“I have been interested in playing in the United States since graduating from Meiji University.” Ochi said, on discussing why he decided to move overseas and play for AFCAA. His move was highly influenced by Shion Soga, who committed to AFCAA in late February. “I asked Shion Soga how great AFC Ann Arbor and [their] coaches are and [after hearing from him I] chose to play for AFCAA.”
“I was very nervous about moving to the United States, but I looked forward to it more than that. There are two reasons why I made this decision: the first is that I wanted to take on a big challenge, and the second is I knew that I could meet many wonderful people [in this community] through soccer.”
The men’s team has already welcomed four Japanese players to the squad, and Ochi will be the fifth. Unlike Ochi, all four players have lived in the United States for years and are used to the culture. The strong support system and many countrymen is a great benefit for the newcomer to accustom himself faster to a new environment.
Ochi said, “I know they are playing at a great college in America and have a great character. So I think they can help me a lot with [getting used to a new] language, culture and life. It means they are very important for me to play abroad for the first time.”
On discussing his attributes, Ochi would say, “I am number 6 or 8 [midfielder] who can always stay calm. I am good at making chances with my passes and creating opportunities. I respect and am willing to learn from everyone involved in AFC Ann Arbor.”
Men’s Head Coach Rod Asllani had the same thoughts on Ochi’s style as how the Japanese self evaluated himself. “Hideyuki is a complete midfielder. He has great vision and is always at least one step ahead in terms of seeing what’s going to happen next. His ability to read the game makes him a smart player with and without the ball. He can slow things down and speed them back up as needed giving the team more control in both phases of the game. We expect Hide to be a crucial part of our team.”
Despite being a newcomer to both team and nation, Ochi would say, “I want to play in many games and have a positive impact on the team. I also hope [to help] AFC Ann Arbor become a more indispensable club for this community.”
We welcome Hideyuki to the Mighty Oak Family and we look forward to seeing him on the field along with all other men’s and women’s players.
About AFC Ann Arbor
Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!