Chattanooga Football Club's Genki Miyachi embraced by the Scenic City

CFC photo by Sheldon Grizzle / CFC player Genki Miyachi, near bottom right, poses for a picture with his fan club after a home match this season.
CFC photo by Sheldon Grizzle / CFC player Genki Miyachi, near bottom right, poses for a picture with his fan club after a home match this season.

Genki Miyachi, a Japanese midfielder in his first season with the Chattanooga Football Club, has quickly fallen in love with his new home for reasons not limited to soccer.

Hailing from Gotemba, near Mount Fuji, the 25-year-old Miyachi has taken in the beauty of the Scenic City in his free time.

"I love the outdoors," Miyachi said. "I love going to creeks, boating on the river and hiking with my teammates. I am from a country city in Japan, and I have always enjoyed nature. The people here in the city have been so supportive and made me feel right at home, too."

Miyachi's adventure has taken him from playing professional soccer in his home country to being with Nashville FC on a trial basis to becoming an integral part of CFC's lineup. After being named the man of the match in his first appearance with CFC, which is in its final year as an amateur club before before beginning pro competition, Miyachi had a serious calf injury.

photo Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / CFC coach Peter Fuller, left, and midfielder Genki Miyachi look on at practice Thursday. Miyachi has become a fan favorite for many in his first year with the soccer team.

Already learning a new language, he had the added physical and mental challenges of trying to work his way back to full strength with no guarantees. Miyachi's English has improved drastically, though, and he is coming off a fantastic showing as he helped control the tempo and passed well in last Saturday's 1-1 draw against the host Milwaukee Torrent in a National Premier Soccer League Members Cup match.

"Genki is a very quality soccer player and a great guy," CFC coach Peter Fuller said. "He constantly wants to better himself every day. He has been a pleasant surprise, because when we put the team together, he wasn't someone we really expected. He has fit in great and we love having him."

CFC will continue Members Cup play with a match against California's Napa Valley 1839 FC at 6 p.m. Saturday at Finley Stadium, and Miyachi will have his own group of boosters in attendance.

His friendly personality and talent have caught on with fans and in particular those associated with I Go Tokyo, a Japanese boutique store on the North Shore. Miyachi is scheduled to host a free soccer workshop for ages 6 to 16 at the store (205 Manufacturers Road, Suite 106) on Sunday afternoon from 1 to 3:30.

"This is going to be a fun weekend," Miyachi said. "CFC needs to keep going and fight together. We are almost there, and I think we will play a great match. I am excited to host a soccer workshop, too. I am grateful for my friendship I have made with people in this city."

Fuller spoke highly of how fans have treated CFC players, including newcomers such as Miyachi, and his perspective is notable because he has worked on the staff of two Major League Soccer teams - the New England Revolution and the Philadelphia Union.

"I would hold our supporters up as equal or better than either of those two," Fuller said. "Players want to play in front of people that care and ones who have a passion for them and the team. The city makes them want to stay and come here. A lot of the people in the community have really taken to Genki and have really been good to him."

Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.

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