Dai Podziewski

{{short description|Northern Mariana Islands footballer (born 2001)}}

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Dai Podziewski

|image =

|fullname = Dai Takegami Podziewski

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|8|31|df=y}}

|birth_place = Tondabayashi, Osaka, Japan

|height = 6 ft 0 in

|position = Defender

|currentclub =

|clubnumber =

|youthyears1 = 2016–2017

|youthclubs1 = Paire

|collegeyears1 = 2019–2022

|college1 = Suffolk University

|collegecaps1 = 35

|collegegoals1 = 1

|years1 = 2017 |clubs1 = Paire |caps1 = |goals1 =

|years2 = 2017 |clubs2 = Teen Ayuyu |caps2 = |goals2 =

|years3 = 2018–2019 |clubs3 = MP United |caps3 = |goals3 =

|nationalyears1 = 2018

|nationalteam1 = Northern Mariana Islands U17

|nationalcaps1 = 1

|nationalgoals1 = 0

|nationalyears2 = 2019

|nationalteam2 = Northern Mariana Islands U20

|nationalcaps2 = 3

|nationalgoals2 = 0

|nationalyears3 = 2018

|nationalteam3 = Northern Mariana Islands

|nationalcaps3 = 2

|nationalgoals3 = 0

|club-update = 12:57, 22 July 2023 (UTC)

|nationalteam-update = 12:57, 22 July 2023 (UTC)

}}

Dai Takegami Podziewski (born 31 August 2001) is a footballer who plays as a defender. Born in Japan, he played for the Northern Mariana Islands national team.

Early life

Born in Tondabayashi in the Osaka Prefecture of Japan, Podziewski moved to the Northern Mariana Islands as a child. While on the islands, he also played baseball, and co-founded a futsal club in 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.gosuffolkrams.com/sports/msoc/2021-22/bios/podziewski_dai_110o?view=bio|title=Dai Podziewski|access-date=22 July 2023|website=gosuffolkrams.com}} He was valedictorian of the Marianas High School's class of 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/podziewski-leads-mhs-class-of-2019/|title=Podziewski leads MHS' Class of 2019|date=13 June 2019|access-date=22 July 2023|website=saipantribune.com}} He is of Polish and Japanese descent.{{Cite web|url=https://sport.tvp.pl/53483031/od-potomka-witkacego-po-paulo-dybale-zagraniczni-pilkarze-z-polskimi-korzeniami|title=Od potomka "Witkacego" po Dybalę. Egzotycznymi śladami Polaków|first=Telewizja Polska|last=S.A|date=26 April 2021|website=sport.tvp.pl}}

Club career

Podziewski was featured for Paire's under-17 side in 2016,{{cite web|url=https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/mpu-clinch-co-ed-u12-boys-u17-titles/|title=MPU clinch co-ed U12, boys U17 titles|first=Roselyn|last=Monroyo|date=20 April 2016|access-date=22 July 2023|website=saipantribune.com}} and also played futsal for Astig FC at the 2016 Saipan Soccer School Christmas Youth Futsal Tournament.{{cite web|url=https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/newcastle-fc-wins-shootout/|title=Newcastle FC wins in shootout|first=Roselyn|last=Monroyo|date=3 January 2017|access-date=22 July 2023|website=saipantribune.com}} The following year, he began the season with Paire, before moving to Teen Ayuyu.{{cite web|url=https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/mp-united-leads-two-divisions/|title=MP United leads in two divisions|first=Roselyn|last=Monroyo|date=17 March 2017|access-date=22 July 2023|website=saipantribune.com|archive-date=22 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230722181706/https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/mp-united-leads-two-divisions/|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/teen-ayuyus-stand-u15-drops-debut/|title=Teen Ayuyus stand out; U15 drops debut|first=Roselyn|last=Monroyo|date=17 April 2017|access-date=22 July 2023|website=saipantribune.com}} He would later move to MP United, where he went on to serve as vice-captain as MP United won the NMIFA Men’s League Title in 2019.

Collegiate soccer

In May 2019, it was announced that Podziewski, alongside Northern Mariana Islands national team teammate Sunjoon Tenorio, would move to the United States to enroll at Suffolk University in Boston.{{cite web|url=https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/tenorio-podziewski-ncaa-bound/|title=Tenorio, Podziewski NCAA-bound|first=Roselyn|last=Monroyo|date=6 May 2019|access-date=22 July 2023|website=saipantribune.com}} He made his NCAA Division III debut for the university's soccer team, the Suffolk Rams, on his birthday, 31 August 2019, in a 1–1 draw with the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.{{cite web|url=https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/podziewski-battle-tested/|title=Podziewski battle-tested|first=Roselyn|last=Monroyo|date=5 May 2020|access-date=22 July 2023|website=saipantribune.com}}

Following eleven appearances in his first season, the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Boston. Following the return of organised soccer in the 2021 season, Podziewski scored his first goal for the Rams in a 4–0 win against the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.{{cite journal|url=https://www.mmabucs.com/sports/msoc/2021-22/releases/20210901w7l062|title=Men's Soccer Drops Season Opener at Suffolk|date=1 September 2021|access-date=22 July 2023|website=mmabucs.com}} The following year, he was named as co-captain of the side, along with Trevor Murdock.{{cite web|url=https://bvmsports.com/2022/08/30/podziewski-murdock-to-co-captain-mens-soccer-in-2022/|title=Podziewski, Murdock to Co-Captain Men's Soccer in 2022|date=30 August 2022|access-date=22 July 2023|website=bvmsports.com}} The same year, he was named to the CSC DIII Academic All-District Team.{{cite journal|url=https://www.cccathletics.com/sports/msoc/history/AwardHistory/AcademicAA|title=Men's soccer CSC Academic All-America/All-District|access-date=22 July 2023|website=cccathletics.com}}

International career

Podziewski represented the Northern Mariana Islands' under-17 team at the 2018 edition of the Marianas Cup, as the Northern Mariana Islands lost 5–3 in a penalty shoot-out to Guam.{{cite web|url=https://guamfa.com/guam-secures-boys-title-at-2018-marianas-cup-tourney/|title=Guam Secures Boys Title at 2018 Marianas Cup Tourney|access-date=22 July 2023|website=guamfa.com}} In July 2019, he attended an under-18 training camp in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan, playing against students from the St. Catherine University.{{cite web|url=https://www.jfa.jp/eng/social_action_programme/international_exchange/news/00022001/|title=U-18/U-23 Northern Mariana Islands National Team holds training camp in Matsuyama, Ehime|date=9 July 2019|access-date=22 July 2023|website=jfa.jp}} He later featured three times for the Northern Mariana Islands at under-19 level, in qualification for the 2020 AFC U-19 Championship.{{GSA player|123519}}

Podziewski was called up to the Northern Mariana Islands senior squad in 2018 for the first preliminary round of the 2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship, Podziewski made his international debut against Guam. Having also featured in the nation's next game against Mongolia, Podziewski said that the experience "really boosted [his] confidence which helped [him] transition to college knowing what's ahead".{{cite web|url=https://www.mvariety.com/sports/localsports/you-cant-stop-at-being-the-best-on-saipan/article_bdbf272b-4b65-5e23-85b2-fff53c47fc9f.html|title='You can't stop at being the best on Saipan'|date=21 June 2020|access-date=22 July 2023|website=mvariety.com}}