A Guide to Japan

As always, Japan will be a threat in the 2019 World Cup.  That being said, their recent results have been disappointing: a 3-1 loss against France, a 2-2 tie against Germany, and a 1-1 tie against Spain in their last three friendly matches. In the 2019 SheBelieves Cup, Japan finished with only 4 points: beating Brazil 3-1, tying the United States 2-2, and losing against England 0-3. With only one win this year, hopefully, they have made some adjustments to their game.

Head Coach Asako Takakura was appointed in 2016, becoming the first woman to hold that position for Japan. In her care, the Japan U-20 team won 3rd in the 2016 U-20 World Cup and the senior team won the 2018 Asia Cup. She was awarded the AFC Coach of the Year Award six times. She faces the ultimate test of leading Japan in the 2019 World Cup.

They have a fairly old team: six players over the age of 27, and only four players that are 20 years and younger. Out of 23, there are 21 national team players that play in Japan (only Rumi Utsugi and Saki Kumagai play out of the country), and nine of those players play together on Nippon TV Beleza, another 5 play together for Inac Kobe Leonessa, and three more play on Urawa Red Diamonds. Suffice to say, these women know each other very well and any viewer can expect strong chemistry between them.

The Roster:

#1 – Sakiko Ikeda, GK, 26 years old, 5’6″ – Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies (JP)

#2 – Rumi Utsugi, DF, 30 years old, 5’6″ – Seattle Reign FC (USA)

#3 – Aya Sameshima. DF, 32 years old, 5’4″ – Inac Kobe Leonessa (JP)

#4 – Saki Kumagai, DF, 28 years old, 5’8″ – Olympique Lyonnais (FR)

#5 – Nana Ichise, DF, 21 years old, 5’3″ – Mynavi Vegalta Sendai Ladies (JP)

#6 – Hina Sugita, MF, 22 years old, 5’4″ – Inac Kobe Leonessa (JP)

#7 – Emi Nakajima, MF, 28 years old, 5’2″ – Inac Kobe Leonessa (JP)

#8 – Mana Iwabuchi, FW, 26 years old, 5’1″ – Inac Kobe Leonessa (JP)

#9 – Yuika Sugasawa, FW, 28 years old, 5’6″ – Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies (JP)

#10 – Mizuho Sakaguchi, MF, 31 years old, 5’5″ – Nippon TV Beleza (JP)

#11 – Rikako Kobayashi, FW, 21 years old, 5’3″ – Nippon TV Beleza (JP)

#12 – Moeka Minami, DF, 20 years old, 5’7″ – Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies (JP)

#13 – Saori Takarada, MF, 19 years old, 5’7″ – Cerezo Osaka Sakai Ladies (JP)

#14 – Yui Hasegawa, MF, 22 years old, 5’1″ – Nippon TV Beleza (JP)

#15 – Yuka Momiki, MF, 23 years old, 5’0″ – Nippon TV Beleza (JP)

#16 – Asato Miyagawa, MF, 19 years old, 5’3″ – Nippon TV Beleza (JP)

#17 – Narumi Miura, MF, 21 years old, 5’1″ – Nippon TV Beleza (JP)

#18 – Ayaka Yamashita, GK, 23 years old, 5’7″- Nippon TV Beleza (JP)

#19 – Jun Endo, MF, 19 years old, 5’6″ – Nippon TV Beleza (JP)

#20 – Kumi Yokoyama, FW, 25 years old, 5’1″ – AC Nagano Parceiro Ladies (JP)

#21 – Chika Hirao, GK, 22 years old, 5’8″ – Albirex Niigata Ladies (JP)

#22 – Risa Shimizu, MF, 23 years old, 5’3″ – Nippon TV Beleza (JP)

#23 – Shiori Miyake, DF, 23 years old, 5’5″ – Inac Kobe Leonessa (JP)