Playing position Name Aya Miyama Date joined 2010 Years Team Weight 52 kg | 1998–1999 Yomiuri Menina Height 1.57 m Number 10 Role Football player | |
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Date of birth (1985-01-28) 28 January 1985 (age 30) Similar People Homare Sawa, Nahomi Kawasumi, Yuki Ogimi, Aya Sameshima, Azusa Iwashimizu | ||
Afc player of the year aya miyama women
Aya Miyama (宮間 あや, Miyama Aya, born 28 January 1985) is a Japanese football midfielder. Since 2012 she has served as captain of the Japan women's national football team (Nadeshiko Japan), for which she has played since 2003. She has appeared in every FIFA Women's World Cup since 2003, and was a member of the Japanese team that captured the 2011 World Cup championship. Miyama also led Japan to a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Her professional squad is Okayama Yunogo Belle of the L. League.
Contents
- Afc player of the year aya miyama women
- Miyama I wish we could play the final again
- Early career
- WPS
- Return to Japan
- International career
- Club
- International
- Honors
- References
Miyama: 'I wish we could play the final again'
Early career
Born in Ōamishirasato, Sanbu District, Chiba Prefecture, Miyama started her career as a football player in the club her father founded. She later joined NTV Beleza in 1999 after playing with Yomiuri Menina (NTV Menina), but when she was in eleventh grade, she left the team and went to the high school football club. Even among male players, she kept playing football.
Miyama joined L. League side Okayama Yunogo Belle in 2001, having received an invitation from Midori Honda, the coach.
WPS
On 24 November 2008, Miyama was selected by Los Angeles Sol of the U.S. Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) in the 2008 WPS International Draft, and joined Sol in 2009. In the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer season, she had 6 assists but no goals. When the Sol disbanded in early 2010, she was taken by Saint Louis Athletica. Miyama signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Beat on 10 June 2010.
Return to Japan
Miyama returned to Okayama Yunogo Belle in September 2010.
International career
In the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup held in Shanghai, China, Miyama performed brilliantly in Japan's match against England, scoring the team's two goals both on direct free kicks, leading Japan to a draw. In Japan's first group stage match of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, she scored the go-ahead goal in Japan's win against New Zealand on a scorching 68th minute free kick, and was named Player of the Match.
At the 2011 Women's World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany, Miyama scored the winner – a curling free kick – to help Japan beat New Zealand, and netted Japan's first goal in the final against USA. Miyama also scored Japan's first penalty of the eventual penalty shoot-out in the final which ended 2–2 after extra time. Her team won 3–1 in the penalty shoot-out, making Japan the first Asian team to lift the FIFA Women's World Cup.
At the moment of victory, Miyama did not join her teammates in celebration, but instead went to the USA players to hug them and congratulate them on a good game. This has been reported both by Hope Solo and the Japanese media as evidence of Miyama's sportsmanship and respect for her opponents.
Miyama was named the AFC Women's Player of the Year in 2011, 2012.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she led to the silver medal as a captain.
Club
As of 21 November 20151Includes 2009 Women's Professional Soccer Playoffs.