Number 3 Height 1.63 m 1995–2002 Kawachi SC Juvenile Weight 54 kg | Name Aya Sameshima Date joined 2015 Role Footballer | |
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Date of birth (1987-06-16) 16 June 1987 (age 28) Playing position 2003–2005 Tokiwagi Gakuen High School Similar People Nahomi Kawasumi, Yuki Ogimi, Saki Kumagai, Azusa Iwashimizu, Aya Miyama Profiles | ||
Japan s elegant left back aya sameshima talks to her parents after the 2 0 win vs brazil 03 08 12
Aya Sameshima (鮫島 彩, Sameshima Aya, born 16 June 1987) is a Japanese international footballer. Mainly a left-sided defender, she plays for INAC Kobe Leonessa.
Contents
- Japan s elegant left back aya sameshima talks to her parents after the 2 0 win vs brazil 03 08 12
- Aya sameshima
- Club career
- International career
- Honors
- References
Aya sameshima
Club career
Sameshima played youth football for Kawachi SC Juvenile between 1995 and 2002 and Tokiwagi Gakuen High School from 2003 until 2005. In 2006, she joined TEPCO Mareeze, the club owned by the Tokyo Electric Power Company. During her time at Mareeze she lived in the J-Village Sports complex in Hirono near Fukushima, and like other players, she worked at the TEPCO-run Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to earn a living whilst playing for the club.
Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster, during which the team were in a training camp in the south of the country, the club pulled out of the L. League for the remainder of the season. Sameshima then began training with the Boston Breakers in March 2011, before signing for the club permanently, the first former Mareeze player to sign for another club. She made her debut for the Breakers against Sky Blue on 12 June as a second-half substitute for Alex Scott, becoming the first Japanese international to play for the club.
On 19 September 2011, Sameshima joined French club Montpellier, joining compatriot Rumi Utsugi at the club. She returned to Japan to play for Vegalta Sendai in 2012, before joining Houston Dash in January 2014. However, due to injuries she failed to make an appearance, and rejoined Vegalta Sendai in July 2014. She subsequently signed for INAC Kobe Leonessa for the 2015 season.
International career
After playing for the Japanese team at the AFC U-19 Women's Championship in 2006, Sameshima made her full international debut in 2008, against Russia, and played in the Women's Asian Cup that year, scoring the first goal in an 11–0 win over Chinese Taipei. In 2010, she played in the 2010 Asian Games, winning a gold medal as Japan won the tournament. In 2011, she was part of the Japan squad for the World Cup, playing in every match for the World Cup Champion Japanese team. She was part of the Japanese team that won the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She also played in the 2015 Women's World Cup.
Honors
