If Spain has the world’s strongest men’s futbol team, then Japan has the world’s strongest women’s futbol team! Yesterday, Japan U-16 Women’s team clinched the AFC U-16 Championship with a game to spare after beating arch-rival, Korea Republic 3-0 at Jiangning Sports Center. Similar to what the spanish has accomplished in Europe, Japan Women’s team had swept all gold medals at AFC U-16, U-19 and the famous FIFA Women’s World Cup this year!
The 16yrs old Japanese has not lose a single point in the AFC U-16 Championship yet. Along the way to the glory, they had beaten teams like DPR Korea, Korea Republic, China and Thailand. Impressively, the Japanese scored a total of 17 goals in just 4 games and conceded nothing!
For Japan U-19 Women’s team, they averaged 2.5 goals per game throughout the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship. Not only that, 19yrs old, Mai Kyokawa, took home the Most Valuable Player award. She also received the Top Scorer award in which she shared with DPR Korea’s Yun Hyon Hi, 5 goals each! Japan was even awarded with the Fair Play award which has shown how well the Japanese youth had performed at the level.
With great achievements and honors coming from the U-16, U-19 and the senior Nadeshiko, its no secret that they want to add on the Olympic medal to their collection. Nadeshiko Japan’s captain, Homare Sawa, holding Japanese all-time record of 176 caps, 80 goals, FIFA Women’s World Cup’s Golden Boot and Golden Ball award winner, former Asia Women’s Player of the Year Award winner, has also signaled her intention to help Japan to achieve its first Olympic gold in London 2012!
The legacy of Japanese women’s futbol achievement has to be continued. 2012 Summer Olympic Women’s Asian Qualifying Rounds got underway and the Japanese women’s team has not shown any mercy and has not shown any minimum intention to slow down. And especially with some European leagues-based players such as Saki Kumagai (FFC Frankfurt), Aya Sameshima, Rumi Utsugi (Montpellier HSC), Kozue Ando (FCR 2001 Duisburg) and Yuki Nagasato (FFC Turbine Potsdam), their Olympic dream looks amazingly alive and realistic! The success of the Japanese ladies’ might not be just for the Japanese, it might be the success of Asia women’s futbol too! All the best, Nadeshiko Japan!
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