Earlier today, Japan released its roster for the 2012 Women’s Kirin Challenge Cup, which begins April 1st, with Japan taking on the United States Women’s National Team. The 23-player roster is loaded with ten defenders, which is three more than were on Japan’s recent Algarve Cup roster. From the Algarve Cup roster, head coach Naori Sasaki made five changes, although two are due to medical reasons.
The additional defenders may indicate that Sasaki is unhappy with his defense, which gave up four goals (3 during the run of play, 1 via a PK) versus Germany in the Algarve Cup final.
Three of the four defenders added to the roster have less than five caps. The fourth defender, Kyoko Yano, is a veteran player with 69 caps who has been at the last three Women’s World Cup and the last two Olympics. Though, in the 2011 WWC, Yano did not see any on-field minutes. She has started versus the USA in two Olympic games (2004, 2008) and at the 2011 Algarve Cup. (Yano’s FIFA.com profile.)
Added to the roster is an uncapped midfielder, Yumi Uetsuji, who was on Japan’s U-20 WNT back in 2006, which did not qualify for the 2006 U-20 WWC (FIFA news item).
Player P. Caps Goals D.O.B. KAIHORI Ayumi GK 29 -22 09/04/1986 FUKIMOTO Miho GK 58 -61 10/02/1983 ARIYOSHI Saori DF 3 2 11/01/1987 KINGA Yukari DF 76 4 05/02/1984 KUMAGAI Saki DF 37 0 10/17/1990 SAMESHIMA Aya DF 41 2 06/16/1987 TANAKA Asuna DF 10 3 04/23/1988 UTSUGI Rumi DF 51 5 12/05/1988 KAWASUMI Nahomi MF 27 8 09/23/1985 MIYAMA Aya MF 108 26 01/28/1985 SAKAGUCHI Mizuho MF 50 16 10/15/1987 ANDO Kozue FW 99 17 07/09/1982 NAGASATO Yuki FW 79 34 07/15/1987 OHNO Shinobu FW 101 37 01/23/1984 SUGASAWA Yuika FW 8 1 10/05/1990 TAKASE Megumi FW 23 5 11/10/1990 ------------------------------------------------------------------- ROSTER ADDITIONS (Not on Algarve Cup Roster) Player P. Caps Goals D.O.B. Note KAWAMURA Yuuri DF 2 0 05/17/1989 MINAMIYAMA Chiaki DF 4 2 10/16/1985 OSAFUNE Kana DF 3 0 10/16/1989 YANO Kyoko DF 69 1 06/03/1984 2011WWC(not used) KAMIONOBE Megumi MF 17 2 03/15/1986 2011WWC(1 minute) NAKANO Manami MF 10 2 08/30/1986 UETSUJI Yumi MF 0 0 11/30/1987
Five players who were in Portugal at the Algarve Cup were not called up. These include Homare Sawa and Azusa Iwashimizu who are both unable to play for medical reasons. Also cut was U-20 forward Mai Kyokawa, who played her first two senior international games while in Portugal.
ROSTER SUBTRACTIONS (Was On Algarve Cup Roster) Player P. Caps Goals D.O.B. Note IWASHIMIZU Azusa DF 77 8 10/14/1986 Reason: Injury ITO Kanako MF 12 3 07/20/1983 KIRYU Nanase MF 5 0 10/31/1989 SAWA Homare MF 177 80 09/06/1978 Reason: Vertigo KYOKAWA Mai FW 2 0 12/28/1993
External Links:
JFA news item about the roster (in English)
JFA’s Detailed Roster (in Japanese)
Mainichi.jp English language news story on the roster (source for Iwashimizu injury)
Internal Links:
Recap of Japan’s matches at the 2012 Algarve Cup.
For more on Japan’s match against Germany, check out the recap of Germany’s Algarve Cup matches.
Brazil’s Kirin Cup roster.
For additional details about Brazil’s players, see this detailed playing pool roster.
Women's Soccer Express 