Sawa heads Japan charge for AFC Women's Asian Cup
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Legendary midfielder Homare Sawa will have one eye on qualifying for her fifth successive FIFA Women's World Cup when Japan bid to win their first title at the AFC Women's Asian Cup, which kicks off in Chengdu on Wednesday. The top three earn places at next year's World Cup in Germany.
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Japan's striker Homare Sawa. |
Australia take on Vietnam in the tournament opener before hosts China – champions in Adelaide in 2006 and runners-up in Ho Chi Minh City in 2008 – play Korea Republic in Group B's second match.
On Thursday, holders DPR Korea play Thailand in Group A before Norio Sasaki's highly rated Japan side face Myanmar in the group's second match at the Chengdu Sports Centre.
Japan, the four-time runners-up, believe this could be their year after watching China's 'Steel Roses' win seven straight Asian Cup titles from 1986 to 1999 and again in 2006, while DPR Korea were champions in 2001, 2003 and 2008.
Boasting 31-year-old Sawa and a host of other overseas-based stars, Japan are currently Asia's joint top-ranked side with DPR Korea, so are aiming for more than just continuing their run of reaching the semi-finals in the last 12 editions.
Sasaki has stated that Japan's target is to win both the Asian Cup and next year's World Cup and his side arrived in Chengdu following morale-boosting 4-0 and 3-0 friendly wins over Mexico.
Sawa, the AFC Women's Player of the Year in 2004 and 2008, was quietly confident about the Nadeshiko's chances in Chengdu.
"We have some younger players on the squad and have things to work on with them, but I've got a feeling we're finding our form as a unit," said Sawa, who set up striker Shinobu Ohno for the opener in last week's 3-0 win over Mexico in Niigata.
One of Asia's greatest-ever female players, Sawa was MVP of the last Asian Cup in Vietnam where Japan finished third after trouncing Australia 3-0, having lost 3-1 to China in the semi-finals. Sawa scored in both games.
In February, Sawa was MVP of the EAFF Women's Championship for the second straight time as Japan beat China, Korea Republic and Chinese Taipei in Tokyo to retain the East Asian title they won in Chongqing two years ago.
Sawa and Japan have a good record in China, where they were the only Asian team to make the semi-finals at the 2008 Olympics. The midfielder netted against New Zealand and Norway in the group stage and scored the opener in the 2-0 win over the hosts in the quarter-finals.
Since making her debut in 1993, Sawa has won over 150 caps and scored more than 70 goals for Japan – and shows no signs of slowing down. She's now in her second season with Washington Freedom in the US-based Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league and is just one of an array of Japanese playing abroad.
Aya Miyama, the 25-year-old midfielder who scored two free-kicks in the 2-2 draw with England in the last World Cup, topped the league's assists table as she helped Los Angeles Sol win last year's WPS title before moving to Saint Louis Athletica.
In January former Florida State University star Mami Yamaguchi, 23, signed for Atlanta Beat from Swedish club Umea, having won a league title and reached the UEFA Women's Champions League final in 2008. In February 27-year-old forward Karina Maruyama, who has played in the last two World Cups, signed for Philadelphia Independence.
In Germany, 22-year-old midfielder Yuki Nagasato recently helped Turbine Potsdam win their second straight Frauen Bundesliga title, while striker Kozue Ando, 27, was part of the Duisburg side who finished runners-up. Turbine beat Duisburg in last month's Champions League semi-finals and will face Lyon in Thursday's final.
One for the future is 17-year-old Mana Iwabuchi, Golden Ball winner at the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and then MVP and top scorer as Japan won last year's AFC U-19 Women's Championship in Wuhan.
Stars in Chengdu
It's not only Japan who are bringing major players to Chengdu. Australia coach Tom Sermanni is back for his third Asian Cup with a host of long-serving stars including US-based strikers Sarah Walsh and Lisa De Vanna and Europe-based duo Heather Garriock and Kate Gill.
Walsh, who signed for Boston Breakers in February, has scored 29 goals in 59 appearances for Australia, while De Vanna, Sawa's teammate at Washington Freedom, was named in the 2007 World Cup's All-Star Team after scoring four times in China.
Garriock, with Chicago Red Stars last year and now in Denmark, is the squad's most experienced member with well over a century of caps. The skilful left-footed midfielder has played in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, the 2003 and 2007 World Cups and the last two Asian Cups.
Korea Republic playmaker Lee Jang-mi was the top scorer in the 2009 Women's K-League and now plays her club football in Germany with giants Frankfurt, winners of seven of the last 12 Bundesliga titles and third in the 2009-10 season.
China striker Han Duan, who has won over 160 caps since making her debut in 2000, was Miyama's teammate at Los Angeles Sol last year before moving back home to play for Dalian.
In 2006, Han helped China win the Asian Cup and was top scorer at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar, while at the 2008 Olympics she netted in wins over Sweden and Argentina.
China captain and playmaker Bi Yan, who has also won over 160 caps, scored against Denmark in the 2007 World Cup and netted the opener in the 2008 Asian Cup final against DPR Korea.
Kim Yong-ae, 27, is one of DPR Korea's leading strikers and one of the few players remaining from the squad that won the last Asian Cup, where she scored the winner in the final, having scored twice in the 5-0 group win against Thailand.
Kim has fond memories of the Chengdu Sports Centre where in front of over 35,000 fans she scored DPR Korea's second in the memorable 2-2 draw with eventual bronze medallists USA at the 2007 World Cup.
Midfielder Jo Yun-mi, who plays with Kim in the April 25 club, also remains from the last Asian Cup squad having graduated from the youth side who won the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship in Russia.
The hard-tackling Ra Un-sim, now 21, was also part of the squad in Russia and went on to captain the side who reached the final of the FIFA U-20 event in Chile two years ago.
Southeast Asia's Finest
The Southeast Asian trio of Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar will be underdogs going into the event, but all have their own key players.
Still only 23, Thailand striker Junpen Seesraum has scored 35 goals in 52 games since making her debut in 2003 and is now competing in her third Asian Cup. Also playing her third Asian Cup, 21-year-old forward Pitsamai Sornsai has racked up 52 goals in 42 games and was top scorer when Thailand won the 2007 SEA Games.
Vietnam midfielder Doan Thi Kim Chi is the squad's longest-serving player, having made her debut in 1998. Now 31, she scored as Vietnam beat Thailand 1-0 for their only win at the last Asian Cup, seven years after scoring five goals in the 2001 event in Chinese Taipei.
Do Thi Ngoc Cham, 24, is one of Vietnam's top forwards and in last year's Asian Cup qualifiers she scored five times in the 10-1 thrashing of Kyrgyzstan and a hat-trick in the 7-0 win over Hong Kong. Defender Dao Thi Mien, 28, has worn the captain's armband in recent times after representing Vietnam for 10 years.
San San Maw is Myanmar's captain and the heart of the defence, while My Nilar Htwe is the side's leading striker and last year bagged a hat-trick in the 5-2 win over Chinese Taipei that secured Myanmar's place in this year's competition.
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