Â鶹APP

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Homare Sawa

Without mentioning Homare Sawa, Japan’s national team would not have existed on its whole. Best known as one of the greatest female footballers of all time, Sawa played professionally for 24 seasons for professional clubs, primarily with Nippon TV Beleza and INAC Kobe Leonessa. She was a talented and versatile midfielder who could play either as a forward or as a midfielder. She also spent 22 years as a member of the Japan national team, most notably serving as their captain as they won the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and placed second in the 2012 Olympics. After a strong introduction, we’ll examine ten fascinating facts about this outstanding Player in detail in case you weren’t aware of them. Let’s jump right in.

1. Sawa made club debut at the age of 12

, , via Wikimedia Commons

When Sawa was 12 years old, she made her club debut. From 1991 to 1999, she played football for Nippon TV Beleza and won five championships. In 2000, Sawa moved to the United States to play in the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA).

Before rejoining the Japanese league in 2004, she played for the Atlanta Beat and the Denver Diamonds, two WUSA teams. In four years with Nippon TV Beleza, Sawa won nine more championships; nevertheless, he left the team once more in 2008.

Sawa led Japan in scoring for the competition as Japan advanced to their first Olympic medal match at the Summer Olympics that year.

Read 50 Best Female Soccer Players of All Time

2.  She won Golden Ball best player and the Golden Boot in the 2011 World Cup

Sawa led the Japan national team in the 2011 World Cup competition. Japan won the match on penalties after Sawa tied the score in extra time to help Japan reach their first final in a significant international competition in Germany. She won the Golden Ball as the best player and the Golden Boot as the top scorer at the end of the competition.

3. Sawa is the first Asian to be named FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year 

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Later on in the year 2011, Sawa won the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award, making history as the first Asian, male or female, to win a significant individual accolade at the end of the year.

After leading Japan to a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, she announced her first-ever retirement from international football immediately following the competition.

4. She retired from club football with 11 league titles and 8 domestic cup titles

For her sixth World Cup and the last significant international competition of her career, Sawa returned to her position with the Japan national team to compete in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

That year, Japan made it to their second Women’s World Cup final, and after finishing as runners-up, she made her third and final exit from international football. After helping INAC Kobe Leonessa win the 2015 Empress’ Cup at the year’s end, she officially retired from football.

She resigned from club football having won 8 domestic cups and 11 league championships in the Japanese League. She also spent 11 seasons on the league’s Best XI team.

5. She began playing football at the age of six

, , via Wikimedia Commons

We have observed that most female football players start their careers in local clubs or play alongside boys at a young age. For males, we watch them leave a football academy and grow into important players.

Given that Sawa began her profession at the age of six, she was not an atypical case in this regard. Sawa was born on September 6, 1978, in Fuch, Tokyo. She started playing football when she was six years old.

She was encouraged to join the boys’ squad on the field by her older brother’s coach while she was observing him practice.

6. Homare in Atlanta Beat, first club-ever goal

When the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) was founded in 2001, Sawa found herself playing for the Atlanta Beat in the top-tier professional women’s league in the country.

She was a key player for the Beat’s three seasons in the league, scoring the club’s first goal and leading them each year into the playoffs. Although she was only 5’5″ (165 cm) tall and 121 lbs. (55 kg) in weight, she was consistently among the team and league leaders in fouls committed despite being a smaller player.

7. Sawa was named Women’s Player of the Year by the Asian Football Confederation

Homare eventually returned after playing in a different league. This came as a result of the dissolution of the WUSA in 2003. Sawa returned to Japan to play with the powerful Nippon TV Beleza.

She was selected Asian Football Confederation’s Women’s Player of the Year in 2004. She was a member of the club until 2008. For four years in succession (2005-2008), the team won the L.League championship.

She was also named L.League MVP in 2006 and 2008. She was instrumental in scoring goals and making assists. It’s an honor to have helped the club win the championship four times in a row since she joined.

8. Her sole goal won Kobe Leonessa Championship

, , via Wikimedia Commons

She relocated to Washington after four years with Nippon Tv Balleza and joined INAC Kobe Leonessa. Sawa transferred to INAC Kobe Leonessa in January 2011 owing to financial difficulties at Nippon TV Beleza, with international stars Shinobu Ohno, Yukari Kinga, and Chiaki Minamiyama.

Three years in succession, the team won the L.League championship (2011-2013). She announced her intention to retire at the end of the 2015 season on December 16, 2015. INAC Kobe Leonessa reached the final of Sawa’s final event as a player, the 2015 Empress’ Cup.

On December 27, she scored the game-winning goal in the 78th minute against Albirex Niigata to secure the championship for her team.

9. Sawa made her International Debut at the age of 15

It does happen, but it is unusual to see a player make his or her international debut at such a young age. Homare was chosen for her intriguing and promising potential at the age of 15 and would make her international debut.

Sawa made her Japanese international debut on December 6, 1993, at the age of 15, scoring four goals in her first-ever match, a victory against the Philippines. She made her debut in her maiden Women’s World Cup competition in 1995, starting against Germany at the age of 16.

Sawa scored the game-winning goal against Mexico in the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification play-offs on July 12, 2003, ensuring Japan’s participation in the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Read 15 Best Japanese Female Football (Soccer) Players

10. The oldest player to score a hattrick in the 2011 World Cup

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Sawa scored a hat trick in a 2011 World Cup group stage encounter against Mexico, becoming the World Cup’s oldest player to do so at the time. Sawa captained the Japanese national team to a world championship triumph at the 2011 World Cup.

After a 2-2 stalemate in front of a sellout crowd in Frankfurt, Germany (with one goal by Sawa in the 117th minute), Japan won the penalty shootout 3-1 to win their first World Cup. Sawa received the Golden Boot as the tournament’s highest scorer with five goals, as well as the Golden Ball as the tournament’s MVP.

After 24 years in a football career,  Sawa announced her retirement from football on December 16, 2015, following the conclusion of the 2015 Nadeshiko League season. People from all across Japanese football paid respect to Sawa’s retirement.