Aya Miyama facts for kids
Miyama playing in the 2011 World Cup
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| Full name | Aya Miyama | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 28 January 1985 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Oamishirasato, Chiba, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.57 m (5 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Nippon TV Beleza | 6 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2008 | Okayama Yunogo Belle | 110 | (62) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Los Angeles Sol | 20 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Okayama Yunogo Belle | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Saint Louis Athletica | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Atlanta Beat | 17 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2016 | Okayama Yunogo Belle | 122 | (48) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 286 | (114) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2016 | Japan | 162 | (38) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Aya Miyama (born January 28, 1985) is a famous Japanese former footballer. She played as a midfielder and was known for her amazing free kicks. Aya Miyama was a key player for the Japan national team, also known as Nadeshiko Japan. She was the team's captain from 2012 to 2016.
Miyama played in four World Cups between 2003 and 2015. She helped Japan win the World Cup in 2011. She also led her team to a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Contents
Club Football Journey
Starting Out in Japan
Aya Miyama was born in Ōamishirasato, Japan, on January 28, 1985. She started playing football at a young age. Her own father even started a football club for her!
In 1999, she joined Nippon TV Beleza, a top team. Later, she moved to Okayama Yunogo Belle in 2001. She played there for many years.
Playing in the USA
In 2009, Aya Miyama was chosen by the Los Angeles Sol. This team was part of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league in the United States. She played well, helping her team with six assists.
When the Los Angeles Sol team closed, she moved to Saint Louis Athletica. After that, she joined the Atlanta Beat in 2010.
Coming Back to Japan
Aya Miyama returned to her former club, Okayama Yunogo Belle, in September 2010. She continued to play for them until the end of the 2016 season. She was a very important player for the team.
International Career Highlights
World Cup Success
Aya Miyama showed her talent at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China. She scored two goals against England, both from amazing free kicks, helping Japan get a draw.
At the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany, Miyama was a star. She scored a winning goal against New Zealand from a free kick. She also scored Japan's first goal in the final match against the USA. Japan won the final in a penalty shootout, making them the first Asian team to win the World Cup!
After their big win, Miyama showed great sportsmanship. Instead of celebrating with her teammates right away, she went to hug and congratulate the American players. This act of respect was praised by many, including US goalkeeper Hope Solo.
Olympic Medals and Awards
Miyama became the captain of the Japan national team in 2012. She led them to a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
In the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, she captained the team again. They reached the final but lost to the USA.
Aya Miyama was recognized for her skills many times. She won the AFC Women's Footballer of the Year award three times: in 2011, 2012, and 2015.
She retired from the national team in 2016. She played 162 matches for Japan and scored 38 goals.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Nippon TV Beleza | 1999 | 0 | 0 | – | |||||||
| 2000 | 6 | 2 | – | – | |||||||
| Total | 6 | 2 | – | ||||||||
| Okayama Yunogo Belle | 2003 | 16 | 13 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 18 | 14 | ||
| 2004 | 14 | 17 | – | – | |||||||
| 2005 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 4 | – | – | 25 | 12 | |||
| 2006 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 21 | 16 | |||
| 2007 | 21 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 | 9 | ||
| 2008 | 21 | 9 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 23 | 10 | |||
| Total | 110 | 62 | 0 | 0 | – | ||||||
| Los Angeles Sol | 2009 | 20 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||
| Okayama Yunogo Belle | 2009 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | – | – | 8 | 3 | ||
| Saint Louis Athletica | 2010 | 5 | 0 | – | – | – | 5 | 0 | |||
| Atlanta Beat | 2010 | 17 | 1 | – | – | – | 17 | 1 | |||
| Okayama Yunogo Belle | 2010 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 | 4 | |
| 2011 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 1 | – | – | 19 | 10 | |||
| 2012 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | – | 24 | 9 | ||
| 2013 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 9 | – | 31 | 16 | ||
| 2014 | 28 | 15 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 30 | 16 | |||
| 2015 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 26 | 7 | |||
| Total | 111 | 45 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 11 | – | 139 | 62 | ||
| Career total | 275 | 111 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 2003 | 6 | 2 |
| 2004 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2006 | 17 | 3 | |
| 2007 | 17 | 6 | |
| 2008 | 18 | 4 | |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 17 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 18 | 4 | |
| 2012 | 16 | 3 | |
| 2013 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 17 | 4 | |
| 2015 | 13 | 4 | |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 162 | 38 | |
Awards and Achievements
Aya Miyama won many awards and honors during her career:
- FIFA Women's World Cup:
* Winner: 2011 * Runner-up: 2015
- Summer Olympics:
* Silver Medal: 2012
- AFC Women's Asian Cup:
* Winner: 2014
- Asian Games:
* Gold Medal: 2010
- AFC Women's Player of the Year:
* Awarded in: 2011, 2012, 2015
See also
In Spanish: Aya Miyama para niños
