Aya Sameshima facts for kids
Sameshima playing for Japan against Sweden in the 2011 World Cup semi finals
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Aya Sameshima | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 16 June 1987 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Left back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Tokiwagi Gakuen High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2011 | TEPCO Mareeze | 98 | (18) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Boston Breakers | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Montpellier | 18 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Vegalta Sendai | 21 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2020 | INAC Kobe Leonessa | 73 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | Omiya Ardija Ventus | 40 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 215 | (23) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2021 | Japan | 114 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 December 2018 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 April 2021 |
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Aya Sameshima (born on June 16, 1987) is a Japanese former footballer. She mainly played as a left back. Aya played over 100 games for the Japan national team.
Contents
Aya Sameshima's Club Career
Aya Sameshima was born in Utsunomiya, Japan, on June 16, 1987. She started playing youth football for Kawachi SC Juvenile from 1995 to 2002. Later, she joined Tokiwagi Gakuen High School LSC from 2003 to 2005.
Starting with TEPCO Mareeze
In 2006, Aya joined TEPCO Mareeze, a football club owned by the Tokyo Electric Power Company. While playing for Mareeze, she lived at the J-Village Sports complex in Hirono. Like other players, she also worked for the company to earn a living.
In 2011, a big earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. This event caused the club to stop playing in the L.League for the rest of the season.
Playing in the USA and France
After the events in Japan, Sameshima started training with the Boston Breakers in March 2011. She then officially joined the club. She was the first player from TEPCO Mareeze to sign with another team.
Aya made her first appearance for the Breakers on June 12, 2011. She came into the game as a substitute. This made her the first Japanese international player to play for the Boston Breakers.
On September 19, 2011, Sameshima moved to France. She joined the French club Montpellier. There, she played alongside another Japanese player, Rumi Utsugi.
Returning to Japan
Aya returned to Japan in 2012 to play for Vegalta Sendai. In January 2014, she was set to join Houston Dash in the USA. However, due to injuries, she could not complete the contract. She rejoined Vegalta Sendai in July 2014. After that, she signed with INAC Kobe Leonessa for the 2015 season. She played for INAC Kobe Leonessa until 2020. From 2021 to 2024, she played for Omiya Ardija Ventus.
Aya Sameshima's National Team Career
Aya Sameshima played for the Japanese youth team at the AFC U-19 Women's Championship in 2006. She made her first appearance for the senior Japan national team on March 10, 2008. This game was against Russia.
Major Tournaments and Medals
- In 2008, she played in the 2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup. She scored her first goal for Japan in an 11–0 win against Chinese Taipei.
- In 2010, she won a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games as Japan won the tournament.
- In 2011, she was part of the Japan squad that won the 2011 World Cup. She played in every match during this winning campaign.
- She also won a silver medal with the Japanese team at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
- In 2015, she played in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup where Japan finished as runners-up.
- In 2018, she helped Japan win the 2018 Asian Cup.
- Overall, Aya Sameshima played 114 games for Japan and scored 5 goals.
National Team Goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 May 2008 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | .svg){kind=small} Chinese Taipei |
0–1 | 0–11 | 2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup |
| 2 | 20 May 2010 | Chengdu, China |  Myanmar |
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8–0 | 2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup |
| 3 | 28 October 2014 | BC Place, Vancouver | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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2–3 | Friendly |
| 4 | 12 June 2015 | BC Place, Vancouver |  Cameroon |
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2–1 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup |
| 5 | 1 April 2018 | Isahaya, Japan |  Ghana |
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7–1 | Friendly |
Honors and Achievements
Aya Sameshima has won several important awards and championships during her career:
- FIFA Women's World Cup
- Winner: 2011
- Football at the Asian Games
- Gold Medal: 2010
- East Asian Football Championship
- Winner: 2010
See also
In Spanish: Aya Sameshima para niños
- List of women's footballers with 100 or more caps
