Karina Maruyama facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Karina Maruyama

Maruyama (right) in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Karina Maruyama
Date of birth	(1983-03-26) 26 March 1983 (age 42)
Place of birth	Ota, Tokyo, Japan
Height	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Playing position	Forward
Youth career
1998–2000	Murata Women's High School
2001–2004	Nippon Sport Science University
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2009	TEPCO Mareeze	86	(44)
2010	Philadelphia Independence	4	(0)
2010–2011	JEF United Chiba	14	(2)
2012–2016	Konomiya Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki	96	(13)
Total		200	(59)
National team
2002	Japan U-20	4	(0)
2002–2014	Japan	79	(14)
Honours Representing  Japan Olympic Games Silver 2012 London Team FIFA Women's World Cup Gold 2011 Germany AFC Women's Asian Cup Gold 2014 Vietnam Bronze 2008 Vietnam Asian Games Silver 2006 Doha Team Bronze 2002 Busan Team AFC U-19 Women's Championship Gold 2002 India
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Karina Maruyama (丸山 桂里奈, Maruyama Karina, born 26 March 1983) is a famous Japanese former football player. She played as a forward for the Japanese national team. After she stopped playing football, Maruyama became a popular television personality.

Karina Maruyama: A Football Star

Early Life and Club Journey

Karina Maruyama was born in Ota, Tokyo, Japan, on March 26, 1983. She loved football from a young age. After finishing her studies at Nippon Sport Science University, she joined a team called TEPCO Mareeze in 2005.

Maruyama quickly showed her talent. In her first year, she was named the L. League's Best Young Player for the 2005 season. She played for TEPCO Mareeze until 2009. In 2010, she moved to the United States to play for the Philadelphia Independence team. Later that year, she returned to Japan and joined JEF United Chiba. In 2012, she moved to another team, Speranza FC Osaka-Takatsuki. She played for this team until she retired from football at the end of the 2016 season.

Playing for Japan: The National Team

Karina Maruyama also played for Japan's national football teams. In August 2002, she was chosen for the Japan U-20 national team. She played in the 2002 U-19 World Championship. In October of the same year, she joined the senior national team for the 2002 Asian Games. Her first game for the national team was on October 2, 2002, against North Korea.

World Cup Glory and Olympic Medals

Maruyama played in two World Cups (in 2003 and 2011). She also played in three Summer Olympics (in 2004, 2008, and 2012).

One of her most famous moments was at the 2011 World Cup in Germany. She scored the only goal in a game against the host country, Germany. This important goal helped Japan reach the semifinals for the first time ever! Japan went on to win the World Cup that year, defeating the United States in the final. Maruyama played as a substitute in that final game.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Japan won the silver medal. Karina Maruyama played a total of 79 games for Japan and scored 14 goals before she retired from international football in 2014.

National Team Statistics

This table shows how many games Karina Maruyama played (Apps) and how many goals she scored for the Japan national team each year.

Career Achievements

Karina Maruyama won several important awards and championships during her football career:

• FIFA Women's World Cup

  Champion: 2011 (with Japan)

• East Asian Football Championship

  Champion: 2008 (with Japan)

• AFC Women's Asian Cup

  Champion: 2014 (with Japan)

Images for kids

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  Karina Maruyama in 2020

See also

In Spanish: Karina Maruyama para niños