Aya Miyama

Aya Miyama, World Cup 2011

Aya Miyama (Japanese宮間 あや, Aya Miyama, born January 28, 1985 in Oamishirasato, County Sambu, Chiba Prefecture) is a Japanese football player. The midfielder plays since January 2011, the Japanese L. League club Okayama Yunogo Belle. She is Japanese national since 2003.

Career

In the club

Aya Miyama played until 1999 for Yomiuri Menina (now NTV Menina ), the Youth Association of NTV Beleza, in which it was adopted in 1999. Off school grounds she stepped out of the club in 2000 and played for a long time in football club of their school.

In January 2001, Miyama accepted an invitation from the former Japanese national team player and coach Midori Honda and joined the newly founded club Okayama Yunogo Belle Mimasaka, Okayama Prefecture at. There she remained until December 2008 and scored 62 goals in 110 games.

In the first season of the U.S. Women's Soccer League Women's Professional Soccer (WPS ) 2009 Miyama played for the team Los Angeles Sol. The club was dissolved in early 2010 but due to financial reasons.

After the dissolution of Los Angeles Sol Miyama was acquired in January 2010 by Saint Louis Athletica. However, this association filed the operation of gambling on May 27, 2010, for financial reasons. All players were released on 1 June 2010. On 10 June 2010 Aya Miyama signed as a free agent for the club Atlanta Beat.

Since January 2011, Aya Miyama played again with the shirt number 10 for Okayama Yunogo Belle.

In the National Team

Aya Miyama was inducted into the Japanese national team in 2003.

On 19 March 2003 she made her debut as national team in an international friendly match against Thailand, their first goal they scored on 9 June 2003 against the Philippines in the 14th Asian Women Football Competition.

She participated in the 2003 World Cup, World Cup 2007, the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and the Asian Games, 2010. At the World Championships 2011, she scored the winning goal in the first group game against New Zealand and the 1-1 draw in the final against the United States.

Miyama was as captain of the Japanese squad for the Olympic Games in London. She stood in all six games in the starting lineup, including in the 1:2 lost against the USA finals and won the silver medal with her team.

With 127 international matches after Homare Sawa is the second most used player of the national team.

Achievements

• World Champion at the FIFA Women World Cup 2011 in Germany
• Silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games

Awards

• Appointment to the Team of the Tournament at the World Cup 2011
• Asian Footballer of the Year 2011