Homare Sawa

Homare Sawa (澤 穂希, Sawa Homare, born 6 September 1978) is a Japanese professional football player. She was captain of the Japan women's national football team that won gold at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and led the team to the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2012, she was named the 2011 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year. Sawa currently plays for INAC Kobe Leonessa in the Nadeshiko League Division 1. She previously played for the Atlanta Beat of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), NTV Beleza, and the Washington Freedom of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS).

Early life

Born in Fuchū, Tokyo, Sawa began playing football when at the age of six. While watching her older brother train, she was invited by his coach to join the boys' team on the pitch.

Playing career

Club

Long considered Japan's finest female footballer, Sawa made her debut in L. League, Japan's highest domestic league, at the young age of 12.

Atlanta Beat

With the birth of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) in 2001, Sawa found herself playing in the highest-level professional women's league in the United States, for the Atlanta Beat. She scored the first goal in the club's history, and was a centerpiece of the Beat's three seasons in the league, helping them into the playoffs each year. Despite her diminutive stature at 5'5" (164 cm) tall and 121 lbs. (55 kg), she held her own with the mostly larger and more physical players, and was regularly among the team and league leaders in fouls taken.