Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Tokyo: Japan head coach Asako Takakura has finalised her FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019 squad, with a youthful 23-strong contingent named at a press conference in Tokyo on Friday.
Headlined by France-based captain Saki Kumagai, the squad contains a balance of youth and experience, with a string of new faces called upon in addition to a reliable core of senior players.
The Asian champions can boast four players who have already lifted a world title on French soil, with victorious 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup quartet Moeka Minami, Asato Miyagawa, Riko Ueki and Jun Endo all earning selection.
They are joined by goalkeeper Chika Hirao, midfielder Hina Sugita and NTV Beleza pair Narumi Miura and Rikako Kobayasahi as players aged 22 or under, and with less than 10 international appearances.
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Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
London: Japan captain Saki Kumagai will feature in a fourth consecutive UEFA Women's Champions League Final, with her Olympique Lyonnais side defeating Chelsea 3-2 on aggregate after the second leg of their semi-final finished 1-1 on Sunday.
In their eighth European final in 10 seasons, Lyon will meet Barcelona in Budapest on May 18 after qualifying by denying a Chelsea side for whom Korea Republic's Ji So-yun played a starring role and scored a superb free-kick.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Two of Asia's biggest stars are one step away from receiving a major global honour, with Australia's Sam Kerr and Japan's Saki Kumagai among the five nominees for the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year Award.
The duo is joined by Pernille Harder of Denmark, Lindsey Horan of the United States and Ada Hegerberg, Kumagai's Olympique Lyonnais teammate, who won the first ever Women's Ballon d'Or in 2018.
The publicly-voted award, which will be announced on May 22, has never been won by an Asian player since its inception in 2015, and this year's edition is the first time two Asian players have reached the top five.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Sydney: Ante Milicic will remain as the head coach of the Matildas until the completion of Australia’s 2020 Summer Olympics campaign after a one-year contract extension was finalised on Friday.
Milicic, who took charge of Australia’s senior women’s national football team in February 2019 shortly before the inaugural Cup of Nations, will oversee Australia’s bid to qualify for Tokyo 2020 early next year, and, if successful, will guide the Matildas to the 12-nation tournament in Japan.
One of Milicic’s assistant coaches, Ivan Jolic, has also had his contract extended for the same period.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
London: Cho So-hyun's West Ham United fell short in their bid to lift the Women's FA Cup, suffering a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
The Korea Republic women's national team captain had been aiming to follow in the footsteps of countrywoman Ji So-yun by winning the Cup, but three goals after half-time sealed a second win in three years for the Manchester club.
In front of a crowd 43,264 - narrowly short of the competition record - Cho started and played all 90 minutes for West Ham, who were still in with a genuine chance at half-time with the sides locked at 0-0.
But Manchester City found the net through a long range Keira Walsh effort on 52 minutes, before late goals to 2019 PFA Young Player of the Year Georgia Stanway and last season's winner Lauren Hemp sealed the tie.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Seoul: Veteran goalkeeper Kim Jung-mi will miss the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France after suffering an Achilles tendon injury, the Korea Football Association (KFA) said on Friday.
The KFA said Kim, 34, was cut from head coach Yoon Duk-yeo's training camp roster of 28 players, after suffering the injury during a warm-up for a WK League match on Thursday.
The camp for the June 7-July 7 Women's World Cup in France is scheduled to start on Tuesday.
The KFA said it hasn't yet decided whether to name a replacement for Kim or stick with the three remaining goalkeepers, Kang Ga-e, Jeon Ha-neul and Jeong Bo-ram.