NEWS

Talented young forward Mana Iwabuchi – a candidate for FIFA Women’s Player of the Year in 2009 – on Wednesday was called up to the Nadeshiko Japan women’s squad for the first time to attend a training camp for the East Asian Women’s Championship (February 6-13) in Tokyo.

Following the five-day camp in Shizuoka Prefecture, the 20-member squad for the biannual competition will be named on February 4.
The 16-year-old Iwabuchi plays for Nippon TV Menina, the junior outfit of Japanese women’s league powerhouse Beleza. She was named MVP in the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in 2008 and was the top goal-scorer in the AFC Under-19 Women’s Championship last year.
At the camp, Iwabuchi will join 23 senior players, most of whom were members of the squad that recently won a five-nation friendly tournament in Chile.
Beleza defender Nayuha Toyoda was also called-up to the squad for the training camp. But forward Kozue Ando, who signed with German club Duisburg in late December, and her former Urawa Reds Ladies teammate Ayako Kitamoto – who both played in the Bicenntenial Women’s Cup in Chile – were left out together with midfielder Natsuko Hara of Beleza.
In the upcoming East Asian Women’s Championship to be held in Tokyo, the Nadeshiko Japan will play China on February 6 at Ajinomoto Stadium, Chinese Taipei on February 11 at National Stadium, and Korea Republic on February 13 at Ajinomoto Stadium.

Squad:
Goalkeepers—Nozomi Yamago (Urawa Reds Ladies), Miho Fukumoto (Okayama Yunogo Belle), Ayumi Kaihori (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Erina Yamane (TEPCO Mareeze)
Defenders—Akiko Sudo (Nippon TV Beleza), Yukari Kinga (Nippon TV Beleza), Kyoko Yano (Urawa Reds Ladies), Nayuha Toyoda (Nippon TV Beleza), Azusa Iwashimizu (TEPCO Mareeze), Kana Osafue (TEPCO Mareeze), Yuuri Kawamura (Albirex Niigata Ladies), Saki Kumagai (Urawa Reds Ladies)
Midfielders—Homare Sawa (Washington Freedom, USA), Aya Miyama (Los Angeles Sol, USA), Megumi Kamionobe (Albirex Niigata Ladies), Mami Yamaguchi (Atlanta Beat, USA), Manami Nakano (Okayama Yunogo Belle), Rumi Utsugi (Nippon TV Beleza), Nanase Kiryu (Nippon TV Beleza), Yuika Sugasawa (Albirex Niigata Ladies)
Forwards—Shinobu Ohno (Nippon TV Beleza), Megumi Takase (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Mana Iwabuchi (Nippon TV Menina)
Coach—Norio Sasaki