Japan women's national football team

Japan women's national football team (サッカー日本女子代表, Sakkā Nihon Joshi Daihyō), also known as Nadeshiko Japan (なでしこジャパン), is a Japanese women's association football team. The team represents Japan in international competition. It is made up of the best female players in Japan.

Japan

Nickname(s)	なでしこジャパン (Nadeshiko Japan)
Association	Japan Football Association
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	EAFF (East Asia)
Head coach	Asako Takakura
Captain	Saki Kumagai
Most caps	Homare Sawa (205)
Top scorer	Homare Sawa (83)
FIFA code	JPN
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	8 1 (7 December 2018)[1]
Highest	3 (December 2011)
Lowest	14 (July 2003)
First international
Chinese Taipei 1–0 Japan  (Hong Kong; 7 June 1981)
Biggest win
Japan 21–0 Guam  (Guangzhou, China; 5 December 1997)
Biggest defeat
Italy 9–0 Japan  (Tokyo, Japan; 9 September 1981)[2]  United States 9–0 Japan  (Charlotte, United States; 29 April 1999)[2]
World Cup
Appearances	8 (first in 1991)
Best result	Champions (2011)
Olympic Games
Appearances	4 (first in 1996)
Best result	Runners-up (2012)
Asian Cup
Appearances	16 (first in 1977)
Best result	Champions (2014, 2018)
Medal record World Cup 2011 Germany Team 2015 Canada Team Olympic Games 2012 London Team Asian Cup 2014 Vietnam Team 2018 Jordan Team 1986 Hong Kong Team 1991 Japan Team 1995 Malaysia Team 2001 Chinese Taipei Team 1989 Hong Kong Team 1993 Malaysia Team 1997 China Team 2008 Vietnam Team 2010 China Team Asian Games 2010 Guangzhou Team 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Team 1990 Beijing Team 1994 Hiroshima Team 2006 Doha Team 2014 Incheon Team 1998 Bangkok Team 2002 Busan Team

Nadeshiko Japan is best known as the first Asian team to win the FIFA Women's World Cup.

History

Japan Football Association (JFA) set up an official women's organization in 1979. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) asked each member country to promote and develop the sport among women.^[3]

In 1981 the Japan women's national football team played its first international match in Hong Kong. The team lost to Taiwan 0-1.^[3]

The women’s national team qualified for the "1991 FIFA Women's World Cup" in China.

In 2004, the JFA organized a public contest to select a name for the team;^[3] and "Nadeshiko Japan" was chosen from among 2,000+ entries.^[4]

In the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, Japan defeated the United States team in the last game of a knockout tournament.^[5]

In the 2012 Summer Olympics, Nadeshiko Japan won the silver medal.^[6]

International statistics

FIFA Women's World Cup Record

Hosts / Year Result GP W D* L GS GA GD 1991 Group Stage 3 0 0 3 0 12 −12 1995 Quarter Final 4 1 0 3 2 8 −6 1999 Group Stage 3 0 1 2 1 10 −9 2003 Group Stage 3 1 0 2 7 6 +1 2007 Group Stage 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 2011 Champions 6 4 1 1 12 6 +6 2015 Runner-up 7 6 0 1 11 8 +3 Total 7/7 28 13 3 11 34 51 −17 *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

FIFA Women's World Cup Record Year Round Score Result 1991 Group stage  Japan 0 – 1  Brazil Loss Group stage  Japan 0 – 8  Sweden Loss Group stage  Japan 0 – 3  United States Loss 1995 Group stage  Japan 0 – 1  Germany Loss Group stage  Japan 2 – 1  Brazil Win Group stage  Japan 0 – 2  Sweden Loss Quarterfinals  Japan 0 – 4  United States Loss 1999 Group stage  Japan 1 – 1  Canada Draw Group stage  Japan 0 – 5  Russia Loss Group stage  Japan 0 – 4  Norway Loss 2003 Group stage  Japan 6 – 0  Argentina Win Group stage  Japan 0 – 3  Germany Loss Group stage  Japan 1 – 3  Canada Loss 2007 Group stage  Japan 2 – 2  England Draw Group stage  Japan 1 – 0  Argentina Win Group stage  Japan 0 – 2  Germany Loss 2011 Group stage  Japan 2 – 1  New Zealand Win Group stage  Japan 4 – 0  Mexico Win Group stage  Japan 0 – 2  England Loss Quarterfinals  Japan 1 – 0  Germany Win Semifinals  Japan 3 – 1  Sweden Win Final  Japan 2 – 2 (3–1)  United States Win 2015 Group stage  Japan 1 – 0   Switzerland Win Group stage  Japan 2 – 1  Cameroon Win Group stage  Japan 1 – 0  Ecuador Win Round of 16  Japan 2 – 1  Netherlands Win Quarterfinals  Japan 1 – 0  Australia Win Semifinals  Japan 2 – 1  England Win Final  Japan 2 – 5  United States Loss

Olympic Games Record

Hosts / Year Result GP W D* L GS GA GD 1996 Round 1 3 0 0 3 2 9 −7 2000 Didn't Qualify - - - - - - - 2004 Quarterfinals 3 1 0 2 2 3 −1 2008 4th Place 6 2 1 3 11 10 +1 2012 Finals 5 3 2 0 6 2 +4 Total 4/5 17 6 3 8 21 24 −2 *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Olympic Games Record Year Round Score Result 1996 Round 1  Japan 2 – 3  Germany Loss Round 1  Japan 0 – 2  Brazil Loss Round 1  Japan 0 – 4  Norway Loss 2004 Round 1  Japan 1 – 0  Sweden Win Round 1  Japan 0 – 1  Nigeria Loss Quarterfinals  Japan 1 – 2  United States Loss 2008 Round 1  Japan 2 – 2  New Zealand Draw Round 1  Japan 0 – 1  United States Loss Round 1  Japan 5 – 1  Norway Win Quarterfinals  Japan 2 – 0  China Win Semifinals  Japan 2 – 4  United States Loss Third-place  Japan 0 – 2  Germany Loss 2012 Round 1  Japan 2 – 1  Canada Win Round 1  Japan 0 – 0  Sweden Draw Round 1  Japan 0 – 0  South Africa Draw Quarterfinals  Japan 2 – 0  Brazil Win Semifinals  Japan 2 – 1  France Win Final  Japan –  United States Loss

Coaches

• Seiki Ichihara (1981)
• Takao Orii (1984)
• Ryohei Suzuki (1986-1989)
• Tamotsu Suzuki (1989-1996)^[7]
• Satoshi Miyauchi (1997-1999)^[8]
• Tamotsu Suzuki (1999)
• Shinobu Ikeda (2000-2002)
• Eiji Ueda (2002-2004)
• Hiroshi Ohashi (2004-2007)
• Norio Sasaki (2008-2016)^[9]
• Asako Takakura (2016-)

Related pages

• Sports in Japan
• Japan at the Olympics
• Japan national football team
• List of Japan women's international footballers