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| FIFA ranking : 12 (as of 2005, May) |
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Association Established :
1921 |
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FIFA Member Since :
1929 |
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Coach :
OHASHI Hiroshi |
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Team Introduction
JFA President, Saburo Kawabuchi, maintains that "Japanese football will not improve without the improvement of women's football." The result of JFA's active promotion of women's football has been evident in recent achievements. Japan's side defeated the powerful DPR Korea 3-0 in the April, 2004, Asian Women's Championship semifinal, gaining a place in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. In Athens, they continued charging through to the quarterfinals after beating Sweden 1-0, and almost upset USA by losing only by a narrow 1-2 margin. USA went on to win the gold medal.
Under the new leadership of head coach Koji O-hashi, who has extensive international experience including a coaching career in Singapore, Japan has made a fresh start with friendlies against Chinese Taipei and New Zealand as well as a tour to Australia and Russia. Selected to the national A-team was 16-year-old Rumi Utsugi, member of the 2005 U-17 Asian Women's champion team (April)-proof that Japan is on a constant look-out to raise their level of football. Widely known as "Nadeshiko Japan," the women's team has unlimited potential. It will be interesting to see how head coach O-hashi's "compact football throughout the offensive and defensive lines" will play out in this tournament.
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| Past Results of Contending Teams (2000.1~2005.6 International A Match) |
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| VS. China PR |
| 2000.6.4 Sydney (Australia) [Pacific Cup] |
| China PR |
2 - 0 |
Japan |
| 2001.8.5 Gangreung (Korea Republic) [Tiger Pools Toto Women's Cup] |
| Japan |
2 - 2 |
Korea Republic |
| 2001.9.9 Chicago (USA) [Nike Cup] |
| China PR |
3 - 0 |
Japan |
| 2002.8.29 Wuhan (China PR) [Far East Four-Nation Women's Soccer Tournament] |
| China PR |
4 - 0 |
Japan |
| 2002.9.10 Changwon (Korea Republic) [Asian Games Korea Republic] |
| China PR |
2 - 2 |
Japan |
| 2004.4.26 Hiroshima (Japan) [Women's Olympic Football Tournament 2004 Prel. Comp. AFC] |
| Japan |
0 - 1 |
China PR |
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| VS. Korea DPR |
| 2001.12.10 Taipei (Chinese Taipei) [Asian Women's Championship] |
| Korea DPR |
1 - 0 |
Japan |
| 2001.12.16 Kaohsiung (Chinese Taipei) [Asian Women's Championship] |
| Japan |
0 - 2 |
Korea DPR |
| 2002.10.2 Busan (Korea Republic) [Asian Games] |
| Japan |
0 - 1 |
Korea DPR |
| 2003.6.19 Bangkok (Thailand) [FIFA WWC 2003 Prel. Comp. AFC] |
| Korea DPR |
3 - 0 |
Japan |
| 2004.4.24 Tokyo (Japan) [Women's Olympic Football Tournament 2004 Prel. Comp. AFC] |
| Korea DPR |
0 - 3 |
Japan |
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| VS. Korea Republic |
| 2001.8.3 Ulsan (Korea Repulic) [Tiger Pools Toto Women's Cup] |
| Korea Republic |
1 - 1 |
Japan |
| 2001.12.14 Kaohsiung (Chinese Taipei) [Asian Women's Championship] |
| Korea Republic |
1 - 2 |
Japan |
| 2002.8.31 Wuhan (China PR) [Far East Four-Nation Women's Soccer Tournament] |
| Japan |
0 - 0 |
Korea Republic |
| 2002.10.7 Masan (Korea Republic) [Asian Games] |
| Korea Republic |
0 - 1 |
Japan |
| 2003.6.21 Bangkok (Thailand) [FIFA WWC 2003 Prel. Comp. AFC] |
| Japan |
0 - 1 |
Korea Republic |
| 2003.7.22 Sendai (Japan) [Three-Nations International Women's Tournament] |
| Korea Republic |
0 - 5 |
Japan |
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