is a Japanese former footballer who played for the Japan national team starting in 2003, and from 2012 to 2016 served as captain of the team. She appeared in four World Cups between 2003 and 2015, and was part of the team that won the 2011 World Cup for Japan. Miyama also led Japan to a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Club career Early career Miyama was born in Ōamishirasato, Sanbu District, Chiba Prefecture, on 28 January 1985 . She started her career as a football player in the club her father founded. She later joined Nippon TV Beleza in 1999 after playing with their youth team, but when she was in eleventh grade, she left the team and went to the high school football club. Even among male players, she kept playing football.

Miyama joined L.League side Okayama Yunogo Belle in 2001, having received an invitation from Midori Honda, the coach.

WPS

On 24 November 2008, Miyama was selected by the Los Angeles Sol of the U.S. Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) in the 2008 WPS International Draft, and joined Sol in 2009. In the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer season, she had 6 assists but no goals. When the Sol disbanded in early 2010, she was taken by Saint Louis Athletica. Miyama signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Beat on 10 June 2010.

Return to Japan Miyama returned to Okayama Yunogo Belle in September 2010. She left the club at the end of the 2016 season.

International career At the 2007 World Cup held in China, Miyama performed brilliantly in Japan's match against England, scoring the team's two goals both from direct free kicks as they held on to a draw. In Japan's first group stage match of the 2011 World Cup, she scored the go-ahead goal in Japan's win against New Zealand from another free kick in the 68th minute, and was named Player of the Match.

At the 2011 World Cup in Germany, Miyama scored the winner – a curling free kick – to help Japan beat New Zealand, and netted Japan's first goal in the final against the USA. Miyama also scored Japan's first penalty of the eventual penalty shoot-out in the final which ended 2–2 after extra time. Her team won 3–1 in the penalty shoot-out, making them the first Asian team to win the World Cup. In the moment of victory, Miyama did not join her teammates in celebration, but instead went to the American players to hug and congratulate them. This has been reported both by Hope Solo and the Japanese media as evidence of Miyama's sportsmanship and respect for her opponents.

Miyama was named the AFC Women's Footballer of the Year in 2011, 2012 and 2015.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Miyama led Japan to the silver medal as captain. At the 2015 World Cup, she also captained the team and lost in the final to the USA. At the 2016 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Japan failed to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Following the tournament, she retired from the national team. She played 162 matches and scored 38 goals for Japan.

Career statistics

Club

+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupOtherTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsNippon TV Beleza199900–200062––Total62–Okayama Yunogo Belle2003161321––181420041417 –– 200521844––2512200617640––211620072192000–239200821921––2310Total1106200– Los Angeles Sol2009200––10210Okayama Yunogo Belle20096122––83Saint Louis Athletica201050–––50Atlanta Beat2010171–––171Okayama Yunogo Belle2010742000–94201116931––191020121852242–249201318631109–31162014281521––3016201524621––267Total111451461411–13962Career total27511110

International + Appearances and goals by national team and yearJapan Football AssociationList of match in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 , 2016 at Japan Football Association National teamYearAppsGoalsJapan20036220041220059220061732007176200818420091120101722011184201216320137120141742015134201650Total16238

Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Miyama goal.

+ List of international goals scored by Aya MiyamaNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 9 June 2003 Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand 13–0 15–0 2003 AFC Women's Championship2 22 July 2003 Sendai Stadium, Sendai, Japan 4–0 5–0 Friendly3 18 December 2004 Nishigaoka Soccer Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 2–0 11–0 Friendly4 4–05 29 March 2005 Miranda, Australia 1–2 1–2 Friendly6 21 May 2005 Nishigaoka Soccer Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 5–0 6–0 Friendly7 23 July 2006 Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia 1–0 1–0 2006 AFC Women's Asian Cup8 23 November 2006 Wildparkstadion, Karlsruhe, Germany 2–6 3–6 Friendly9 30 November 2006 Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar 2–0 13–0 2006 Asian Games10 12 February 2007 GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus 1–1 2–2 Friendly11 10 March 2007 National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 2–0 2–0 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification12 10 June 2007 Bucheon Stadium, Bucheon, South Korea 2–1 2–2 2008 Summer Olympics qualification13 4 August 2007 Lạch Tray Stadium, Hai Phong, Vietnam 4–0 8–0 2008 Summer Olympics qualification14 11 September 2007 Hongkou Football Stadium, Shanghai, China 1–0 2–2 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup15 2–216 18 February 2008 Yongchuan Stadium, Chongqing, China 2–2 3–2 2008 EAFF Women's Football Championship17 2 June 2008 Thong Nhat Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 3–0 3–1 2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup18 8 June 2008 2–019 6 August 2008 Qinhuangdao Olympic Stadium, Qinhuangdao, China 1–2 2–2 2008 Summer Olympics20 14 November 2009 Urawa Komaba Stadium, Saitama, Japan 1–0 2–1 Friendly21 6 February 2010 Ajinomoto Stadium, Chōfu, Japan 1–0 2–0 2010 EAFF Women's Football Championship22 20 May 2010 Chengdu Sports Centre, Chengdu, China 5–0 8–0 2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup23 2 March 2011 Vila Real de Santo António, Portugal 1–2 1–2 2011 Algarve Cup24 18 June 2011 Ningineer Stadium, Matsuyama, Japan 1–0 1–1 Friendly25 27 June 2011 Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany 2–1 2–1 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup26 17 July 2011 Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany 1–1 2–2 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup27 5 April 2012 Home's Stadium Kobe, Kobe, Japan 3–1 4–1 Kirin Challenge Cup28 11 July 2012 National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan 1–0 3–0 Friendly29 25 July 2012 City of Coventry Stadium, Coventry, England 2–0 2–1 2012 Summer Olympics30 26 September 2013 Fukuda Denshi Arena, Chiba, Japan 1–0 2–0 Friendly31 5 March 2014 Stadium Bela Vista, Parchal, Portugal 1–1 1–1 2014 Algarve Cup32 10 March 2014 Estádio Algarve, Faro, Portugal 2–1 2–1 2014 Algarve Cup33 18 September 2014 Namdong Asiad Rugby Field, Incheon, South Korea 10–0 12–0 2014 Asian Games34 1 October 2014 Incheon Munhak Stadium, Incheon, South Korea 1–2 1–3 2014 Asian Games35 11 March 2015 Estádio Algarve, Faro, Portugal 1–0 2–0 2015 Algarve Cup36 2–037 9 June 2015 BC Place, Vancouver, Canada 1–0 1–0 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup38 23 June 2015 BC Place, Vancouver, Canada 2–0 2–1 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup

Honors Japan FIFA Women's World Cup: 2011; runner-up: 2015 Summer Olympics runner-up: 2012 AFC Women's Asian Cup: 2014 Asian Games Gold Medal: 2010 East Asian Football Championship: 2008, 2010

Individual FIFA Women's World Cup All-Star Team: 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Bronze Ball: 2015 AFC Women's Asian Cup Best player: 2014 AFC Women's Player of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2015 Algarve Cup Best player: 2012 L.League Division 1 Best Eleven (6): 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 L.League Division 2 Best Player: 2004 L.League Division 2 top scorer: 2004 FIFPro: FIFA FIFPro World XI 2015 IFFHS AFC Woman Team of the Decade 2011–2020

See also List of women's footballers with 100 or more caps List of players who have appeared in multiple FIFA Women's World Cups

References

External links

Japan Football Association Okayama Yunogo Belle player profile