Aya Sameshima
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese international footballer. Mainly a left-sided defender, she currently plays for French
club Montpellier
in the Division 1 Féminine.
near Fukushima
, and like other players, she worked at the TEPCO-run Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to earn a living whilst playing for the club.
Following the earthquake and tsunami
and subsequent nuclear disaster
, during which the team were in a training camp in the south of the country, the club pulled out of the L. League
for the remainder of the season. Sameshima then began training with the Boston Breakers in March 2011, before signing for the club permanently, the first former Mareeze player to sign for another club. She made her debut for the Breakers against Sky Blue
on 12 June as a second-half substitute for Alex Scott, becoming the first Japanese international to play for the club.
On 19 September 2011, Sameshima joined French club Montpellier
. She will play at the club with compatriot Rumi Utsugi
.
in 2006, Sameshima made her full international debut in 2008 and played in the Women's Asian Cup
that year, scoring the first goal in an 11–0 win over Chinese Taipei
. In 2010 she played in the 2010 Asian Games
, winning a gold medal as Japan won the tournament. In 2011 she was part of the Japan squad for the World Cup, playing in every match for the World Cup Champion Japanese team.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
club Montpellier
Montpellier HSC (Ladies)
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club Féminines is a French women's football club based in Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, a commune in the arrondissement of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1990. Montpellier currently play in the Division 1 Féminine having finished in 4th place in the 2009–10 season...
in the Division 1 Féminine.
Domestic career
Sameshima played youth football for Kawachi SC Juvenile between 1995 and 2002 and Tokiwagi Gakuen High School from 2003 until 2005. In 2006 she joined Tepco Mareeze, the club owned by the Tokyo Electric Power Company. During her time at Mareeze she lived in the J-Village Sports complex in HironoHirono, Fukushima
is a town located in Futaba District, Fukushima, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 5,653 and a density of 96.81 persons per km². The total area is 58.39 km².-External links:*...
near Fukushima
Fukushima, Fukushima
is the capital city of Fukushima Prefecture in the Tōhoku Region of Japan. As of May 2011 the city has an estimated population of 290,064 and an area of 746.43 km².It lies about 250 km north of Tokyo and 80 km south of Sendai.-History:...
, and like other players, she worked at the TEPCO-run Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to earn a living whilst playing for the club.
Following the earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
and subsequent nuclear disaster
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
The is a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. The plant comprises six separate boiling water reactors originally designed by General Electric ,...
, during which the team were in a training camp in the south of the country, the club pulled out of the L. League
L. League
The L. League is the top flight of women's association football in Japan. It is the women's equivalent of the J. League, but not professional. However, some individual players are professional.The league conssists of two divisions: division 1 has the nickname and division 2...
for the remainder of the season. Sameshima then began training with the Boston Breakers in March 2011, before signing for the club permanently, the first former Mareeze player to sign for another club. She made her debut for the Breakers against Sky Blue
Sky Blue FC
Sky Blue FC is an American professional soccer club based in Piscataway Township, New Jersey which participates in Women's Professional Soccer....
on 12 June as a second-half substitute for Alex Scott, becoming the first Japanese international to play for the club.
On 19 September 2011, Sameshima joined French club Montpellier
Montpellier HSC (Ladies)
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club Féminines is a French women's football club based in Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, a commune in the arrondissement of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1990. Montpellier currently play in the Division 1 Féminine having finished in 4th place in the 2009–10 season...
. She will play at the club with compatriot Rumi Utsugi
Rumi Utsugi
is a Japanese football player who currently plays for French club Montpellier of the Division 1 Féminine. She plays as a defensive midfielder and is also a Japanese women's international having represented her country at the 2007 and 2011 editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup, as well as two AFC...
.
International career
After playing for the Japanese team at the AFC U-19 Women's ChampionshipAFC U-19 Women's Championship
The AFC U-19 Women's Championship is association football tournament for youth teams, that is held every two years, and serves as a qualifying competition for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship.-Results:-Successful national teams:...
in 2006, Sameshima made her full international debut in 2008 and played in the Women's Asian Cup
2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout Map:-Semi final:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-See also:*AFC Women's Asian Cup*Asian Football Confederation*Women's football...
that year, scoring the first goal in an 11–0 win over Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei women's national football team
The Chinese Taipei women's national football team is the international women's football team for the Republic of China . -World Cup record:-AFC Women's Asian Cup record:-OFC Women's Championship:...
. In 2010 she played in the 2010 Asian Games
Football at the 2010 Asian Games
Football at the 2010 Asian Games was being held in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China from November 7 to 25, 2010. The opening match was played 5 days prior to the opening ceremony...
, winning a gold medal as Japan won the tournament. In 2011 she was part of the Japan squad for the World Cup, playing in every match for the World Cup Champion Japanese team.
External links
- Aya Sameshima FIFA