Misaki Amano (天野 実咲, Amano Misaki, born 22 April 1985) is a former professional football goalkeeper and goalkeeping coach for Urawa Red Diamonds of the Japanese top-division WE League. She was also a professional goalkeeper for TEPCO Mareeze and Vegalta Sendai of the top-division Nadeshiko League, and was a member of the Japan women's national football team's 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup squad.

Misaki Amano
Personal information
Full name Misaki Amano
Date of birth (1985-04-22) 22 April 1985 (age 39)[1]
Place of birth Gifu, Japan[1]
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
Urawa Red Diamonds
Youth career
Tokiwagi Gakuen High School LSC
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2007 Waseda University
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2011 TEPCO Mareeze
2012–2013 Vegalta Sendai
2022–2023 Urawa Red Diamonds
Managerial career
2022– Urawa Red Diamonds (GK coach)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Early life edit

Amano was born in Gifu Prefecture and graduated from Tokiwagi Gakuen High School. She attended Waseda University from 2004 to 2008 and played for its football club, converting from being a field player to goalkeeper in her sophomore year in which Waseda won the intercollegiate championship.[2] In 2007, Japan Football Association selected Amano for its special designated player program, allowing her to play with Urawa Red Diamonds in the top-division Nadeshiko League.[3][2]

Club career edit

TEPCO Mareeze, 2008–2011 edit

After graduating from Waseda University in 2008 with a degree in sports sciences, Amano joined Nadeshiko League club TEPCO Mareeze in 2008.[2]

Amano started for TEPCO Mareeze against Women's Professional Soccer club FC Gold Pride of the United States in a 2010 club friendly.[4]

The club was disbanded after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011; TEPCO was the company that had managed the nuclear power plant, and all of the players were TEPCO employees. In January 2012 the new club Vegalta Sendai was created to accommodate the displaced players.[2][5] She contemplated retirement following the accident and declined offers to join other clubs until learning that the team's flag was still intact in a yakitori restaurant in the afflicted town of Hirono.[6]

Vegalta Sendai, 2012–2013 edit

In 2012, Amano moved to Vegalta Sendai, which began competition in the second-division Challenge League. She was the club's starting goalkeeper.[7][8] The club won the league in 2012 with a 12–0–2 record and earned promotion to the top-division Nadeshiko League.[9] Amano continued playing for the promoted team but retired after the 2013 season.[10]

Urawa Reds, 2022–2023 edit

Amano was available off the bench as a player for Urawa Red Diamonds for their 2022 Empress's Cup match against INAC Kobe Leonessa, wearing shirt number 33.[11] She announced her second retirement as a player on 1 February 2023.[12]

International career edit

Amano was selected to the Japan women's national football team for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup. She traveled with the team and was named to group-stage matchday rosters against Germany, Argentina, and England as a reserve goalkeeper for the starter Miho Fukumoto, but did not play.[13][14][15]

While playing for Vegalta Sendai, the Japan national team called Amano into national team training camp on 10 February 2012,[6] then again from 26 March to 30 March 2012, as a third keeper.[16] The national team called her into camp again in June 2012[17] and to the preliminary 2012 Summer Olympics roster following the camp.[18] Her final national team call-ups were as a reserve goalkeeper for Japan's June 2013 friendly series against New Zealand (20 June)[19] and Germany (29 June).[20]

Managerial career edit

From March 2016 to January 2018, Amano served as Jumonji Gakuen Women's University football club's goalkeeping coach. She also served as the affiliated Jumonji High School club's coach in 2017, leading them to their first championship. She then served from 2018 to 2020 as goalkeeping coach for Tokyo International University's women's football club.[2][1]

On 6 October 2022, Urawa Red Diamonds, now playing in the top-division WE League, hired Amano as a goalkeeping coach.[1] She announced her retirement from the role on 1 February 2023.[12]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "天野実咲GKアシスタントコーチ 就任のお知らせ" [Announcement of appointment of Misaki Amano as GK assistant coach] (Press release). Urawa Red Diamonds. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e "30周年企画《OG連載》2008年卒 天野実咲" (Interview) (in Japanese). Waseda University. 11 October 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  3. ^ "天野と佐藤がJFA特別指定選手に!" [Amano and Sato become JFA Specially Designated Athletes!] (in Japanese). Waseda Sports. 15 June 2007. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  4. ^ Jonas, Robert (15 March 2010). "It's goals galore as FC Gold Pride beats TEPCO Mareeze, 4-1". Center Line Soccer. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  5. ^ "History in the making". Womens Soccer United. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  6. ^ a b Goto, Daisuke (9 February 2012). "なでしこへ引退覆し再出発 元東電・天野" [Former TEPCO member Amano goes to Nadeshiko training camp]. The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  7. ^ "バックナンバー2012" [Back numbers 2012]. Vegalta Sendai. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  8. ^ "2012年12月8日ベガルタ仙台レディース 戦" [December 8, 2012, vs. Vegalta Sendai Ladies]. 8 December 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  9. ^ Gibson, Alan (30 October 2012). "NADESHIKO UPDATE . . . INAC WIN LEAGUE, VEGALTA TAKE 2ND TIER". Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  10. ^ "レディース 天野実咲選手・下小鶴綾選手・中村真実選手・伊藤美菜子選手 現役引退のお知らせ" [Lady's Misaki Amano, Aya Shimoogazuru, Mami Nakamura, Minako Ito announce the retirement of active players] (Press release) (in Japanese). Vegalta Sendai.
  11. ^ "三菱重工浦和レッズレディース vs INAC神戸レオネッサ" [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies vs INAC Kobe Leonessa]. Japan Football Association. 15 January 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  12. ^ a b "天野実咲GKアシスタントコーチ退任のお知らせ" [Resignation of GK Assistant Coach Misaki Amano] (Press release). Urawa Red Diamonds. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  13. ^ FIFA Women's World Cup China 2007 Match Report (PDF) (Report). FIFA. 11 September 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  14. ^ FIFA Women's World Cup China 2007 Match Report (PDF) (Report). FIFA. 14 September 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  15. ^ FIFA Women's World Cup China 2007 Match Report (PDF) (Report). FIFA. 17 September 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  16. ^ "佐々木監督「経験値を与えながらカップを獲得したい」=キリンチャレンジカップ メンバー発表会見" [Manager Sasaki "I want to win the cup while giving experience points" = Kirin Challenge Cup member announcement press conference]. Sportsnavi (in Japanese). Yahoo! Sports. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  17. ^ "天野実咲選手 なでしこジャパン国内トレーニングキャンプ参加のお知らせ" [Misaki Amano participates in Nadeshiko Japan domestic training camp] (Press release). 5 June 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  18. ^ "天野実咲選手・長船加奈選手・上辻佑実選手 第30回オリンピック競技大会(2012/ロンドン)なでしこジャパン予備登録メンバー選出のお知らせ" [Misaki Amano, Kana Osafune and Yumi Uetsuji selected as Nadeshiko Japan preliminary registration members for the 30th Olympic Games (2012/London)] (Press release). Vegalta Sendai. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  19. ^ "NZ戦に臨むなでしこ発表…澤、宮間がロンドン五輪以来の復帰" [Nadeshiko to face NZ match announced]. Soccer King. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  20. ^ "Germany 4-2 Japan – International Friendly (29th June 2013)". Womens Soccer United. 16 June 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2023.

External links edit