Mizuho Sakaguchi

Mizuho Sakaguchi
is a former Japanese football player. She last played for Omiya Ardija Ventus in the WE League and the Japan national team.
Club career
Sakaguchi was born in Sakai on October 15, 1987. In 2003, at the age of 15, she debuted in the L.League at Speranza FC Takatsuki. After graduating from high school, she joined Tasaki Perule FC in 2006. She was selected Best Eleven in 2007. However, the club was disbanded in 2008 due to financial strain. She went to the United States and joined USL W-League club FC Indiana in 2009. In 2010, she returned to Japan and joined Albirex Niigata. She was selected Best Eleven in 2011. In 2012, she moved to Nippon TV Beleza. She was selected MVP awards for 3 years in a row (2015-2017). She was also selected Best Eleven for 5 years in a row (2013-2017).
National team career
In July 2006, Sakaguchi was selected to be on the Japan national team for the 2006 Asian Cup. At this competition, on July 19, she debuted and scored 2 goals against Vietnam. She played in the 2011 World Cup where Japan won the championship; Sakaguchi scored one of the penalties in the shootout against United States in the final. She also played in the 2015 World Cup where Japan came second. She was also part of the silver medal-winning 2012 Summer Olympic team. From June 2016, she was given the number 10 shirt for Japan by new manager Asako Takakura. She played 124 games and scored 29 goals for Japan until 2018.
Career statistics
Club
International
Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Sakaguchi goal.
Honours
Teams
FIFA Women's World Cup
Champion: 2011
Runner-up: 2015
Asian Games
Gold Medal: 2010
Silver Medal 2006
EAFF Women's Football Championship
Champion: 2008
Empress's Cup
Champion: 2007
Individual
L.League
Best Eleven: 2007, 2011, 2013
See also
List of women's footballers with 100 or more caps
References
External links
Japan Football Association
1987 births
Living people
Japanese women's footballers
Japan women's international footballers
Nadeshiko League players
USL W-League (1995–2015) players
Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki players
Tasaki Perule FC players
Albirex Niigata Ladies players
Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza players
Japanese expatriate women's footballers
Japanese expatriate sportspeople in the United States
FIFA Women's World Cup-winning players
2007 FIFA Women's World Cup players
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup players
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup players
Olympic footballers for Japan
Olympic medalists in football
Olympic silver medalists for Japan
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Footballers at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Asian Games gold medalists for Japan
Asian Games silver medalists for Japan
Asian Games medalists in football
Medalists at the 2006 Asian Games
Medalists at the 2010 Asian Games
Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games
Footballers at the 2006 Asian Games
Footballers at the 2010 Asian Games
Footballers at the 2014 Asian Games
FIFA Women's Century Club
Women's association football midfielders
Sportspeople from Sakai, Osaka
Association football people from Osaka Prefecture
F.C. Indiana players
2019 FIFA Women's World Cup players
Nadeshiko League MVPs