Azusa Iwashimizu Explained

Azusa Iwashimizu 岩清水梓
Fullname:	Azusa Iwashimizu
Birth Date:	1986 10, df=yes
Birth Place:	Takizawa, Iwate, Japan
Position:	Defender
Currentclub:	Tokyo Verdy Beleza
Clubnumber:	33
Youthyears1:	1999–2002
Youthclubs1:	Tokyo Verdy Beleza
Years1:	2003–
Clubs1:	Tokyo Verdy Beleza
Caps1:	278
Goals1:	21
Totalcaps:	278
Totalgoals:	21
Nationalyears1:	2006–2016
Nationalteam1:	Japan
Nationalcaps1:	122
Nationalgoals1:	11
Club-Update:	31 December 2018

is a Japanese footballer who played as a defender for Tokyo Verdy Beleza in the WE League and the Japan national team.

Club career

Iwashimizu was born in Takizawa on 14 October 1986. In 2003, she was promoted to Nippon TV Beleza after developing in their youth team. She played 260 matches in the L.League until 2017. She was elected to the league's Best XI for 12 years in a row (2006-2017).

National team career

On 18 February 2006, when Iwashimizu was 19 years old, she debuted for Japan national team against Russia.^[1] She has played in the 2007, 2011 and 2015 World Cups, winning the 2011 World Cup and winning a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.^[2] ^[3] In the final minute of extra time in the 2011 World Cup Final, she was sent off after receiving a red card for slide tackling Alex Morgan. Japan would go on to win the match in the penalty shootout that followed.^[4]

Iwashimizu was instrumental in Japan's victory at the 2014 Asian Cup, scoring the winning goal in both the semifinal against China and the final against Australia.^[5] She played 122 games and scored 11 goals for Japan until 2016.

Club statistics

Club	Season	League		Cup		League Cup		Total
Club	Season	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Nippon TV Beleza	2003	17	1	1	0	colspan="2"	-	18	1
	2004	0	0			colspan="2"	-
	2005	16	1	4	0	colspan="2"	-	20	1
	2006	17	3	3	0	colspan="2"	-	20	3
	2007	19	1	3	0	1	0	23	1
	2008	16	2	0	0	colspan="2"	-	16	2
	2009	21	2	4	0	colspan="2"	-	25	2
	2010	17	2	1	0	5	0	23	2
	2011	16	1	3	0	colspan="2"	-	19	1
	2012	17	1			5	0
Career total		156	14				11	0

National team statistics

^[1] ^[6]

Japan national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2006	10	3
2007	13	2
2008	18	0
2009	3	0
2010	13	3
2011	17	0
2012	11	0
2013	10	0
2014	14	3
2015	10	0
2016	3	0
Total	122	11

International goals
	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	7 May 2006	Kumamoto Athletics Stadium, Kumamoto Japan		1–0	1–3	Friendly Match
2.	7 December 2006			0–1	0–1	Football at the 2006 Asian Games
3.	10 December 2006			1–0	3–1	Football at the 2006 Asian Games
4.	4 August 2007			0–2	0–8	Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics qualification
5.	2 September 2007	Fukuda Denshi Arena, Chiba, Japan		1–1	2–1	Friendly Match
6.	15 January 2010			1–1	1–1	2010 Bicennteniall Woman's Cup (es)
7.	20 May 2010	Chengdu Sports Centre, Chengdu China		1–0	8–0	2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup
8.	22 November 2010	Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou China		0–1	0–1	Football at the 2010 Asian Games
9.	22 May 2014	Thống Nhất Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam		2-1	2–1	2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup
10.	25 May 2014	Thống Nhất Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam		1-0	1-0	2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup
11.	26 September 2014	Hwaseong Stadium, South Korea		5-0	9-0	Football at the 2014 Asian Games