| Manaka Matsukubo 松窪 真心 | |
| Fullname: | Manaka Matsukubo |
| Birth Date: | 28 July 2004 |
| Birth Place: | Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan |
| Height: | 1.55 m |
| Position: | Forward / attacking midfielder[1] |
| Currentclub: | North Carolina Courage |
| Clubnumber: | 34 |
| Youthyears1: | 2017–2022 |
| Youthclubs1: | JFA Academy Fukushima |
| Years1: | 2019–2022 |
| Clubs1: | JFA Academy Fukushima |
| Caps1: | 46 |
| Goals1: | 30 |
| Years2: | 2023– |
| Clubs2: | Mynavi Sendai |
| Caps2: | 12 |
| Goals2: | 4 |
| Years3: | 2023– |
| Clubs3: | North Carolina Courage |
| Caps3: | 17 |
| Goals3: | 1 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2019 |
| Nationalteam1: | Japan U16 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2022 |
| Nationalteam2: | Japan U20 |
| Club-Update: | 17 May 2024 |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 16 October 2023 |
is a Japanese professional football player who plays as a forward or attacking midfielder for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She plays internationally for Japan women's national under-20 football team and was an integral part of the team that made the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup final.
Matsukubo made her professional debut for Mynavi Sendai of the WE League on 5 March 2023 and played 1,075 minutes across the season.[2] She helped the team to a fourth-place finish in her first year as a professional, scoring four goals and adding one assist.[3]
On 27 July 2023, the North Carolina Courage acquired Matsukubo on loan from Mynavi Sendai through June 2024. She made her first NWSL appearance on 27 August 2023.[4] With the Courage, Matsukubo became the youngest player to start a game in the NWSL Challenge Cup and the youngest to score. In the Challenge Cup final against Racing Louisville, she was named the most valuable player of the match after scoring the Courage's second goal with a chip volley in the 2–0 victory.[5] [6] [7]
Matsukubo scored her first regular-season goal the next week in a 2–1 loss to the Orlando Pride.[8] In the Courage's last regular-season game, Matsukubo crossed to Tyler Lussi for a goal to help the Courage defeat the Washington Spirit 1–0 and clinch their spot in the playoffs.[9]
On 27 June 2024, Matsukubo was signed by the Courage permanently through 2025.[10]
Matsukubo played for Japan's U-20 World Cup team during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in 2022.[11] She was called up to play for the U-20 Japan Women's National Team for the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup in 2024, but she left early to return to her club.[12]
| Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| JFA Academy Fukushima | 2019 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | ||
| 2020 | Challenge League | 12 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 9 | ||
| 2021 | Nadeshiko League 2 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 15 | ||
| 2022 | Nadeshiko League 2 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6 | ||
| Total | 46 | 30 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 33 | |||
| Mynavi Sendai | 2022–23 | WE League | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | |
| North Carolina Courage (loan) | 2023 | NWSL | 7 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | ||
| Career Total | 65 | 35 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 72 | 39 | |||
JFA Academy Fukushima
North Carolina Courage
Individual