TOKYO (AP) — Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda announced a 23-player squad for the Women's World Cup on Tuesday, a side heavy with players displaying their skills in leagues abroad.
Almost half of the players selected play in leagues outside Japan, mainly England, Sweden and the United States.
Japan is hoping to rebound after being knocked out in the Round of 16 in 2019. The Japanese were runners-up in 2015 and won the title in 2011.
“We will fight for the top spot with great ambition,” Ikeda said, speaking in Japanese. “But the level of (women's) football in the world is improving very rapidly.”
Yui Hasegawa of Manchester City probably heads the list from overseas. Another accomplished midfielder is Fuka Nagano of Liverpool.
The youngest player on the squad is 19-year-old Maika Hamano, who plays on loan from Chelsea with Swedish club Hammarby.
The best known of the Japanese players based in the United States is forward Jun Endo, who plays with Angel City.
The major absence is Mana Iwabuchi, who played in three straight World Cups for Japan. The 30-year-old Iwabuchi has been playing at Tottenham on loan from north London rival Arsenal.
Ikeda did not get into specifics about Iwabuchi's absence from the squad, but said he appreciated her “passion” for the team.
“I have chosen (players) not for any one reason, but for their performance in the national team, their condition, their situation in the team and their performance in various competitions,” Ikeda said.
Japan plays its three Group C games in New Zealand, opening with Zambia in Hamilton on July 22. It faces Costa Rica on July 26 in Dunedin and closes group play against Spain in Wellington on July 31.
The Women's World Cup is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
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