Yukari Kinga

Japanese footballer (born 1984)

Yukari Kinga
近賀 ゆかり
Kinga playing for Japan in 2011
Personal information
Full name Yukari Kinga
Date of birth (1984-05-02) 2 May 1984 (age 39)
Place of birth Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Height 1.61 m (5 ft 3+12 in)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina
Number 10
Youth career
2000–2002 Shonan Gakuin High School
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2010 Nippon TV Beleza 146 (30)
2011–2013 INAC Kobe Leonessa 42 (3)
2014 Arsenal 12 (0)
2015–2016 INAC Kobe Leonessa 36 (3)
2016–2017 Canberra United 13 (3)
2017–2019 Melbourne City 31 (6)
2019 Orca Kamogawa 18 (2)
2019–2020 Melbourne City 9 (1)
2020 Orca Kamogawa 0 (0)
2021- Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina 0 (0)
Total 274 (44)
International career
2002 Japan U-20 4 (0)
2005–2016 Japan 100 (5)
Medal record
Nippon TV Beleza
Winner Nadeshiko League 2005
Winner Nadeshiko League 2006
Winner Nadeshiko League 2007
Winner Nadeshiko League 2008
Winner Nadeshiko League 2010
Runner-up Nadeshiko League 2003
Runner-up Nadeshiko League 2004
Runner-up Nadeshiko League 2009
Winner Nadeshiko League Cup 2007
Winner Nadeshiko League Cup 2010
Winner Empress's Cup 2004
Winner Empress's Cup 2005
Winner Empress's Cup 2007
Winner Empress's Cup 2008
Winner Empress's Cup 2009
Runner-up Empress's Cup 2003
INAC Kobe Leonessa
Winner Nadeshiko League 2011
Winner Nadeshiko League 2012
Winner Nadeshiko League 2013
Runner-up Nadeshiko League 2016
Winner Nadeshiko League Cup 2013
Runner-up Nadeshiko League Cup 2012
Winner Empress's Cup 2011
Winner Empress's Cup 2012
Winner Empress's Cup 2013
Winner Empress's Cup 2015
Winner Empress's Cup 2016
Representing  Japan
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2012 London Team
FIFA Women's World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2011 Germany
Silver medal – second place 2015 Canada
AFC Women's Asian Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Vietnam
Bronze medal – third place 2010 China
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2010 Guangzhou Team
AFC U-19 Women's Championship
Gold medal – first place 2002 India
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 December 2019

Yukari Kinga (近賀 ゆかり, Kinga Yukari, born 2 May 1984) is a Japanese football player. She plays as a defender for Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina in the WE League. She previously played for the Japan women's national football team, winning a World Cup and an Olympic silver medal before her international retirement in 2016.

Club career

In Japan until 2013

Kinga was born in Yokohama on 2 May 1984. After graduating from high school, she joined Nippon TV Beleza in 2003 where she played as attacking midfielder and right-winger. In the 2003 season, she was given the Nadeshiko League's Best Young Player award. During her time at Nippon TV Beleza, the club won the Nadeshiko League championship 5 times. In 2011, she moved to INAC Kobe Leonessa with international players Homare Sawa, Shinobu Ohno and Chiaki Minamiyama due to financial strain at the club. At INAC Kobe Leonessa, the club won the Nadeshiko League championship for 3 years in a row (20112013). She was selected to the league's Best XI for 6 years in a row (20072012).

In January 2014, INAC's general manager revealed that Kinga had agreed to join English FA WSL club Arsenal Ladies[1] and in February she officially signed the contract.[2] At Arsenal, Kinga helped propel the club to reach the final of the 2014 FA Women's Cup which they won in a 2–0 margin over Everton.[3]

She re-signed with INAC Kobe in early 2015.[4] In 2016, she began playing in the Australian W-League for Canberra United.[5] In October 2017, Kinga joined defending W-League champions Melbourne City.[6] In February 2019, she returned to Japan and joined Orca Kamogawa FC.[7] In October 2019, Kinga re-signed with Melbourne City.[8] In February 2020, it was announced that Kinga would re-sign with Orca Kamogawa at the end of the 2019–20 W-League season.[9]

National team career

In August 2002, Kinga was selected by the Japan U-20 women's national team for the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship.[10] On 29 March 2005, she debuted for the Japan women's national team against Australia.[11] She was playing as an attacking midfielder and right-winger until 2007, when she was converted to rightback by manager Hiroshi Ohashi. After she converted her position, she became a regular player in the Japan national team. Japan won the 2011 World Cup in which Kinga played in the final,[12] came second in the 2015 World Cup and earned a silver medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics. She played 100 games and scored 5 goals for Japan until her retirement in 2016.

Club statistics

Club Season League National Cup League Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Nippon TV Beleza 2003 20 6 4 4 - 24 10
2004 14 7 4 1 - 18 8
2005 18 6 5 2 - 23 8
2006 14 2 3 3 - 17 5
2007 21 3 4 0 2 1 27 4
2008 20 0 4 1 - 24 1
2009 21 3 4 0 - 25 3
2010 18 3 1 0 6 1 25 4
Total 146 30 29 11 8 2 183 43
INAC Kobe Leonessa 2011 16 1 4 0 - 20 1
2012 18 2 3 0 5 0 24 2
2013 8 0 4 2 5 0 17 2
Total 42 3 11 2 10 0 61 5
Career total 188 33 40 13 18 2 244 48

National team statistics

[11][13]

Japan national team
Year Apps Goals
2005 1 0
2006 2 0
2007 16 0
2008 18 1
2009 3 1
2010 15 2
2011 17 0
2012 15 1
2013 1 0
2014 4 0
2015 5 0
2016 3 0
Total 100 5
International goals
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 12 August 2008 Shanghai, China  Norway 1–1 1–5 Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2. 1 August 2009 Montargis, France  France 0–3 0–4 Friendly Match
3. 6 February 2010 Chōfu, Japan  China 2–0 2–0 2010 EAFF Women's Football Championship
4. 8 May 2010 Matsumoto, Japan  Mexico 1–0 4–0 Friendly Match
5. 1 April 2012 Sendai, Japan  United States 1–0 1–1 Kirin Challenge Cup

Honors

International career

Japan

Club

Nippon TV Beleza[16][17]
INAC Kobe[16][17]
Arsenal[3]
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina[18]

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Nadeshiko Japan's Kawasumi to play for U.S. team". The Japan Times. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  2. ^ "Club signs Yukari Kinga and Shinobu Ohno". arsenal.com. Arsenal L.F.C. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Women's FA Cup final: Arsenal beat Everton to retain trophy". BBC Sport.
  4. ^ "Kinga and Ohno return to INAC Kobe". shekicks.net. 8 January 2015. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  5. ^ Dutton, Chris (5 October 2016). "Canberra United Japan soccer great Yukari Kinga to boost W-League title hopes". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  6. ^ Davutovic, David (25 October 2017). "Melbourne City caps off W-League signing spree with international duo Alanna Kennedy and Yukari Kinga". Herald Sun.
  7. ^ Orca Kamogawa FC(in Japanese)
  8. ^ "Melbourne City FC re-signs three W-League stars". Melbourne City. 30 October 2019.
  9. ^ "近賀ゆかり選手 再加入のお知らせ" [Notice of re-signing of Yukari Kinga] (in Japanese). Orca Kamogawa. 1 February 2020. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  10. ^ "FIFA". Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  11. ^ a b Japan Football Association(in Japanese)
  12. ^ "USA v Japan – as it happened". The Guardian. 17 July 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  13. ^ List of match in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 at Japan Football Association (in Japanese)
  14. ^ a b "Y. KINGA". Soccerway.com.
  15. ^ "Yukari Kinga". Eurosport.com.
  16. ^ a b c "Canberra United Japan soccer great Yukari Kinga to boost W-League title hopes". Canberra Times.com. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Canberra United secure Japanese international". W-League.com.au. 4 October 2016.
  18. ^ "Sanfrecce outlasts Albirex for WE League Cup title". JapanTimes. 14 October 2023.

External links

  • Yukari Kinga – FIFA competition record (archived)
  • Yukari Kinga at Soccerway Edit this at Wikidata
  • Yukari Kinga at WorldFootball.net Edit this at Wikidata
  • Yukari Kinga at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived) Edit this at Wikidata
  • Japan Football Association
Japan squads
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Japan squad2007 FIFA Women's World Cup
Japan
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Japan squad2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup third place
Japan
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Japan women's football squad2008 Summer Olympics – Fourth place
Japan
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Japan squad2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup third place
Japan
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Japan squad2011 FIFA Women's World Cup winners (1st title)
Japan
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Japan women's football squad2012 Summer Olympics – Silver medalists
Japan
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Japan squad2015 FIFA Women's World Cup runners-up
Japan
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Subs
GK: Whyman
DF: Carroll
MF: Nairn
FW: Jones
FW: Chidiac