Miyazawa emulates Japan legend Sawa
The Japanese forward has surprised everyone by matching Homare Sawa’s feat from 2011, when the Nadeshiko won the World Cup. She has doubled her personal goals figures at the tournament.
Hinata Miyazawa landed in New Zealand tagged with a supporting actress role within a Japan side that had played down any ambitions pre-tournament. However, after a sensational group stage and with Nadeshiko already through to the quarter finals, Japan have become one of the big contenders to lift the trophy with Miyazawa as their star player.
Miyazawa’s goal scoring feats have come as a surprise to everyone - a skillful and pacy winger, finding the back of the net has never been one of her chief characteristics. At 23 years old, Hinata went into the World Cup with only 22 caps and four goals to her name. In four games in Oceania, the Japanese striker has already scored five goals and leads the race for the Golden Boot.
Her figures equal those of the greatest Japanese player of all time - Homare Sawa, who in 2011 reached the same figure and led the Asian team to win its first and so far only world title. Sawa also collected the Golden Boot. Miyazawa has the chance to surpass her compatriot and become the Japanese player with the most goals in one single edition. What’s more, with potentially three matches left to play (if Japan get through the quarter finals and semis), Hinata could even be within reach of the tournament record, held by Michelle Akers, who hit 10 goals for the USWNT in 1991 - the record in a single edition.
At the moment, Miyazawa is the top scorer and averaging a goal every 51 minutes - the best rate at the World Cup. With 4.59 shots per 90 minutes, she is the second player with the most attempts and the third in terms of efficiency (38.5 percent). She has given one assist (against Spain), and averages 2.12 key passes every 90 minutes.
Coach Futoshi Ikeda knows Hinata very well. She was under his command at the 2016 Under-17 World Cup, where she won the silver medal. She was also one of the members of the Japanese team that won the Under-20 World Cup in France in 2018, precisely in the final against Spain, where Miyazawa scored her only goal of the championship. Hailed as the best young player in the Japanese WE League and, in this World Cup, an unstoppable goal scorer.