MANA IWABUCHI has been left out of Japan’s squad for the World Cup this summer after playing for the team in the 2019 contest.
The omission of the forward comes after a season in which she made just 13 WSL appearances.
Iwabuchi, 30, moved to Tottenham from Arsenal on a temporary deal in January in search of more playing time before the tournament.
Before her loan move, the Japan international had played in just three top-flight games for the Gunners having fallen down their pecking order.
The forward, who netted once in 13 games across all competitions for Spurs, was part of the Japan side that won the 2011 World Cup beating the USA via a penalty shootout.
She was also part of the team that reached the final in Canada four years later where they fell to a 5-2 loss to the United States.
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However she had at times struggled for playing time last season featuring in just five games for Arsenal across all competitions before her January move.
Coach Futoshi Ikeda said: “Iwabuchi is a player who has done a lot to drive this team forward but I am choosing 23 players for this specific time and there is no one reason for my choices.
“It’s about form, fitness, the state of the team and what we need in certain situations”
Four WSL players have been included in Ikeda’s 23-strong squad.
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Liverpool’s Fuka Nagano and West Ham pair Risa Shimizu and Honoka Hayashi have been named as well as Manchester City midfielder Yui Hasegawa.
Iwabuchi’s omission means skipper Saki Kumagai is the only player in the current squad from the 2011 World Cup-winning side.
The Japan defender, who scored the tournament-winning spot-kick in the penalty shootout against the USA, moved to AS Roma from Bayern Munich.
Kumagai and her team-mates will compete in Group C in this year’s World Cup alongside Spain, Costa Rica and Zambia.
The last tournament in France in 2019 saw the Netherlands knock Japan out at the last 16 phase.
Ikeda’s side will face Zambia in their group stage opener
The match will take place at Stadium Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand on July 22.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
