soccer

Homare Sawa, a veteran of the Nadeshiko Japan women's soccer team, on Wednesday announced her retirement.

The announcement was made by her manager.

Sawa, 37, who has played in six Women's World Cups, will hold a news conference on Thursday, Fuji TV reported.

Sawa, a midfielder who was named the MVP at the 2011 Women's World Cup, plays for INAC Kobe Leonessa. In her international career, she represented Japan 205 times, scoring 83 goals.

In August, Sawa announced her marriage to Hiroaki Tsujikami, 38, a former player for J.League soccer team Vegalta Sendai.

© Japan Today