Background
Born in Ōamishirasato, Sanbu District, Chiba Prefecture, Miyama started her career as a football player in the club her father founded.
宮間 あや
Born in Ōamishirasato, Sanbu District, Chiba Prefecture, Miyama started her career as a football player in the club her father founded.
Since 2012 she has served as captain of the Japan women"s national football team (Nadeshiko Japan), for which she has played since 2003. Miyama also led Japan to a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Her professional squad is Okayama Yunogo Belle of the L. League.
Early career
She later joined NTV Beleza in 1999 after playing with Yomiuri Menina (NTV Menina), but when she was in eleventh grade, she left the team and went to the high school football club
Even among male players, she kept playing football. Miyama joined L. League side Okayama Yunogo Belle in 2001, having received an invitation from Midori Honda, the coach.
WPS
On 24 November 2008, Miyama was selected by Los Angeles Sol of the United States. Women"s Professional Soccer (WPS) in the 2008 WPS International Draft, and joined Sol in 2009. In the 2009 Women"s Professional Soccer season, she had 6 assists but no goals.
When the Sol disbanded in early 2010, she was taken by Saint Louis Athletica.
Miyama signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Beat on 10 June 2010. Return to Japan
Miyama returned to Okayama Yunogo Belle in September 2010. In the 2007 Fédération internationale de football association Women"s World Cup held in Shanghai, China, Miyama performed brilliantly in Japan"s match against England, scoring the team"s two goals both on direct free kicks, leading Japan to a draw.
Miyama also scored Japan"s first penalty of the eventual penalty shoot-out in the final which ended 2–2 after extra time.
At the moment of victory, Miyama did not join her teammates in celebration, but instead went to the United States of America players to hug them and congratulate them on a good game. This has been reported both by Hope Solo and the Japanese media as evidence of Miyama"s sportsmanship and respect for her opponents.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she led to the silver medal as a captain.
She has appeared in every Fédération internationale de football association Women"s World Cup since 2003, and was a member of the Japanese team that captured the 2011 World Cup championship.