Manaka Matsukubo
 Manaka with the North Carolina Courage in 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Manaka Matsukubo | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 28 July 2004 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward / attacking midfielder[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | North Carolina Courage | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 34 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2022 | JFA Academy Fukushima | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2022 | JFA Academy Fukushima | 46 | (30) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Mynavi Sendai | 12 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023– | North Carolina Courage | 21 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Japan U16 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Japan U20 | 16 | (7) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 08:21, 6 October 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 08:21, 6 October 2024 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Manaka Matsukubo (松窪 真心, Matsukubo Manaka, born 28 July 2004) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a forward or attacking midfielder for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Japan national under-20 team. Internationally, she has played at two FIFA U-20 Women's World Cups, reaching the final in 2022 and in 2024.
Club career
[edit]Mynavi Sendai
[edit]Manaka made her professional debut for Mynavi Sendai of the WE League on 5 March 2023 and played 1,075 minutes across the season.[3] She helped the team to a fourth-place finish in her first year as a professional, scoring four goals and adding one assist.[4]
North Carolina Courage
[edit]On 27 July 2023, the North Carolina Courage acquired Manaka on loan from Mynavi Sendai through June 2024.[3] She made her first NWSL appearance on 27 August 2023.[5] With the Courage, Matsukubo became the youngest player to start a game in the NWSL Challenge Cup and the youngest to score.[4] She scored the second goal in a 2–0 victory over Racing Louisville in the Challenge Cup final on 9 September, being named the most valuable player of the match.[6][7][8] Manaka scored her first NWSL regular-season goal the next week in a 2–1 loss to the Orlando Pride.[9] On the final matchday of 2023, she assisted Tyler Lussi in a 1–0 win over the Washington Spirit that clinched the Courage's spot in the playoffs.[10]
On 27 June 2024, Manaka was signed by the Courage permanently through 2025.[11]
International career
[edit]Manaka played for Japan's under-20 side during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in 2022,[12] scoring one goal as Japan made it to the final.
She was called up to play at the 2024 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup scored 3 goals, but she left early to return to her club.[13]
She was selected for her second U-20 Women's World Cup in 2024.[14] In the semifinals, she scored both of the goals in a 2–0 victory over the Netherlands.[15] In this world cup she received the Silver Ball, and scored 3 goals.
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 5 October 2024
| Club | Season | League | National Cup[a] | League Cup[b] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| JFA Academy Fukushima | 2019 | Challenge League | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 |
| 2020 | Challenge League | 12 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 9 | |
| 2021 | Nadeshiko League 2 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 15 | |
| 2022 | Nadeshiko League 2 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6 | |
| Total | 46 | 30 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 33 | ||
| Mynavi Sendai | 2022–23 | WE League | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 |
| North Carolina Courage (loan) | 2023 | NWSL | 7 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | |
| North Carolina Courage | 2024 | NWSL | 14 | 2 | — | — | 14 | 2 | ||
| Total | 21 | 3 | — | 2 | 1 | 23 | 4 | |||
| Career Total | 79 | 37 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 84 | 41 | ||
- ^ Includes Empress's Cup
- ^ Includes Nadeshiko League Cup, NWSL Challenge Cup
Honours
[edit]JFA Academy Fukushima
- Nadeshiko Challenge League: 2020
- Nadeshiko League 2: 2021
North Carolina Courage
Individual
- WE League Outstanding Player Award: 2022–23
References
[edit]- ^ "松窪 真心 (in Japanese) - MATSUKUBO Manaka". JFA, Japan. 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ Kassouf, Jeff (22 May 2024). "NWSL U-19 ranking: Shaw, Moultrie lead best young players". ESPN. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Courage acquire Japanese midfielder Manaka Matsukubo". North Carolina Courage. 23 July 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ a b Needelman, Josh (9 September 2023). "NWSL Challenge Cup MVP: Manaka Matsukubo makes history". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ Cascone, Arianna (10 October 2023). "How 19-year-old Manaka Matsukubo is already lighting up the NWSL – Equalizer Soccer". Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ "Courage defend NWSL Challenge Cup with win over Racing Louisville". CBC.ca. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ "NC Courage win 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup as Kerolin, Matsukubo put on a show". Pro Soccer Wire. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ Cattry, Pardeep (10 September 2023). "Manaka Matsukubo a 'star in the making' for North Carolina Courage after NWSL Challenge Cup win". CBS Sports. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ Rantz, Susie (17 September 2023). "Pride beat Courage 2–1 in NWSL and move one point out of playoff position". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "Recap: Courage grind out road win Sunday, earn home playoff bout". North Carolina Courage. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "Courage extends Manaka through 2025". North Carolina Courage. 27 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ "U-20 Japan Women's National Team squad – FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Costa Rica 2022™ (8/7-28＠Costa Rica)" (in Japanese). Japan Football Association｜公益財団法人日本サッカー協会. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ "女子サッカー TOP｜JFA｜公益財団法人日本サッカー協会". www.jfa.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Japan 1-0 Spain Quarter Final FIFA U20 Women's World Cup Colombia 2024". FIFA. 15 September 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
- ^ Manaka Matsukubo at Soccerway
External links
[edit]
- Manaka Matsukubo at Soccerway
- Living people
- 2004 births
- Japanese women's footballers
- Japan women's youth international footballers
- Mynavi Sendai Ladies players
- WE League players
- North Carolina Courage players
- National Women's Soccer League players
- Japanese expatriate women's footballers
- Japanese expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Association football people from Kagoshima Prefecture
- Expatriate women's soccer players in the United States