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Alumni Maya Yoshida and Yuki Soma Selected to Represent Japan in Football at Tokyo 2020!

On June 22, the Japan Football Association (JFA) announced the registered members of the U-24 Japan National Team Squad for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and Waseda University alumni Maya Yoshida (affiliated with U.C. Sampdoria, graduated from the School of Human Sciences Internet Degree Program) and Yuki Soma (affiliated with Nagoya Grampus, graduated from the School of Sports Sciences in 2019) were selected.

Yoshida is a member of the overage (OA) slot with no age restrictions, and Tokyo 2020 will be his third time participating in the Olympics after his participation in Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

Maya Yoshida, who was selected for an overage slot (second from right, Kyodo News)

 

Yuki Soma joined the Japan National Team Squad after aiming for the Tokyo Olympics since 2019, played in the international friendly match against Ghana on June 5, which was the last positioning for the final selection, and will take part in the Olympics.

Yuki Soma, selected to represent Japan in football for Tokyo 2020 (Kyodo News)

Profiles

Maya Yoshida:

Born in Nagasaki Prefecture in 1988, he graduated from the Waseda University School of Human Sciences Internet Degree Program, Department of Human Informatics and Cognitive Sciences, in 2019. He played in the Beijing 2008 Olympics, and then in the London 2012 Olympics, serving as captain in the OA slot and contributing to the team’s fourth place finish. He has participated in two consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments, the 2014 Brazil World Cup and the 2018 Russia World Cup. His position is defender.

 

Yuki Soma:

Born in Tokyo in 1997, he started playing football at the age of six and then later graduated from the Waseda University School of Sports Sciences in 2019. In 2019 he played in the Toulon Tournament with the U-22 Japan National Team Squad, and in December 2019 he made his debut on the Japan National A Team in a match against China. In 2021, he joined the U-24 Japan National Team Squad. His position is midfielder.

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