Women's World Player of the Year Homare Sawa agrees with what her coach Norio Sasaki said following Tuesday's Olympic soccer draw in London: the first match is important, especially as it is against Canada.

Zac pleased with progress at national team camp

Japan to play Azerbaijan in warmup

Zaccheroni hands trio first callups

Miyayoshi makes case for spot on Olympic team

Japan beats Brazil to win Kirin Challenge Cup

Sasaki pleased with Japan's progress

Nadeshiko settle for draw with U.S.

WEB EXCLUSIVE
Midfielder Sawa won't play in Kirin Cup

Japan punches ticket to London Olympics

Japan to face Australia, Zico's Iraq in qualifiers

Nadeshiko beat U.S. again, move to final

Zaccheroni hoping to find new talent

Brazil cutting ties with FIFA official

Nadeshiko put away Denmark 2-0

More World Cup news >>

Soccer Scene by Andrew McKirdy

Kagawa ready to take place among world's elite

Shinji Kagawa set a new goalscoring mark for Japanese players in Europe last weekend, but if the Borussia Dortmund forward's career continues on the same trajectory, it will not be the last record he breaks.

More to Europe than meets the eye for players moving abroad

Several players have returned to the J. League from frustrating overseas experiences this winter, but until Japanese soccer begins to appreciate the diversity of the European game, more are likely to come unstuck in the future.

Strikers looking to blaze new goal trail in European leagues

Ryoichi Maeda will be disappointed that his proposed move to West Ham United broke down last weekend, but the growing overseas interest in Japanese strikers is nevertheless an encouraging sign for the national team.

Sawa's achievement sets new benchmark for Japanese game

There was never any doubt that Homare Sawa would be named Women's World Player of the Year on Monday, but the significance of the award to the Japanese game still cannot be overstated.

Group A