11 years of tears that “should have dried up” for Hikaru Naemoto, the “Masami Nagasawa of the soccer world” who missed two World Cups and the Olympics.

The Women’s World Cup Soccer Tournament began on April 20. Of the 23 members of Japan’s women’s national team (a.k.a. Nadeshiko Japan), only the captain, Saki Kumagai, knows of the victory in Germany 12 years ago, while six were born after 2000, indicating that the team is undergoing a generational change and rejuvenation, with a focus on the future under coach Futoshi Ikeda. The standout player in this group is Hikaru Naumoto, who was selected for Japan’s World Cup squad for the first time at the age of 29.

At the U-20 World Cup in Japan in 2012, she attracted a great deal of attention, and there were high expectations for her to be the future of Japan, both in terms of popularity and ability. The press conference held in Urawa in June was a memorable one.

＜I’ve never been to a big tournament as Nadeshiko Japan, but I’ve been ……

I was choked with tears as I began to speak.

＜I’m sorry, I’ve already dried up my tears.

She was holding her eyes repeatedly, and Hana Takahashi, who was sitting next to her, gently supported her shoulder. The way she did so again brought tears to the eyes of those watching.

＜I’ve been training for a long time with the idea of competing on the world stage,” she said, wiping away tears.

After wiping away her tears, she turned to the front and reiterated her determination.

＜I want to put all of my heart and soul into this tournament.

The press conference was held with the help of his teammates, who are both heading to the World Cup.

Looking back, four years ago in 2007, Naomoto was playing in Germany when he was not selected for the squad for France. However, he joined Freiburg, a first division club in Germany, looking for an opportunity to grow, but he was not satisfied with his time there.

When the author visited Freiburg to cover the tournament, he once encountered Futoshi Ikeda, who was coaching under Asako Takakura at the time, on an inspection tour. This means that he was still on the winning team at that time, but he was not a member of the final team. In an interview conducted immediately after he was not selected, Naomoto was very determined.

I was prepared for both (being eliminated),” he said. Of course, I was prepared for when I was selected. I’m in great shape now, and I’m confident that I can make it if I’m selected, but I knew there was a chance I might not make it.

So I don’t feel like I’m at rock bottom.

He also said, “So I don’t feel like I’m at rock bottom. He seemed to have already switched to the next stage.