Homare Sawa Expecting in January Next Year

Here's a great news to share with you. Last August, Japan's women's soccer team "Nadeshiko Japan" had to send off with saddening tears its long-time heroine Homare Sawa to her marriage with Hiroaki Tsujigami; today, her teammates heard with joyful tears a gladdening news from Sawa that she is expecting her baby in January next year.

Homare Sawa was a star player of Japan's women's soccer team and had played in six world cups. In 2011 in Germany, she scored most point and won MVP to make her team the world championships that year. Sawa participated 4 Olympic games and won silver medals in London, 2012.

Last December, she aired her wish to step aside as she thought it difficult to bring her "body and soul together" into play. In her last official game in the yearend Empress Cup, the All-Japan Women's Championships, she blasted the winning score in to lead her team, INAC Kobe, to the national women's soccer championship. Sawa retired after that contest.

In her thank-you message to the public, Homare Sawa wrote thus (full):

"My husband I are happy to announce the arrival a new life we have awaited. I am expecting in January next year and both of us are very happy to see a new life to join our family.

"I am pleased to announce that we have now entered the stable period. I am thankful to the parents of both families, mine and my husband's, for having brought us up this far; we are most grateful for the great miracle of a new life being born to us.

"I will take every care possible to pass quiet time and prepare my body and soul for that crucial moment.

"I would be most grateful if you could bear with us for various inconveniences in the process and warmly watch us over."

All the happiness in the world, Homare Sawa!

第37回皇后杯、INACと新潟Lが決勝へ進出 https://t.co/Fw1OgKKp1t #jfa #nadeshiko

— なでしこジャパン (@jfa_nadeshiko) 2015年12月24日