Azusa Iwashimizu

is a Japanese football player. She played for the Japan national team.
Biography.
Iwashimizu was born in Takizawa on October 14, 1986. In 2003, she was promoted to Nippon TV Beleza (later "Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza") from the youth team. She played 287 matches in Nadeshiko League until 2019. She was elected Best Eleven for 12 years in a row (2006-2017).
On February 18, 2006, when Iwashimizu was 19 years old, she debuted for the Japan national team against Russia. She has played in the 2007, 2011 and 2015 World Cups, winning the 2011 World Cup and winning a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In the final minute of extra time in the 2011 World Cup Final, she was sent off after receiving a red card for slide tackling Alex Morgan. Japan would go on to win the match in the penalty shootout that followed.
Iwashimizu was instrumental in Japan's victory at the 2014 Asian Cup, scoring the winning goal in both the semifinal against China and the final against Australia. She played 122 games and scored 11 goals for Japan until 2016.
Personal life.
Iwashimizu got married in October 2019 and she bore a child in March 2020. So, she took maternity leave in 2019 and 2020 season.