Japanese soccer player Hina Sugita joins the Portland Thorns' midfield

(FEBRUARY 4, 2022) The Portland Thorns is a popular professional women's soccer team. Some members of its team, however, come from a long way away. This includes a new midfield player named Hina Sugita from Japan.

“Hina is a player that the club has been pursuing for the last few years, and we are happy to welcome her to Portland,” says Karina LeBlanc. Karina is the team's general manager. “She is a young talent with international experience and a skillset that strengthens our roster.”

Hina is just 24 years old, but she has already appeared at the Olympics and World Cup. She is one of the best midfielders in the Japanese league.

“She plays with bravery .... She sees passes others do not see," said her coach. "Her on-field vision, creativity, and ball control ... allow her to find a way out of tight positions to break open opposing teams.”

This is a big change for Hina. It comes with big risks, too. Hina is moving to a new league with a different style. The pace of play here can be faster. It requires lots of physical activity. And, of course, the culture and language are different.

But Hina has been a professional soccer player since she was 18 years old. Now she is thinking about the next level:

• • That could be as a holding midfielder. Her quality on the ball and speed of play would add something new to almost any team.

  • That could be as a central midfielder. Her skill on the ball would be used like a weapon in the big, open spaces created by the Thorns’ forwards.

  • That could be as an attacking midfielder. Her creativity and technical quality would bring a new dimension to the team’s attacking options.

Whatever the case, Hina is arriving just in time to spend the most important years of her career in Oregon.