IRVINE, Calif.-- UC Irvine women's soccer's next freshman newcomer has some international flavor in Japanese dynamo, Chifumi Sasaki.
Â
Sasaki was born in Tokyo where she's played soccer ever since elementary school. As a fifth and sixth grader, she was selected as a Tokyo region representative which helped vault her to the club team Urawa Red Diamonds in junior high school. Regarded as one of the strongest teams in Japan, she helped her club to the national semifinal five straight years from 2018-22.
Sasaki's strengths are her good vision and high technique as a central midfielder even after her ACL injury that kept her off the field for the 2022 year.
Chifumi's love for soccer pours over outside of game action where she regularly volunteers for low-vision and homeless individuals to help them play soccer because she believes that soccer has the power to make people happy and energetic. She also finds time for hobbies like forest bathing, reading, and watching TV dramas.
Head Coach
Scott Juniper brings on Sasaki to join a crew of internationals already infused into the squad from the Netherlands, England, India, and Egypt, and others with ties to Mexico and Guam. "Chifumi will bring a high soccer IQ and technical ability to the middle of the pitch. She has an exceptional foundation of development and we are excited to bring another international into our team culture."
Â
