Sol’s Aya Miyama checks out her new home

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Aya Miyama was introduced to the Home Depot Center on Wednesday morning, and the Los Angeles Sol’s newest player appeared pleased by her new home away from home.

Trailed by a half-dozen photographers, the Japanese midfielder took a tour of the stadium where she will make her Women’s Professional Soccer debut on March 29 against the Washington Freedom.

This was once one of Mia Hamm’s haunts. Now it’s Miya-ma’s playground.

Coming from Japan to play in the new league was an easy decision, according to the 24-year-old.

‘I’m very happy right now,’ she said. ‘The reason I came here was to play with the world’s top players.’

Miyama might rank right up there with them. In 68 appearances for Japan (not 20 as stated in an earlier post), she has scored 19 goals. Two of them came against England at the 2007 Women’s World Cup in China.

‘Amazing,’ she said. ‘I was surprised at how it went.’

English media immediately compared her to David Beckham, the two free kicks having curled into the net from quite a distance. That brought giggles from Miyama.

‘I don’t want to be compared to Beckham,’ she said.

Miyama said she prefers playing in the center of midfield, a spot where she and Aly Wagner might strike up a useful partnership. She began playing soccer as a child, under the guidance of her father. She played in the 2003 and 2007 Women’s World Cups and was a key reason why Japan finished fourth at last year’s Beijing Olympics, where it lost to world champion Germany in the bronze medal game.

‘It’s a big-time signing,’ Charlie Naimo, the Sol’s general manager, said Wednesday. ‘Aya’s not only one of the best young players in the world but one of the best players in the world. She’s a very exciting player, super-technical, active, busy. She’s going to fit perfectly into the style of play that [Sol Coach] Abner Rogers instills in his teams.

‘It’s going to be a very entertaining team, and signing a player like Aya guarantees that.’

The Sol opens training camp on March 1 at the Home Depot Center. Miyama already knows the layout.

-- Grahame L. Jones