Cary, NC (April 4, 2017)- The North Carolina Courage has acquired defender and Japanese International Yuri Kawamura, pending receipt of her P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC), ahead of the team’s inaugural NWSL season, the club announced today.
“Yuri is an intelligent, technical professional with a very pure understanding of the game,” said NC Courage Head Coach Paul Riley. “She is terrific in her position, and her experience at the top level is invaluable to our young core group. I love her composure on the ball, and I think she will adjust very well to the speed of play in the NWSL. She has a fabulous work ethic and will fit in seamlessly into our culture at the club.”
The 27-year-old has a tenured international career as she has played in 32 games for Japan with 23 starts since she began with the national team in 2010. As a defender, she has scored twice.
She was a member of the Japan squad that earned a spot in the final match of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup against the U.S. Most recently, Kawamura represented her country at the 2017 Algarve Women’s Football Cup in March.
At the club level, Kawamura has played for Albirex Niigata Ladies, Jef United Ichihara Chiba Ladies, Vegalta Sendai Ladies and Albriex Niigata Ladies.
Kawamura and the North Carolina Courage host the Portland Thorns on April 22 for their inaugural home opener at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park. Individual and season tickets for the North Carolina Courage are currently on sale at NCFCTix.com or by calling our box office at 919-459-8144.
About the NWSL
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is a ten-team Division-I women’s professional soccer league featuring national team players from around the world. The clubs are the Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash, FC Kansas City, North Carolina Courage, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns FC, Seattle Reign FC, Sky Blue FC, and the Washington Spirit. Based in Chicago, the NWSL is supported by the Canadian Soccer Association and the United States Soccer Federation. For more information about the NWSL, log on to the league’s official website at www.NWSLsoccer.com.
About North Carolina Courage
The North Carolina Courage is a professional women’s soccer team that plays in the NWSL. NC Courage, the reigning NWSL champion, plays their home games at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC. For more information, please visit www.www.nccourage.com or follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
