Mei Shimada

In August 2022, Shima was selected to the U20 Japanese national team and played in 3 matches in the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.^[1] They finished as runner up.^[2]

In August 2023, Shimada was selected into the Japanese national football team to play in the 2022 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China.^[3] The games were actually played in 2023 due to delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the Asian games, Shimada played in four matches^[4] and contributed to Japan's gold medal.^[5]

After graduation from Fujimura Girls' High School [ja], Shimawa was promoted from Urawa Reds' youth team to the senior team in 2021.^[6][7]

Shimada is a key player in the Urawa Reds, she plays as a target forward to bring her team into the attack. Since 2022, she played in 78 matches and scored 22 goals, and contributed significantly to the two WE League championship in season 2022-23 and season 2023-24.^[8] Sponichi described her as a "next generation heroine".^[9] Since Kiko Seike, a key player in the previous seasons, transferred to the Women's Super League club Brighton & Hove Albion, Shimada has to lead the front line of Urawa Reds.^[10]

Shimada is well regarded by sports analysts. For e.g., in a tactical analysis by Football Tribe, the analyst pointed out that Urawa Reds was losing tactically to Cerezo Osaka Yanmar Ladies' 3-1-4-2 formation, but Shimada's "excellence at receiving passes in crowded areas" helped them over come the team from Osaka.^[11] The club's manager also agreed that Shimada's off the ball movement created goal scoring chances for the team.^[12]

In 2023, British media AnalyticsFC selected her as one of the rising stars in Japan, writing that "Her decision making is often on-point and she is rarely seen to hesitate in a critical do-or-die situation...for expected goals, touches in the box, and open play defensive headers she is in the top 10% of the league."^[13]