Portland Thorns FC signed Japanese midfielder Hina Sugita to a three-year contract on January 26, 2022. The deal was years in the making but the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics stalled the deal until now.
Sugita turns 25 years old today and has already racked up loads of international experience on the youth and senior levels. She has played in two U-17 Women’s World Cups and was given the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player in her second U-17 World Cup in 2014.
Sugita has thrived in international tournaments, picking up the tournament MVP in the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship in 2013 and the Golden Ball in the 2016 U-20 World Cup.