DF 21 ISHIKAWA Rion
The “Wall of Asia.” Standing 172cm tall, she is unrivalled when it comes to defending, using her size and speed to her advantage.
Helped her country to a runners-up finish at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Costa Rica 2022™, playing a key defensive role as one of the central defenders in the back three.
As a teenager, she became Urawa's youngest ever first-team starter in the 2022-23 season, helping the club to back-to-back league titles and earning a place in the league’s best eleven for the second consecutive season.
Made her debut for Nadeshiko Japan against Canada in February 2023 and made her presence felt when she shut out world-class speedster Barbra Banda in last summer's FIFA Women's World Cup match against Zambia.
She has a cheerful personality and never stops smiling, saying, “In good times and bad, if you smile, you will end up in the right direction.”
