Durham Reporter

The North Carolina Courage have finalized a transfer agreement to acquire Shinomi Koyama, a 19-year-old midfielder from Japan. The player is joining the team from Swedish club Djurgårdens IF under an agreed fee and has signed a three-year contract that extends through the 2027 NWSL season. Shinomi will need an international spot and will join the team once her P1 Visa is processed.

Shinomi served as captain for Japan during the knockout stages of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2024, where she helped secure a silver medal alongside new teammate Manaka Matsukubo. Throughout the tournament, she played all but 45 minutes, captaining four out of seven matches and scoring one goal while playing both midfield and defense positions.

Courage Head Coach Sean Nahas commented on her acquisition: “Adding Shinomi only strengthens an already excellent midfield group for us. A young talent who has started to emerge on the world stage. Extremely cerebral, technically proficient, and an excellent passer, she will fit right into our style of play and be herself. Having her join players such as Denise O’Sullivan and Riley Jackson will make our daily environment that much better. She will be a great addition to our team along with our culture and we cannot wait to have her here in NC. I know our supporters will welcome her with open arms in the coming months! Yet another great day for our club.”

Before moving to Djurgårdens IF, Shinomi made appearances for Kobe Leonessa in Japan's WE League during the 2022-23 season before transferring to Cezero Osaka for seven appearances in the 2023-24 season. In Sweden's league, she made 21 appearances in 2024, scoring four goals. Across her professional career so far, Shinomi has accumulated nine goals and one assist over 41 league matches.

On the international stage, Shinomi debuted with Japan's senior team in a friendly against New Zealand in 2022 and was recently called up again during late 2024.