Eriko Arakawa

Eriko Arakawa is a Japanese football player. She plays for Chifure AS Elfen Saitama and formerly played for the Japan national team.

Club career

Arakawa was born in Nerima, Tokyo on 30 October 1979. In 1997, she joined L.League club Yomiuri-Seiyu Beleza from youth team. She was selected Best Eleven in 2003 and 2004. In the September 2008 WPS International Draft, she was drafted by FC Gold Pride in the top level US based Women's Professional Soccer league.
In her first appearance for FC Gold Pride, Arakawa scored the club's first ever goal against the Boston Breakers in a 2–1 victory. It would turn out to be her only goal of the season. Following the end of the 2009 WPS season, she was back to Nippon TV Beleza.
In 2010, she moved to Urawa Reds. From 2013, she played for Chifure AS Elfen Saitama, Nippon TV Beleza and Nippon Sport Science University Fields Yokohama. She is currently playing for Chifure AS Elfen Saitama from 2018.

National team career

On 10 June 2000, Arakawa debuted for Japan national team against Canada. She was a member of Japan's squads at the 2003 and 2007 World Cups, and the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. She played 72 games and scored 20 goals for Japan until 2011.