Soccer: Mitoma named JPFA 2022 player of the year

Japan and Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma was named the 2022 player of the year by the Japan Pro-Footballers Association on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old scored two late goals against Australia in March to send Japan to the World Cup in Qatar and also starred in the finals, where he set up the winner during a 2-1 comeback win over Spain in the group stage.

Mitoma was in scintillating form at the end of last season at Royal Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium and with Brighton in the English Premier League this season, quickly becoming a fan favorite.

“I was rated highly by the players who competed with ...