Skipper and playmaker Homare Sawa, whose scintillating performances wowed millions of fans worldwide, says the team will not rest on its laurels after upsetting hot favourites and two-time champions  the United States on penalties in the final in Frankfurt on Sunday (July 17).

"It's human nature to want more," Sawa told a packed news conference in Tokyo after the team arrived home.

"With this gold medal in front of me, I really feel that my next goal is to grab the Olympic gold medal as we have yet to get any medal at the Olympics."

Asian qualifying will be held in China in September with six nations - Australia, China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea and Thailand - vying for two Olympic berths.

"The Asian Olympic qualifying round will start this year with other tournaments and matches coming up soon," said Sawa.

"I want to condition myself for the battles ahead."

The Japanese, who finished fourth at the 2008 Beijing Games but have never managed a podium place in football, became the first Asian country to win either the men's or women's World Cup and put the women's game on the map like never before.



"I've come a long way as a member of the Japanese national team over 18 years," said Sawa, whose career included a stint with US side Washington Freedom.

I never thought I would get the gold medal.

"We still lag behind the United States and Germany in many aspects.

"We must improve individual skills much more."

Japanese coach Norio Sasaki, nicknamed Nadeshiko whose role in her never-say-die team's displays cannot be under-estimated, agreed there was unfinished business as far as the Olympics are concerned.

"We were gutted when we finished fourth in Beijing," she said.

"We will really want a medal at the London Olympics."

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