World Cup Soccer News - urawa reds

Urawa Reds in trouble as J. League nears halfway point

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 04:38:25 +0000

The nightmare continues for Saitama giants Urawa Reds after they were held to a scoreless draw away at fellow strugglers Montedio Yamagata overnight. The Reds have recorded three straight draws since beating bottom club Avispa Fukuoka in June, leaving coach Zeljko Petrovic's side languishing in fifteenth. It's a far cry from the halcyon days when Urawa regularly challenged for the title and to make matters worse, Petrovic has seen veteran Brazilian striker Edmilson depart for Qatari club Al-Gharafa. The Reds have signed towering Serb striker Ranko Despotovic as his replacement, but the Serbian international will need to make an immediate impact if Urawa are to haul themselves clear of the relegation zone. The J. League table as of July 7 sees promoted Chiba side Kashiwa Reysol lead the way from Yokohama F. Marinos and surprise package Vegalta Sendai at the top of the standings. Perennial title challengers Gamba Osaka and Kashima Antlers sit back in the pack having played two games less than many of their opponents, while hapless trio Ventforet Kofu, Montedio Yamagata and Avispa Fukuoka are overwhelming favourites to go down to J2. Highlight weekend fixtures include Vegalta Sendai travelling to a sold-out Hitachi Stadium to take on Kashiwa Reysol, Ventforet Kofu hosting regional rivals Shimizu S-Pulse and high-flying Sanfrecce Hiroshima welcoming Cerezo Osaka to Big Arch Stadium. Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

Urawa Reds the big losers in Golden Week gala

Sat, 07 May 2011 02:30:29 +0000

It's tough being Urawa Reds. The "biggest club in Asia" tag is a difficult one to live down, even if the Saitama giants haven't come close to winning a trophy for years. The Reds burst onto the Asian football scene by winning the J. League under the swashbuckling auspices of German coach Guido Buchwald in 2006, befo re his more circumspect succ essor Holger Osieck steered the Saitama giants to Asian Champions League glory the following year. But no sooner had Urawa begun to dominate the J. League than their world fell apart, as the popular Saitama side spectacularly disintegrated in the 2007 title race, prompting the dismissal of coach Osieck just two games into the 2008 season. Two m ore German coaches followed, but neither Gert Engels nor Volker Finke could steer Urawa to the silverware they so desperately craved. Enter Zeljko Petrovic. The Montenegrin coach enjoyed a peripatetic playing career, turning out for the likes of Dinamo Zagreb, Sevilla and PSV Eindhoven in a 16-year career spent largely in the Netherlands. Petrovic ended his playing days at small Dutch outfit RKC Waalwijk - the club he coached in the Dutch second division in 2007-08 - but crucially he also enjoyed a three-year spell in Japan with Urawa Reds. Petrovic's time in Japan coincided with Urawa's relegation to the second tier of the J. League and the charismatic coach knows all about the Reds' storied history. Urawa packed out every game of their compact Komaba Stadium home in the second divi sion and crowds have continued to grow since their move to the futuristic Saitama Stadium. Indeed, a crowd of 42,767 fans turned out at Saitama Stadium on April 24 to see Urawa hammer defending champions Nagoya Grampus 3-0, in a match in which playmaker Yosuke Kashiwagi and diminutive forward G enki Haraguchi tore the Nagoya defence apart. Fast forward to May 7, however, and the Reds are under pressure following two straight Golden Week defeats. A emotional 1-0 loss to locals Vegalta in the earthquake-shattered surrounds of Sendai gave way to a similarly disappointing 2-0 defeat to regional rivals Yokohama F. Marinos, when 47,056 mostly home fans left less than impressed by Urawa's shoddy defending and inability to convert chances. Another big crowd is expected to descend upon the Nat ional Stadium in Tokyo today, where Chiba side Kashiwa Reysol host the Reds in a late-afternoon blockbuster. The promoted Sun Kings set the early pace this season, winning their first three games before crashing back to earth with an unlucky 2-1 defeat to Montedio in the rugged wilds of Yamagata. The vast horde of Reds fans who travel home and away to support their team means Kashiwa are unwilling to host this game at their compact Hitachi Stadium, so home advantage is lost as Reysol prepare to welcome the Reds to the neutral confines of Kokuritsu. The venue has hosted some thrilling clashes between these two sides over the years, most notably on the same weekend two seasons ago, when Sergio Escudero crashed home the unlikeliest of winners to propel Urawa to a stunning 3-2 come-from-behind victory in driving rain. A calm Petrovic has shrugged off the back-to-back defeats to Vegalta and F. Marinos, saying his side are still confident despite the Golden Week setback. "Currently, our players' spirits are high and very strong," he told the club's website. "Their physical conditions are also well. For this reason, all we have to do now is to believe in our play style and just fight." Fighting is a given, but it's results that count in the business of winning trophies. Another defeat here could spell trouble for new man Petrovic, as he walks the tightrope between staying confident and avoiding catastrophe at one of Asian football's most recognisable clubs. Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

Urawa Reds march to the summit

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 22:33:34 +0000

It's been almost a year in coming, but Urawa Reds finally took possession of the top of the J. League standings following one of their best performances under German coach Volker Finke. The J. League giants brushed aside Kawasaki Frontale 3-0 in front of 46,313 supporters at Saitama Stadium, with early goals from midfielder Hajime Hosogai and diminutive striker Tatsuya Tanaka setting the home team on their way. Hosogai took advantage of some poor Kawasaki defending to chest a loose ball down on the edge of the penalty area, and while he directed his half-volley straight at Eiji Kawashima, the Japan no. 2 could only manage to deflect the ball into the top corner on its way in. Things went from bad to worse for the visitors soon after, as Tatsuya Tanaka embarked on a mazy run from midfield before unleashing a piledriver that flashed into the top corner of the goal, with the superb strike no doubt putting Japan coach Takeshi Okada on notice. With talisman Kengo Nakamura on the bench as he continued his recovery from a broken jaw, Kawasaki almost cut the deficit as Masaru Kurotsu's long-range strike looped off a defender and clattered against the post. The Kanagawa side went even closer just minutes later as defender Yusuke Igawa bundled home, only to have his effort incorrectly ruled out for offside. In what was the most highly-charged of encounters, Kawasaki though they had found a way back into the game shortly after the restart, as they were awarded a penalty following Wilfried Sanou's clumsy foul on North Korean international Chong Tese. However Urawa goalkeeper Norihiro Yamagishi proved tough to beat from twelve yards, as he guessed correctly to fling himself to his right and keep out Renatinho's low spot-kick. The stage was set for a final Urawa goal and it came from the unlikeliest of sources, as substitute Satoshi Horinouchi tapped home after Kawashima could only parry Edmilson's curling right-foot strike. "I think we're on the right track, regardless of what anyone thinks and today's result and performance back that up," Urawa coach Finke told The Daily Yomiuri after the match. "The two early goals certainly helped and I think given the way we were playing, the third goal was just a matter of time." Urawa leapfrogged Shimizu S-Pulse into top spot in the standings, although the Shizuoka side remain the only unbeaten team left following their 1-1 draw away at Gamba Osaka on Saturday. Veteran Gamba midfielder Tomokazu Myojin opened the scoring for the Kansai side at a packed Expo '70 Stadium in Osaka, however Japan striker Shinji Okazaki equalised with a deflected effort midway through the second half. J2 Relegated sides Kashiwa Reysol, Oita Trinita and JEF United have all made bright starts to life in the second tier, with Kashiwa looking the team to beat after seven rounds of action. Brazilian coach Nelsinho's team are the only unbeaten side left in the division, after the Sun Kings comfortably dispatched of Sagan Tosu 2-0 at Kashiwa Hitachi Stadium in Chiba. Oita Trinita thumped Thespa Kusatsu 3-1 away from home, however JEF United slumped to a disappointing 2-1 loss in front of more than 7,500 fans at Momotaro Stadium in the west of Japan, as the visitors went down 2-1 away at Fagiano Okayama. The Shikoku derby finished scoreless - to the disappointment of the 11,115 fans who turned out at Pocari Sweat Stadium - with local rivals Tokushima Vortis and Ehime FC forced to share the spoils in a hard-fought encounter. Kashiwa Reysol lead the nascent standings from Oita Trinita, with surprise package Roasso Kumamoto currently lying in third place in the table. Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags World Cup Pens World Cup football

Urawa Reds grappling with crisis

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:05:37 +0000

Whisper it quietly, but Urawa Reds might soon be dealing with a full-blown crisis. When they needed desperately to win, Urawa Reds slumped to one of the most stunning defeats in recent J. League history as the Saitama giants were torn apart by second-from-bottom Kashiwa Reysol. The 4-1 scoreline is only half the story. Kashiwa's masterful passing game had the Reds chasing shadows, and when Urawa did pour forward they were hit time and again by Reysol's incisive counter-attacks. That the J. League's second-from-bottom team could so comprehensively inflict defeat upon one of Japan's biggest clubs is a testament to the competitiveness of the league.

Engels pilots humbled Reds to first win

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 03:31:25 +0000

New Urawa Reds manager Gert Engels guided the Asian champions to their first win of the season on Sunday, snapping a four-game drought that included two losses in the J.League and a loss and a draw in the league Nabisco Cup. The Reds defeated Albirex Niigata 3-0 on goals from Takahito Soma, Marcus Tulio Tanaka and Yuichiro Nagai on a rainy afternoon at Saitama Stadium. Afterwards we caught up with Engels, the former assistant manager who was promoted after the firing of fellow German Holger Osieck two games into the 2008 season. Engels said the win meant a significant weight had been lifted from his and his team’s shoulders and added that he hoped the victory would lead to greater things to come this year as the Reds look to regain the league and Emperor’s Cup titles they lost to the Kashima Antlers last year. Q: You must be relieved to have won today … A: Yes that’s the right word, relief. It was very important for us to win here and to win with such a goal difference is even better. 3-0 sounds good, even though it could have ended 3-1 or even 5-2. But I think we got the crowd to support because we tried to play aggressive and go forward and it’s important we do that here at home. Q: It looked like the players were keen to run up the score. A: In the second half we pushed a little too hard. We have to remember that we have a game on Wednesday. There were some situations where we shouldn’t have looked for the fastest way to the goal, we should have kept the ball a little more. There were a few scenes where (Hajime) Hosogai played the ball to Umesaki when he was under pressure. He should have stopped and passed back or tried the other side of the pitch. But I’m happy my players did this, they are young and can recover in the next two days. It’s better than playing too slowly. It was important for our fans that we pushed till the end. Q: You used Tulio as a (defensive) midfielder for the first time. It looked like a stroke of genius in retrospect. A: I think it worked. But everyone knows he’s not the big mover. And we have three games in a row now. We will see. The defense line worked well and Hosogai played 90 minutes with the Olympic team so I really though Tulio could influence the game more from the center of the pitch than from the back. I know he’s a player who likes to push forward and I thought (as a defender) there would be situations where he pushed forward too much and left us with only two defenders. As a midfielder he was in a situation where he could push. If he pushed too much, Keita (Suzuki) was there, Hosogai was there and even (captain Nobuhisa) Yamada, who was told to cover in the middle a little bit. I thought Tulio’s movement was good, and he scored a beautiful goal, which was a very good combination from everybody up front. Q: Keita Suzuki went off injured today and hasn’t looked at all sharp this season. Do you think he’s overworked? A: As you see, not only in our team but the national team they are not in good shape. And there are a few injuries in the national team, including now our Keita and (Naohiro) Takahara and even from other teams. It’s a big problem. I’m going to try to give the players more rest. If we play in the Nabisco Cup, these players play national team. It’s difficult to get them rest. We can try to rest them in training. If they have a lot of games we need to take care and maybe we can give them special training. It could be a problem with the Olympic squad, with Hosogai and (Tsukasa) Umesaki. We had a tough and long season last year and our players started up again in the middle of January. Q: This is your first win as Reds manager. Was it a special victory for you? A: I’ll remember this game, definitely. Whatever happens from now you never know. But I think the first win at home as a manager of a team like the Reds, I will remember it, definitely. A: You left defender Keisuke Tsuboi on the bench today in favor of rookie Shunsuke Tsutsumi. Can we have a few comments on that? A: We need to do this. If you are not really satisfied and you feel a player doesn’t have the confidence he usually has … We have a good squad and we can change players from game to game. And if they are used to this tension you can rest them and make them fresh again if you find the right way to do it. I think it’s very important for our team. Last year of course the pressure from the Champions League was immense, that’s why we couldn’t change players so much, we didn’t want to, and it didn’t pay off in the final weeks. I hope I can change players with the same quality more often to give them more rest and to push them. I spoke to Tsuboi and I think he himself was not very comfortable. He resigned from the national team and I thought that this would be a step forward to concentrate on his game and on his play. It showed that he was a little unsure. I said to him that if everything goes normal you will be a vital player for our team. But at the moment you don’t have the self confidence to do this. And he did very well in training the two days after. I think it was a relief for him, to be honest. But I’m sure we will need him. We will be playing offensively and we will need him to defend against counterattacking teams and I am sure we will need him. He’s a very important player for our team. Q: Osieck was canned two games into the season. What do you feel you need to do to ensure you’re still around at this time next year? A: It’s very easy: I need to win as much as possible. If we play good soccer like we did today, if we play Reds soccer, the people will forgive us if we don’t win all four titles. But my objective is of course to win titles with the Reds and to keep the team moving. And maybe also to bring young players in. Q: On injured striker Takahara: A: Takahara himself feels good with his injury. He moved well yesterday but the doctor sees an injury on the X-ray so we have to be careful. I hope for him and for us he can play against Jubilo (April 5). But the medical staff says he’s got a better chance of being ready for the game here against Kashima (April 13). It’s a risk in a young season to bring him in. We’ve got Edmilson up front, Nagai and surely we will need Takahara, but now it’s a risk. Q: On striker Nagai: A: I’m happy with what he’s been doing the last couple of games. He works very hard and he’s in good shape. He is of the age now where he also has to take responsibility. I think he suffered in the past because he never really had the stability of playing regularly in a season. But he’s become a little bit stronger mentally which is very important for him. Q: On striker Edmilson’s tantrum at being substituted late in the match against his former team: A: We need to talk about that, definitely. That’s what we don’t need now, situations like this. It was 3-0, the game was shut out and I thought we should rest him a little bit. Of course he thinks about Niigata, his former teammates, which I understand 100 percent. But I am not in the position to think about Niigata, or how he wants to score against his old club. The game was won, he’s not yet in his best physical condition and we need him on Wednesday so that’s why I made the decision to take him out. We need to talk about this and then it’s finished. There will be no problem from my side. Copyright: C.G. Williams and Soccerphile Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

Nabisco Cup First Round

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:23:06 +0000

Gert Engel's first match in charge of Urawa Reds, following the sensational sacking of Holger Osieck , ended in defeat. Urawa's loss to Vissel Kobe 1-0 in the Nabisco League Cup was Urawa's third successive loss without scoring. Group A Nagoya Grampus 0 Kyoto Sanga 1 Urawa Reds 0 Vissel Kobe 1 Group B Shimizu S-Pulse 3 FC Tokyo 1 Tokyo Verdy 0 Jubilo 2 Group C Kawasaki Frontale 0 JEF United 2 Kashiwa Reysol 1 Sapporo Consadole 1 Group D F Marinos 1 Oita Trinita 0 Albirex Niigata 2 Omiya Ardija 2 Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League Nabisco Cup Betting

Osieck Sacked Engels New Coach At Urawa Reds

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:50:14 +0000

After only two games, and two defeats, Urawa Reds have sacked their German coach Holger Osieck and replaced him with assistant coach and fellow countryman Gert Engels . Osieck's dismissal, the fastest in J-League history, came after the 2-0 home defeat to Nagoya Grampus on Saturday and an emergency meeting between club president Mitsunori Fujiguchi and general manager Shuzo Nakamura. Osieck's replacement, the affable Gert Engels was previously in charge of both Yokohama Flugels and Kyoto Sanga, teams he lead to Emperor's Cup success. Engels has been at Urawa since 2004 and his own dismissal as Sanga coach after failing to win any of his team's first five matches at the start of the 2003 J-League campaign. Engel's first game in charge will be the Nabisco Cup match at home to Vissel Kobe on Thursday. Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer Holger Osieck J-League Gert Engels Urawa Reds

I WAS A TEENAGE ETOILE DU SOHEIL FAN!

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 03:38:37 +0000

Back to Tokyo for the semi finals of the competition and I noted that Sepp Blatter has already questioned the participation of the Oceania tournament winner. Not only is this the smallest of the federations it also recently lost Australia to the Asian tournament, as they wished the national team to have more competition and also avoid their inevitable World Cup play off against South American opponents. Making my way from the subway stadium to the first game it was noticeable that a large number of locals were sporting the yellow and blue of Boca. I was handed a flyer for La Bombonera, a Japanese bar dedicated to the team, there were a number of people handing them, obviously to boost business for what should be their busiest night ever. The standard of football was raised with the introduction of the first South American champions not to come from Brazil. Etoile showed their intentions with a shot at goal from the kick off. However Boca's slick passing was the key to their win. With 37 minutes gone Palermo put Palacio away down the left wing who played an intricate ball into the feet of Nery Cardozo who gleefully hammered the ball into the roof of the net. Etoile shook off the defensive qualities that saw them through their qualifying match and showed that they could play. The Argentinian side have been quoted as saying that they have to win this tournament no matter what, and Fabian Vargas's second yellow proved they are not going to let anyone get in the way. Despite this setback with 25 minutes left Boca reverted to 4-3-2, proving that attack is the best form of defence. They matched their opponents with chances at both ends, cruelly Etoile substitute Gilson Silva hit the post in the last minute. So where better to go having just seen Boca clinch their place in the final than La Bombonera. One useful skill in Japan is orienteering! Directions are given by small diagrams, they may have street names on but I wouldn't know. So having negotiated my way I arrived at a small bar in the back streets of the Yoyogi area. The bar was indeed box shaped and decked out with Boca souvenirs and old Boca matches broadcast in the background. I got talking to one local who had his Boca shirt on and had also gone to the game. During our conversation he pointed to a picture which showed mascots from the J League teams. I quickly reeled of two of the teams. With this I became an instant celebrity. I tried to explain the race that our mascots back in England, but I think this would seem rather tame to them. (Have you seen the clips from the Japanese show where they play football with binoculars on or even the rugby game in fancy dress suits!). Free drinks were the order of the night, Quilmes of course. Next day and it was down the road to Yokohama. Another closely contested game with an excellent atmosphere. The Urawa fans were their usual self. Chanting and pogoing (well almost all of them) to their songs. Urawa conceded territorial advantage but defended well. When they broke they used the width of the whole pitch and became more confident as the game wore on. Kaka was a constant menace but with no end product he switched flanks during the first half looking for a way past a resolute Urawa defence. The chants of the Urawa fans grew louder during the second half as they sensed that their team might get a result. Especially when Washington curled a shot into the corner only for Dida to pluck it out of the air just when it looked like going in. Then the inevitable, Kaka broke down the left and got to the byline and laid the ball into the path of Seedorf who stroked the ball into an empty net. Mysteriously Tanaka who didn't get to Kaka in time to stop the ball being pulled back signalled for his own substitution. At first he held his hamstring and then moments later collapsed as though he had been shot. The Urawa fans gave their all, but their team couldn't do quite enough to get back in the game. The referee blew the final whistle and the chanting stopped, just as suddenly as it had begun in Nagoya. Despite that as I left the stadium I could still hear the chanting in my head. It went (in my best Japanese) - Allez, allez, allez, allez, Allez, allez, allez, Allez, allez, allez, ............................. (repeat until coming to a sudden stop) © Ross Clegg & Soccerphile Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League Urawa Reds Betting

Urawa Reds

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:21:23 +0000

Urawa Reds fans - tightly controlled, regimented, verging on the fascistic, the hordes from Saitama and beyond are the J-League's noisiest fans. "We are the Redsu" will be ringing out tonight when Urawa take on Milan in the semi-final of the World Club Cup. Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League Urawa Reds Betting

Boca Juniors book their place in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:42:16 +0000

Argentine giants Boca Juniors booked their place in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup, but they failed to turn on the style in their 1-0 win over Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel. Midfielder Neri Cardozo scored the only goal before a crowd of 37,255 fans at the National Stadium in Tokyo, while midfielder Fabian Vargas was sent off for a second bookable offence with twenty-five minutes remaining. Etoile started the match with significantly more attacking intent than in their 1-0 win over Mexican side Pachuca , with ex-Liverpool defender Gabriel Paletta looking shaky at the back for Boca. Tunisian starlet Amine Chermiti was causing problems with his penetrating runs, but gradually Boca began to play their way into the match, and they opened the scoring after thirty-seven minutes when striker Rodrigo Palacio cut inside a defender and slid the ball to Neri Cardozo, who beat Etoile keeper Aymen Balbouli with an unstoppable left foot drive. The second half was a tense affair and Boca's cause wasn't helped when midfielder Fabian Vargas received his marching orders from Danish referee Claus Bo Larsen. Etoile saw a golden opportunity to equalise in stoppage time go to waste when substitute Gilson Silva headed wide at the far post. Boca will now meet the winner of tomorrow's semi-final between reigning European champions AC Milan and current Asian champions Urawa Reds , with a crowd of around 70,000 expected to descend upon Yokohama International Stadium to witness that clash. Copyright© Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile Tags Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

Marcus Tulio Tanaka Anchorman?

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 02:38:34 +0000

Like the teams at the World Club Cup I have now adjusted to my surroundings, having arrived in Japan last Friday lunchtime, after an 11 hour flight and nine hours time difference. This gave me enough time to check in at my hotel and have something to eat before collecting my tickets for the tournament and attending the opening game. Initial frustrations over my inability to understand the language and even more frustrating being unable to read the signs are overcome by familiarity on my third trip to the country. At least they drive on the left over here. The purchase of a rail pass is a necessity for any foreigner contemplating travelling in Japan as with a couple of trips you will have paid for it. Having done just that, I set off for Kobe on Saturday morning. It is just under 600km away, but only 3 hours by the Hikari Super Express Shinkansen. During the day I managed to take in the 5th Round Emperor's Cup game between Vissel Kobe and Kawaski Frontale, before heading to Chinatown and then viewing the Kobe Luminaire - a light festival held in Kobe every December since 1995 to commemorate the Hanshin earthquake of that year. The streets are closed and lit up forming what seems like an arch that leads to what could be a palace. Returning to Tokyo I met up with a Japanese friend, Tetsuma, to see Pachuca v Etoile Sportive Du Sahel . We had already spotted large groups of schoolchildren dressed in dug out coats (a sure sign that Japanese people are going to the match), and he explained that a large number of tickets were given to schools. As we arrived at the ticket booth we were approached by a young man offering two free tickets for the game. The match itself was frustrating but symptomatic of a lot of games played at this competition over the last few years. Both sides were restrained and play was concentrated around midfield as players held on to the ball for too long. In the first half a couple of Sahel lapses gave Alvarez a chance to shine. Unfortunately he didn't take them and Sahel punished the Mexicans with a deflected strike late on. This delighted the travelling supporters who celebrated for some time with the team and then in the darkness of the stands in the National Stadium (which houses the Prince Chichibu Memorial Sports Museum ). The next day saw proceedings move from Tokyo to Toyota (who just happen to sponsor the tournament). Toyota lies around an hour away from Nagoya, the name of the city was changed in 1959 by the Toyada family who revived the economy of the town by founding the Toyota Motor Company. The magnificent stadium was completed in 2001 and occasionally hosts J-League side Nagoya Grampus Eight (who in a rare role reversal were originally called Toyota Motor S.C.) The local Urawa supporters and FIFA will be delighted that they made it through to this prestigious stage of the tournament. Where they are guaranteed a further two games and a meeting with AC Milan. The silence in the crowd was eerie on Monday night in Toyota as the game was about to kick off. Until the Urawa supporters as one, burst in to rhythmic chanting which continued for the majority of the game. This trance like state was evident as locals around us began joining in by clapping, the older folks around the stadium thankfully refrained from joining in the pogoing. This same concentration was not matched on the pitch by last years Asian Footballer of the year, Tulio, whose defensive lapse let in Sepahan for their goal. After the match it was back to my accommodation a Nagoya, a capsule hotel. Once again the experience can be quite daunting as with most things Japanese there are prescribed ways that things are done. I gathered immediately that my shoes should be removed and placed in a locker. Upon payment I was given a wristband with a locker key and a number. I was shown a map which showed the layout of the beds, mine was number 163. Having placed all my clothes in the locker, I made use of the one size fits all pink shorts. The next room had washing facilities but up the steps I could see the glass door steaming up. Walking through them revealed a communal baths with hot water being pumped through artificially replicating the hot springs found outdoors around Japan. So having observed the ritualsand thoroughly washed myself I saw that a pile of pink shorts lay discardedin the basket next to the door. Oh well, I would have looked silly going in with my shorts. Testing the different pools I noted that one was freezing cold. I opted for the warmer version with the bubbles massaging my back. I then found the sauna, and briefly made use of the cold pool. By this stage of the evening there was no one else around so I sheepishly investigated my surroundings and found a door through which there was a pile of towels and Japanese style pyjamas. Now it was off to find my capsule. (A walk around the place revealed that all the capsules fitted in just two rooms). Having found it, I slid in and proceeded to look for the light switch. I found a radio with an alarm clock but no switch. Eventually I realised that an object I had felt could be a torch. Sure enough it was. I now pulled down my blind and retired for the night. Emerging at around 10a.m. the next morning I noted that everyone else had gone, but it didn't stop me from visiting the pool again. The hardest part of the whole experience turned out to be leaving the place. © Ross Clegg & Soccerphile Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League Urawa Reds Betting

Urawa Reds v Sepahan

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:30:31 +0000

Urawa Reds defeated Sepahan in a rematch of their ACL final showdown , this time 3-1 in front of a partisan 30,000 crowd at Toyota Stadium . On a crisp night in the suburbs of Nagoya, the result never looked in doubt once Yuichiro Nagai converted a low cross from the ever-dangerous Takahito Soma's low cross on the half hour mark. Though the Iranian team twice hit the bar, once just after the interval, the visitors never looked likely winners. Urawa's Brazilian marksman, Washington, converted from a narrow angle 10 minutes in to the second half and an own goal from Hadi Aghily effectively settled the outcome. Sepahan did register a consolation just before the end after a mistake by the hapless Marco Tulio Tanaka, but it is Urawa who will face AC Milan on Thursday in Tokyo.

Sepahan advance to the FIFA Club World Cup quarter-finals

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 16:09:16 +0000

Iranian side Sepahan beat New Zealand outfit Waitakere United 3-1 to advance to the quarter-finals of the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup. Iraq-born striker Emad Mohammed got Sepahan off to a dream start, scoring twice inside the opening four minutes to set up a comfortable win for the Iranians. Sepahan were recently defeated in the 2007 AFC Champions League Final by J-League side Urawa Reds, but their win here sets up a rematch with Urawa just a month after the west Asian team lost to the Reds in their continental decider. Sepahan made light work of semi-professionals Waitakere, with Emad Mohammed heading home the opener after Waitakere goalkeeper Simon Eaddy could only parry Jaba Mujiri's shot. Sixty seconds later Mohammed produced a neat finish to flick the ball passed Eaddy with the Waitakere defence caught square, although there was a suspicion of handball in the build-up to the goal. After totally dominating the first half the onslaught continued immediately after the restart, as forty-nine minutes in Sepahan midfielder Abdul Abu Al Hail hit an innocuous looking drive that was fumbled into the net by the hapless Eaddy. With the majority of the 25,000 strong crowd voicing their support for underdogs Waitakere, the New Zealand side managed to pull a goal back after seventy-four minutes, with ex-Leeds United defender Danny Hay causing confusion inside the six yard box, although the goal was later credited as an own-goal by defender Hadi Aghily. Waitakere produced their best spell in the final ten minutes of the match, but Sepahan managed to hang on to book a showdown with Urawa at Toyota Stadium on December 10. After the match Waitakere coach Chris Milicich blasted his side for their poor defending, conceding that "stupid goals" had cost his team dearly. Sepahan coach Luka Bonacic claimed that his side was looking forward to their rematch with Urawa, a team that Bonacic claimed to respect, but one that the Croatian feels is vulnerable after Urawa recently reliquished both their Emperor's Cup and J-League crowns within the space of a week. Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com Tags Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

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