On the 16th, the open draw (lottery) for the 2025 J.League YBC Levain Cup Prime Round matchups was held at the J.League office in Tokyo, with Urawa Reds' Reds brand ambassador Masayuki Okano in attendance.



The former players of each club who advanced to the Prime Round took turns to draw on the special stage. Urawa Reds were the fifth to draw and their match-up was decided. Their opponent in the quarterfinals was Kawasaki Frontale.
(First match: Wednesday, September 3rd at Saitama Stadium 2002, second match: Sunday, September 7th at Uvance Todoroki Stadium by Fujitsu)



Following the draw, Okano commented, "I think it's a very good match. I think it's going to be an exciting Trial." Kawasaki Frontale player Junichi Inamoto also spoke of his enthusiasm for the Prime Round, saying, "I think it's going to be an exciting fight. I think a lot of supporters will come to support us both at home and away."



After the Prime Round match cards were decided, a talk show was held.
Following a talk on the theme of "This year's top new hero candidates," in reference to the "New Hero Award" unique to the Levain Cup, Okano was asked about his memories on the theme of "The Levain Cup for young players." He said, "When I played in the tournament, it was still called the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup, but for young players it's a chance to play. The way you fight is different from league matches, and although it depends on the coach, it's a tournament in which the members change completely, so it's important to see how well you can perform there. For young players, it's a place where they get a chance, so I think it's a great tournament." When asked about his memories from that time, Okano said, "I still remember well Trial we reached the final of the Nabisco Cup in 2004, but lost in the final. Also, in one of Trial I played in the past, I scored a volley shot that was something I would never have been able to do, and it came in added time. Even when I think back on it now, it was such a memorable, terrifying volley shot that I think I was amazing at doing it (laughs)." The talk session continued with Okano's typical humor, drawing laughter from the audience.



When asked about memorable Trial or events during the Levain Cup, Okano replied, "For the first Levain Cup match last year, many Urawa Reds supporters came to Trial against Gainare Tottori economic impact was huge, and the support was fantastic, so the Gainare supporters were very happy.I was very grateful and thankful when the rules were changed to allow J3 teams to participate."

After the talk show, a photo session was held. All the participating former players were photographed together, and the entire program came to an end.



[Reds brand ambassador Masayuki Okano]
(It has been decided that the opponent will be Kawasaki Frontale What is your impression of the opposing team?)
"I have the impression that Frontale always plays good Trial. The other day they drew with Urawa Reds in the league and it was a very good Trial. I think it will be a very exciting game, so I'm looking forward to it."

(Which player would you like to see succeed?)
"I want all the players on the participating teams to perform well, and I want all the players who participate to fight responsibly. I think Frontale will approach the match with the same feeling, and since it will be the only Trial in the tournament, I think if all the players perform well, they will become a good team."

(Urawa Reds will soon be taking part in the big Trial, the FIFA Club World Cup. What are your expectations?)
"The teams participating in the FCWC are all very strong, so I don't know how they will play, but rather than focusing on the results, I think if they can play in a way that they can return home proud of, that will carry over to the Levain Cup and league matches in the future."

(Once again, please tell us your enthusiasm for the Prime Stage)
"I hope we can play a good Trial and get a good result."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]