For Trial second of their three home games during Golden Week, Urawa Reds will face Kawasaki Frontale on April 29th (Wednesday, a national holiday), which is also Showa Day.

Kawasaki has won the most titles among J.League clubs over the past decade.
When former manager Toru Oniki (current Kashima Antlers manager) took over in 2017, the team immediately became J.League champions, and in 2018, they won the J1 League title for the second consecutive year.
In 2019 they won the YBC Levain Cup, in 2020 the J1 League and the Emperor's Cup, and in 2021 they won the J1 League again for the second consecutive year, winning a total of six titles every year for five years, and in 2023 they won the Emperor's Cup.

Although they have been without a title for the past two seasons, Avispa Fukuoka is entering its second year under manager Shigetoshi Hasebe, who brought the club its first-ever title. Building on their attacking prowess, which led the league in goals scored last season, they are also working to improve their defense and are poised to become a major force in the league.

The players I'd like to highlight as ones to watch in this match are Takahiro Sekine of Urawa and Yasuto Wakizaka of Kawasaki.

Not only were the two classmates who grew up in the youth academies of Urawa and Kawasaki, but they also named each other as the player who had the biggest impact on them.
It's not uncommon for players who are close friends to mention each other's names.
However, these two are not particularly close friends, and the fact that neither of them knew the other had mentioned their name until a few years ago undoubtedly proves that they respect each other.

Sekine has been playing in a deeper position since Wakisaka's injury, but he contributes to both offense and defense while showing a fighting spirit as a full-back.
Wakisaka is an indispensable player for the team, not only leading the attack with his high technical skills as an attacking midfielder, but also supporting the defense from the front line.

These two have had many memorable matches, especially in the late 2010s. A heated battle is expected to unfold, with Sekine and Wakisaka shining as they push each other to improve.

The final of Urawa Reds' three home games during Golden Week will be against JEF United Ichihara Chiba on (Sat), May 2nd.

Chiba, along with Urawa, is one of the original 10 J1 teams, but this is their first return to J1 in 17 years.
Since Chiba was relegated to J2, Urawa and Chiba had not faced each other even once, including in the Emperor's Cup, where teams from any category can compete, until the opening match of this season's MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE also marks the first time Urawa has hosted Chiba at Saitama Stadium since the 28th round of the J1 League on October 3, 2009, approximately 16 years and 7 months ago.
None of the players who were on the squad for that Trial still play for Urawa today, and in Chiba, only Koki Yonekura remains.

Since manager Yoshiyuki Kobayashi took over in 2023, Chiba has adopted an aggressive, fast-paced style of football both offensively and defensively. The player they need to watch out for is Makoto Himeno.
The ambidextrous winger, who bravely attempted to break through in the opening match, has become a central player for Chiba, making it easy to forget he's only 17 years old when he's on the pitch.

On the other hand, the player to watch at Urawa is 16-year-old Takeshi Wada, who has already signed a professional contract, and who said that watching Himeno play in the opening match "was the most inspiring thing I've ever seen." However, it seems he may need a little more time to get playing time.
However, while Himeno is in his second year as a professional, Urawa has a rookie who has made a name for himself after being a specially designated player.
This is Renji Hidano.
The striker, who has been scoring goals since his goal in the away match against Chiba, is sure to thrill the stadium with his impressive speed, dribbling skills, and high scoring ability.

Another essential point when discussing Chiba is the passion of their fans and supporters. The fans and supporters, whom manager Kobayashi and the players cite as a major factor in their promotion to J1, have been supporting the team since their J2 days, with many fans traveling to away games.
Of course, Urawa is second to none when it comes to the passion of its fans and supporters. I highly recommend experiencing the atmosphere created by both teams' fans and supporters in the middle of Golden Week at the stadium.