HISTORYHistory of Reds in the world
It was the supporters, before the players, who were dreaming of the world.
The most envious person to watch was the club that won the championship in Japan advance to Asian and world competitions.
I am a Reds supporter, and the team's performance was not good.
The supporters' spirit was only expressed through chants of support for the team.
It was on November 28, 2004 that Reds supporters clearly declared, "Let's go to Asia."
The moment came after the final match of the J1 League second stage Sanfrecce Hiroshima, when the players began to circle the stadium.
The words "GO to ASIA" are written behind the goal.
The team won the 2nd stage and will face Yokohama F. Marinos in the championship.
The words he sent off were not "conquering the J-League," but something beyond that.
Unfortunately, they were unable to open the door to Asia that year, but they won the Emperor's Cup the following year in 2005 and earned the right to participate in the ACL in 2007. The ACL 2007 victory was won by the club, team, and supporters as one,
They qualified for the Club World Cup that year.
Since then, they have participated three times, in 2017 (UAE) and 2023 (Saudi Arabia).
This will be Urawa Reds' fourth time competing in a world championship.
Looking back at the past three tournaments.
(Text by Jun Seio)
FIFA Club World Cup
Japan 2007
On November 14, 2007, Urawa Reds put all their effort into winning the ACL. As a result, they qualified to play in the FIFA Club World Cup (FCWC) in December. The Reds made a rapid rise from their first appearance in the ACL to their first victory, then their first appearance in the FCWC and a place in the semi-finals, and now they are facing off against AC Milan, the European representative.
Manchester United, Ajax, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich... They had played against European powerhouses many times before, but they were all friendlies. This match against Milan was a real, serious Trial with a right to play in the final to decide the world's top team. It was something that the Reds players, club staff, and supporters were looking forward to.
On Thursday, December 13th, there was an unprecedented atmosphere at Yokohama International Stadium.
In the chill of December, only one corner of the stadium was filled with Reds supporters. In other areas, people who were not there to support the FCWC semi-final but were happy to be able to watch a popular European team live were chatting. Some of them were die-hard Milanistas, some of them wearing brand new Milan scarves.
I was hoping that the Reds would score first and change the mood, but it didn't happen. They conceded a goal in the 67th minute and lost 0-1 in the semi-finals. The fact that they played with the intention of winning, rather than "learning from their mistakes," showed how great the frustration and sense of loss were after Trial.
The Reds' first FCWC experience showed them the gap between them and the world's best, and although they managed to achieve some success by beating African team Etoile Sahel in the third-place play-off three days later, they would have to wait another decade before putting that experience to good use on the FCWC stage again.
FIFA Club World Cup
UAE 2017
Since 2009, the level of the ACL as a whole has risen as Asian clubs have become stronger. Urawa Reds participated in the ACL in 2013, 2015, and 2016, but their best result during that time was reaching the top 16. However, the experience of participating three times in four years has been a big factor, and in 2017 they won the Asian championship for the second time in 10 years, and qualified for the FCWC for the second time in 10 years. Unlike the tournament held in Japan 10 years ago, this tournament was held overseas, in the faraway UAE, and it was an opportunity to test their true strength.
Meanwhile, it was decided in May that Real Madrid would represent Europe in the FCWC, and the draw would see an Asian team facing off against a European team in the semi-finals.
As they advanced through the ACL, the motto became, "We will win the Asian championship and face Real Madrid." This mindset became even stronger after they won the ACL and were selected as the Asian representative. Even though they knew that there was a quarterfinal before the semifinal, no one around them seemed to notice it.
On December 9th, the quarter-finals were held in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Their opponent was Al Jazira, who had defeated Oceania representative Auckland City in the first round three days earlier. The club was the winner of the 2016-17 UAE League and was based in Abu Dhabi. The Reds dominated Trial and created chances, but the score was still 0-0 at half-time. In the 52nd minute, they conceded a goal from a counter attack after pushing forward. After that, they tried their best to score a goal, but their defense was defeated and the game ended. They were too conscious of the match against Real Madrid and neglected their footwork.
The Reds finished the tournament in 5th place after winning the 5th place deciding match against Wydad Casablanca (Morocco, African representative) held in Al Ain on the 12th. And this experience will also be a source of motivation for them.
FIFA Club World Cup
Saudi Arabia 2023
Six years after 2017, Urawa Reds made their third appearance in the FCWC.
Due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACL 2022 regulations were changed. Only the two final Trial were held in May 2023, and the Reds won their third title, the most in Asia. For the seven months leading up to the FCWC in Saudi Arabia in December, the Reds kept the FCWC in mind as they played in the J.League and the ACL 2023-24 group stage, and nine days after those matches ended, they played their first FCWC match.
According to the draw, Manchester City was waiting for them in the semi-finals, but when talking about the FCWC, manager Maciej Skorza always said, "Our first match will be against Club Leon (North, Central American and Caribbean representative, Mexico)."
Thanks to this, they beat Club Leon 1-0 in the quarterfinals on December 15. However, they were defeated 0-3 by Manchester City in the semifinals on the 19th. They defended tenaciously in the first half, but conceded an own goal in added time, and then lost two more points despite a failed counterattack in the second half.
Just like their first appearance in 2007, they felt the gap in strength between them and the European teams, but they aimed for their highest ever ranking of third place and played the third place deciding match against Al Ahly (African representative = Egypt). They once caught up after being two goals behind, but were then defeated 2-4, but it was Trial worthy of the final game of the season, with the team giving it their all, and this was the Reds' 60th official game of the season, Trial most in their history.
The FCWC2025, which will be held in the United States from June this year, will be the fourth time the team has participated. Until now, it had been 10 years and 6 years since the last time they participated, but this time there are many players who participated two years ago. It will also be the first time that the same coach will be in charge as the last time.
How will Urawa Reds fight in the 2025 FCWC, with its completely changed scale and format? If I may express my personal wish, I hope they will reach the quarterfinals or higher in the World Cup before the Japanese national team does. I also want them to make the Club World Cup and the name of Urawa known to the world.