Kentucky Derby 2025 preview: Admire Daytona
Admire Daytona, trained by Yukihiro Kato and ridden by Christophe Lemaire, is one of two Japanese horses that qualified for the Derby and is the second-best of the two, according to Drew Dinsick.
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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
With shades of Man Utd, Urawa vow to bring the noise at Club World Cup
Japan's Urawa Reds will compete at the Club World Cup in the United States (Yuichi YAMAZAKI) Their raucous fans are the self-styled bad boys of Japanese football and the team's red shirts, white shorts and black socks bear more than a passing resemblance to Manchester United. But while the fallen English giants won't be at the Club World Cup, Urawa Reds will and are set to be roared on in the United States by more than 5,000 followers. Advertisement Japan's best-supported club face Inter Milan, River Plate and Monterrey in the opening round when the revamped competition starts on June 14. Urawa is a nondescript suburb about an hour north of Tokyo and the team have been known to draw crowds of over 50,000 to their Saitama Stadium home. Crowd trouble is extremely rare in Japan but Urawa were banned from last season's domestic cup after "ultra" supporters ripped down barriers and threatened opposition fans. In 2014 they were forced to play a game behind closed doors after fans displayed a racist banner. Supporters say they are misunderstood and are looking forward to hoisting their flags and belting out their songs in front of a global audience. Advertisement "People who aren't really interested in football think that we're scary people, but I always tell them that's not true," Urawa fan Kakeru Inoue told AFP before a recent game. "I often bring workmates to games to show them what it's really like." - United link - Urawa began life as Mitsubishi's company team and their official name of Urawa Red Diamonds is a nod to the industrial behemoth's corporate logo. They were originally called Mitsubishi Urawa Football Club, or MUFC, another link to the Premier League side. Despite having been crowned Asian champions three times, Urawa have only won the domestic J. League once, in 2006 under German former player and 1990 World Cup winner Guido Buchwald. Advertisement Urawa have appeared at the Club World Cup three times, most recently losing 3-0 to Manchester City in the semi-finals in 2023. Veteran goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa says they are proud to be the only Japanese team at the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup. "The competition will get a lot of attention from around the world and it has a big meaning for us," he said. "Who knows whether a Japanese team will play in it again because you need to become Asian champions to earn that right." - 'Ultra culture' - Professional football only started in Japan in 1993 but it took root quickly in Urawa. Advertisement The club signed overseas players including Buchwald and brought through homegrown internationals like Shinji Ono, Makoto Hasebe and current Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. The club's achievements have at times been overshadowed by their fans, who hung a banner reading "Japanese only" over an entrance to the stands before a 2014 game. The incident earned Urawa the dubious distinction of becoming the first Japanese club to be ordered to play a game behind closed doors. One Urawa fan who has attended games since the J. League began said the club were "all about ultra culture". "That's something you can only get in Urawa," said the supporter, who gave his name only as Nakaji. Advertisement "No other club can match us." Urawa are coached by Poland's Maciej Skorza, who is back for a second spell after leading the club to the Asian Champions League title in 2023. The Club World Cup is being played in the middle of the J. League season, which runs from February to December. Urawa have made a strong start to their domestic campaign and look poised to challenge for the title, having finished 13th last season. Norwegian defender Marius Hoibraten says the Club World Cup is "a motivation rather than a distraction". "Being able to meet the best teams from other countries is a nice experience for us, everyone is buzzing," said the 30-year-old, one of the few non-Japanese players in Urawa's squad. "It's a little bit of unknown water. Everyone is really looking forward to it." amk/pst/as
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dodgers Predicted to Enter Bidding War With Padres for Two-Time All-Star
Dodgers Predicted to Enter Bidding War With Padres for Two-Time All-Star originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Dodgers spent the offseason building what appeared to be an unbeatable starting rotation. They acquired Tyler Glasnow, signed Blake Snell, brought in Japanese star Roki Sasaki, and made long-term plans around Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. On paper, it looked elite. On the field, it's become unstable. Advertisement While Yamamoto has become a Cy Young candidate, injuries have once again wrecked the Dodgers' pitching depth. Glasnow, Snell, Sasaki, and Tony Gonsolin are all on the injured list, and Ohtani has yet to take the mound. The Dodgers have been forced to lean heavily on fill-ins Ryan Yarbrough and Landon Knack to get through the first half. While those arms have held their own, it's clear Los Angeles needs reinforcements if it wants to make a legitimate World Series push. According to Just Baseball's Zach Lutz, that instability could push the Dodgers toward one of the biggest potential trade chips this summer — Houston Astros ace Framber Valdez. Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Daikin Taormina-Imagn Images 'If Houston does sell,' Lutz writes, 'the Dodgers and Padres could be front-runners. Both are in contention and could use a durable left-handed starter.' Advertisement Valdez, a two-time All-Star and possessing a 3.07 ERA over 85 innings in 2025, would immediately slot near the top of the Dodgers' rotation and give them another playoff-caliber weapon to pair with Yamamoto. With Ohtani out as a pitcher and Glasnow and Snell uncertain long-term, Lutz suggests Los Angeles could be one of the most motivated teams at the deadline. Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres, locked in a tight NL West race with the Dodgers, have pitching needs of their own. Lutz highlights the Padres' desire to reinforce their staff behind Michael King and Dylan Cease, who has struggled with consistency. A frontline starter like Valdez could give them the boost needed to not only reach the postseason but go deeper into October. The two clubs, separated by just a game, could reignite one of the most competitive rivalries in baseball with a trade deadline bidding war. The winner of such could find it to be the difference in a division title or a Wild Card appearance. One wrinkle to Lutz's analysis is that the Astros remain just 2.5 games back of the AL West lead. If they slide in the standings, Lutz believes Los Angeles will be among the first teams to call. However, if Houston makes a strong pre-trade deadline push, it could remove Valdez from the market entirely. Related: Dodgers' Gonsolin Not Facing Worst-Case Scenario After Injury This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kashima Antlers bring Sint Truiden defender back to the J League
Sint Truiden have announced that left-back Ryoya Ogawa has left the club to join Kashima Antlers in the J League. The 28-year-old spent a few seasons in Europe but has now returned to Japan where he started his career. Neither side has discolosed whether or not there wsa a transfer fee and how many years the defender has signed with Kashima Antlers. Ogawa, who has been capped five times by the Japanese national team, began his career with FC Tokyo. After 173 appearances and six goals for the side, he spent a season on loan in Portugal with Vitoria de Guimaraes. Ogawa only made 11 appearances for the Portuguese outfit, but remained in Europe at the end of the 2022/2023 season by joining up with Sint Truiden. Initially on loan, Ogawa was brought in permanently last summer as a replacement for Eric Bocat, who had left to join Stoke City. Despite the sides struggles in the league, Ogawa had a good season. The left-sided player played 38 games in total for the club, scoring twice and providing four assists. He now joins a Kashima Antlers side that are top of the J league, while his former club FC Tokyo are down in 18th place. GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson
