With shades of Man Utd, Urawa vow to bring the noise at Club World Cup

New Straits Times

2 days ago

SAITAMA, JAPAN: 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 travelling supporters.
Japan's best-supported club face Inter Milan, River Plate and Monterrey in the opening round when the revamped competition kicks off on 14 June.
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 match 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.
"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 match.
"I often bring workmates to games to show them what it's really like."
Urawa began life as Mitsubishi's company team, and their official name, 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 former German international and 1990 World Cup winner Guido Buchwald.
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."
Professional football only began in Japan in 1993, but it took root quickly in Urawa.
The club signed overseas players including Buchwald and brought through home-grown 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 match.
The incident earned Urawa the dubious distinction of becoming the first Japanese club ordered to play a game behind closed doors.
One Urawa fan who has attended matches 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.
"No other club can match us."
Urawa are coached by Poland's Maciej Skorża, 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 held 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 Høibråten 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.