NEWS
Special column just before FCWC 2007 edition “What I learned clearly from my first world tournament – from the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup”
There are only two days left until Urawa Reds' first match of the FIFA Club World Cup 2023. What is the meaning of this tournament, where only continental champions from each country are allowed to compete? In order to find the answer, we asked Atsushi Kiyoo, a writer familiar with the Official Matchday Program, to write a special column looking back on the struggles of the past two FIFA Club World Cups.
If you are familiar with those days, please read this before the first match to get a feel for the time, and if you are not, please read it to get a feel for the atmosphere at that time.
2007 FIFA Club World Cup.
It was decided on November 14th that I would be participating in the world championships, but on that day and for a while afterwards, I didn't have time to experience the real feeling of competing in the world championships. As I reflected on the joy of winning in Asia in my first appearance and the journey I took to get there, my tolerance meter must have already reached the red zone. Then, from the next day onwards, there was a battle to win the double crown with the league match, and the final round of the league on December 1st ended because one of the double crowns that we were aiming for was no longer won in the league match. I felt my blood pressure suddenly drop from 140 to 60, and it was difficult to stand up.
For that reason, I didn't really think about FCWC until the tournament approached, but I did feel like the feelings I'd had ever since I started reporting on youth soccer were becoming a reality.
By the way, if I were to talk about the 2007 FCWC, it would be long. This is because I don't feel satisfied unless I say it first. If you are impatient, please start reading from the second subheading.
Meaning of “soccer is a world sport”
It wasn't until 1986, when I began actively reporting on youth sports, that I turned my focus to soccer. This is what I learned from a youth soccer coach I met at that time.
``In soccer, everyone from young boys to adults belong to one association, and countries and regions around the world are united under one organization, the International Football Federation.''
At the time, the coach was talking about it in comparison to baseball. I also knew from interviews that there are many organizations in baseball, so I found the story refreshing.
"So it's not impossible for a club in that area to win the Emperor's Cup and become number one in Japan. Isn't that amazing?"
If so, can a local club become the best in the world? Will he be able to participate in the Toyota Cup?
I didn't really understand that, but I heard that although the Toyota Cup is essentially a tournament to determine the best club in the world, it is not a ``world tournament'' in the true sense of the word.
This was an era when Japan didn't even have a professional soccer league, so I didn't really care about that, and my only impression was that a local club had the potential to become the best in Japan.
In 1993, when the J League began, I heard Urawa Reds supporters singing, "Urawa Red Diamonds, shine on the world!" I saw that the rules of Urawa Reds Supporters Association (formerly the Red Diamonds Supporters Association) state that they ``work to make Urawa Reds the best club in the world.'' Then, the thoughts of that time came back to me.
That's it. If you play soccer, your goal is not to be the best in Japan, but to be the best in the world. Soccer is such a sport.
It is often said that ``soccer is the world's sport,'' which means that everyone can enjoy it with just one ball and is the sport with the most players in the world, but it also means that you can aim for the top of the world from anywhere. I thought it might be.
However, at that time, the Reds were not only number one in the world, but it was not easy for them to escape from the bottom of the J.League, but I have always had the feeling that ``someday'' would happen.
Quarterfinals that I didn't think I deserved to win
After the final round in 2004, when they won the second stage, Reds supporters displayed the words "GO TO ASIA" in the stands as visual support.
Neither "CONGRATULATION" nor "BE THE CHAMP". I thought it was a good idea to express the goal of winning the championship with the words ``going to Asia (participating in the ACL).''
That didn't happen in 2004, but it was a countdown to achieving his long-cherished wish.
Not only the national team, but also the club aims to be the best in the world. That's soccer. In 2007, Urawa Reds, who had set this goal from an early stage, finally stood on the spot.
On Monday, December 10th, when I entered Toyota Stadium, the venue for the Reds' first quarterfinal game, that feeling became even stronger. We have come this far so quickly, appearing in the ACL for the first time and becoming the first Japanese team to win, that it is easy to forget where we started, but we are at the stage that anyone who supports a soccer club should naturally aim for. I indulged in that emotion for a while.
Our opponent in the quarterfinals will be Sepahan of Iran, who we defeated in the ACL final. The result was 3-1, coincidentally the same as the total of the two ACL finals. In a sense, you could say it was a fair result, but I never thought it would be an easy match. If they were to lose here, the value of winning the ACL would drop. There was a sense of tension that we absolutely had to win.
Many Reds supporters probably felt the same way, as the kick-off was at 7:30 pm on a weekday, so the stands were empty before the game started, but by the time it was over, it was so full that you'd think it was a daytime match against Nagoya on a Saturday and Sunday. . I'm sure no one thought that they deserved to win.
FCWC is a must-win tournament
and the semi-final match against AC Milan on December 13th.
Of course, I went to Yokohama International Sports Center with the intention of winning. So before the game that day, I was very angry. I'm sure there are some Reds supporters who will be impressed just by saying that.
When I look at the stand, when did I buy it? The Milan replicas and mufflers are so brand new that you'll think they're there. The people wearing them are probably Japanese.
If it's the Toyota Cup, you'll understand. It's still acceptable if it's a friendly match.
The semi-finals of the tournament to determine the best club in the world. If you sit in a serious game wearing your opponent's merchandise, you're playing against the Reds. I'm sure there were many people who had been fans of Milan for several years who said, ``Finally, this day has come,'' but many of them would have done the same thing whether their opponent was Inter, Chelsea, or Man U.
He seems to be saying that if you're Japanese, you should support Urawa Reds, which is different from my own policy, but I want to disappoint these "Milanista"-like people on my way home, and on the other hand, I want them to watch the Reds next year. I want to make you think about going to I thought so.
That plan came true, and the Reds were unable to create many chances, losing by one point in the second half.
I felt like the path I had been climbing toward the top of the world had ended here. When he went around to take pictures of players greeting players in the stands, he wiped his eyes with his gloves. I guess I really wanted to win.
3rd place deciding match on Sunday, December 16th. Unlike the World Cup, it was held on the same day as the final.
African representative, Tunisia's Etoile Sahel ended in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 tie. We scored two points and won the penalty shootout. However, it was impressive to see that goalkeeper Ryuta Tsuzuki seemed dissatisfied. Maybe it was because in the 75th minute, when we were winning 2-1, we made a small mistake that allowed us to catch up. Still, I wonder if he would have behaved differently if this had been the final. The smiles on the other players' faces also seemed dry. Was that how I felt?
He fought the match in front of him with all his might. The result is 3rd place in the world. However, behind that is the fact that they lost in the semifinals three days ago.
Although this is a result we can be proud of externally, we must not be satisfied. Someday, I hope to reach the finals of this FCWC and win the championship.
The FIFA Club World Cup is neither a festival nor a friendly. It is not a tournament where the goal is to play against the strongest European players.
It's a tournament that you not only have to participate in, but also win. It was at the end of 2007 that I realized clearly that I was competing to become the best in the world.
(2017 edition coming soon)
Jun Kiyoo ◎ Urawa Reds Official Matchday Program
Born in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. After graduating from Chuo University in 1981, he got a job at Saitama Shimbun and has lived in Urawa ever since. Since 1992, he has been in charge of editing the `` Urawa Reds Official Matchday Program (MDP)'', and in 2005, he retired from Saitama Shimbun and is involved in editing MDP as a freelancer.
If you are familiar with those days, please read this before the first match to get a feel for the time, and if you are not, please read it to get a feel for the atmosphere at that time.
2007 FIFA Club World Cup.
It was decided on November 14th that I would be participating in the world championships, but on that day and for a while afterwards, I didn't have time to experience the real feeling of competing in the world championships. As I reflected on the joy of winning in Asia in my first appearance and the journey I took to get there, my tolerance meter must have already reached the red zone. Then, from the next day onwards, there was a battle to win the double crown with the league match, and the final round of the league on December 1st ended because one of the double crowns that we were aiming for was no longer won in the league match. I felt my blood pressure suddenly drop from 140 to 60, and it was difficult to stand up.
For that reason, I didn't really think about FCWC until the tournament approached, but I did feel like the feelings I'd had ever since I started reporting on youth soccer were becoming a reality.
By the way, if I were to talk about the 2007 FCWC, it would be long. This is because I don't feel satisfied unless I say it first. If you are impatient, please start reading from the second subheading.
Meaning of “soccer is a world sport”
It wasn't until 1986, when I began actively reporting on youth sports, that I turned my focus to soccer. This is what I learned from a youth soccer coach I met at that time.
``In soccer, everyone from young boys to adults belong to one association, and countries and regions around the world are united under one organization, the International Football Federation.''
At the time, the coach was talking about it in comparison to baseball. I also knew from interviews that there are many organizations in baseball, so I found the story refreshing.
"So it's not impossible for a club in that area to win the Emperor's Cup and become number one in Japan. Isn't that amazing?"
If so, can a local club become the best in the world? Will he be able to participate in the Toyota Cup?
I didn't really understand that, but I heard that although the Toyota Cup is essentially a tournament to determine the best club in the world, it is not a ``world tournament'' in the true sense of the word.
This was an era when Japan didn't even have a professional soccer league, so I didn't really care about that, and my only impression was that a local club had the potential to become the best in Japan.
In 1993, when the J League began, I heard Urawa Reds supporters singing, "Urawa Red Diamonds, shine on the world!" I saw that the rules of Urawa Reds Supporters Association (formerly the Red Diamonds Supporters Association) state that they ``work to make Urawa Reds the best club in the world.'' Then, the thoughts of that time came back to me.
That's it. If you play soccer, your goal is not to be the best in Japan, but to be the best in the world. Soccer is such a sport.
It is often said that ``soccer is the world's sport,'' which means that everyone can enjoy it with just one ball and is the sport with the most players in the world, but it also means that you can aim for the top of the world from anywhere. I thought it might be.
However, at that time, the Reds were not only number one in the world, but it was not easy for them to escape from the bottom of the J.League, but I have always had the feeling that ``someday'' would happen.
Quarterfinals that I didn't think I deserved to win
After the final round in 2004, when they won the second stage, Reds supporters displayed the words "GO TO ASIA" in the stands as visual support.
Neither "CONGRATULATION" nor "BE THE CHAMP". I thought it was a good idea to express the goal of winning the championship with the words ``going to Asia (participating in the ACL).''
That didn't happen in 2004, but it was a countdown to achieving his long-cherished wish.
Not only the national team, but also the club aims to be the best in the world. That's soccer. In 2007, Urawa Reds, who had set this goal from an early stage, finally stood on the spot.
On Monday, December 10th, when I entered Toyota Stadium, the venue for the Reds' first quarterfinal game, that feeling became even stronger. We have come this far so quickly, appearing in the ACL for the first time and becoming the first Japanese team to win, that it is easy to forget where we started, but we are at the stage that anyone who supports a soccer club should naturally aim for. I indulged in that emotion for a while.
Our opponent in the quarterfinals will be Sepahan of Iran, who we defeated in the ACL final. The result was 3-1, coincidentally the same as the total of the two ACL finals. In a sense, you could say it was a fair result, but I never thought it would be an easy match. If they were to lose here, the value of winning the ACL would drop. There was a sense of tension that we absolutely had to win.
Many Reds supporters probably felt the same way, as the kick-off was at 7:30 pm on a weekday, so the stands were empty before the game started, but by the time it was over, it was so full that you'd think it was a daytime match against Nagoya on a Saturday and Sunday. . I'm sure no one thought that they deserved to win.
FCWC is a must-win tournament
and the semi-final match against AC Milan on December 13th.
Of course, I went to Yokohama International Sports Center with the intention of winning. So before the game that day, I was very angry. I'm sure there are some Reds supporters who will be impressed just by saying that.
When I look at the stand, when did I buy it? The Milan replicas and mufflers are so brand new that you'll think they're there. The people wearing them are probably Japanese.
If it's the Toyota Cup, you'll understand. It's still acceptable if it's a friendly match.
The semi-finals of the tournament to determine the best club in the world. If you sit in a serious game wearing your opponent's merchandise, you're playing against the Reds. I'm sure there were many people who had been fans of Milan for several years who said, ``Finally, this day has come,'' but many of them would have done the same thing whether their opponent was Inter, Chelsea, or Man U.
He seems to be saying that if you're Japanese, you should support Urawa Reds, which is different from my own policy, but I want to disappoint these "Milanista"-like people on my way home, and on the other hand, I want them to watch the Reds next year. I want to make you think about going to I thought so.
That plan came true, and the Reds were unable to create many chances, losing by one point in the second half.
I felt like the path I had been climbing toward the top of the world had ended here. When he went around to take pictures of players greeting players in the stands, he wiped his eyes with his gloves. I guess I really wanted to win.
3rd place deciding match on Sunday, December 16th. Unlike the World Cup, it was held on the same day as the final.
African representative, Tunisia's Etoile Sahel ended in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 tie. We scored two points and won the penalty shootout. However, it was impressive to see that goalkeeper Ryuta Tsuzuki seemed dissatisfied. Maybe it was because in the 75th minute, when we were winning 2-1, we made a small mistake that allowed us to catch up. Still, I wonder if he would have behaved differently if this had been the final. The smiles on the other players' faces also seemed dry. Was that how I felt?
He fought the match in front of him with all his might. The result is 3rd place in the world. However, behind that is the fact that they lost in the semifinals three days ago.
Although this is a result we can be proud of externally, we must not be satisfied. Someday, I hope to reach the finals of this FCWC and win the championship.
The FIFA Club World Cup is neither a festival nor a friendly. It is not a tournament where the goal is to play against the strongest European players.
It's a tournament that you not only have to participate in, but also win. It was at the end of 2007 that I realized clearly that I was competing to become the best in the world.
(2017 edition coming soon)
Jun Kiyoo ◎ Urawa Reds Official Matchday Program
Born in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. After graduating from Chuo University in 1981, he got a job at Saitama Shimbun and has lived in Urawa ever since. Since 1992, he has been in charge of editing the `` Urawa Reds Official Matchday Program (MDP)'', and in 2005, he retired from Saitama Shimbun and is involved in editing MDP as a freelancer.
