Urawa defeated Club Leon in the quarterfinals of the FIFA Club World Cup (FCWC). Their next opponent will be European champions Manchester City FC. Heading into the tournament, the players said they wanted to focus on Club Leon first, but of course they have in mind that if they win there, they will be able to take on Manchester City.
But this matchup isn't about making memories. What kind of result awaits you if you seriously go to defeat him? Ken Iwao said, ``I think a lot of people (who visited the stadium) came to see Manchester City win, but there's nothing that feels good enough to turn that situation around.''

I have covered many matches in the Middle East, including those involving the Japanese national team, and many of the fans change their favorite teams depending on how the match unfolds. Even though they say they are coming to watch Manchester City, only a small percentage of them are enthusiastic fans and supporters, and depending on the flow of the match, the majority of the audience should be able to be drawn to Urawa. Urawa has strong supporters, but I'm looking forward to their performance in a way that will change the atmosphere of the stadium.

Even if the people around them don't encourage them, the Urawa players should be able to get their bodies filled with adrenaline. That's why they are able to produce such power, but with games lasting for 90 minutes and 30 minutes of overtime in the event of a tie, calmness is required even in the heat of the moment. There's no need to hold back from the start, but I want the team to share decisions about when to play and when to hold on, and to carry on the game without losing consciousness no matter how difficult it is.

Opposing team information

Manchester City FC (European Champions)

There may be no need to explain it now, but they have won the world's highest league, the FA Premier League, five times in the past six seasons, and have won three in a row since the 2020-21 season. Moreover, last season they won the FA Cup and achieved their long-awaited European victory for the first time in the UEFA Champions League.

This is Manchester City's first FCWC, but there is no doubt that they are considered heavy favorites to win, as shown by the odds from major bookmakers. However, since their draw with Chelsea on November 12th, they have been on a downtrend with 1 win, 4 draws, and 1 loss in 6 league games. In the match against Crystal Palace FC, which was played just before they moved to Saudi Arabia, they were trailing 2-0 in the closing stages and missed out on three points.

Moreover, Norwegian national team forward Erling Haaland, who scored 14 points in league games, has missed the last few games, and although he has joined Saudi Arabia, it is uncertain whether he will appear in the match against Urawa. Furthermore, Belgian national team midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who is the original playmaker, has not returned to the pitch since being injured in the opening game of the Premier League. Belgian international Jeremy Doku, who joined from France's Stade Rennes after the start of the season and had two goals and five assists, has also been given a yellow flag due to injury.

That being said, it's Manchester City, the European champions. His build-up, chance creation, and finishing are all at a high level, and even when he is drawn back by the opponent's defense, he has the ability to break them down and score a goal. With a ball possession rate of 60%, and often over 70%, they push the whole team up, and in this flow, central midfielders, fullbacks, and sometimes centerbacks also move into the attacking third.

The system is based on 4-1-4-1, 4-2-3-1, and depending on the match, a back three is also used, but no matter what starting position you have, you can freely change your starting position while holding the ball, and if you push it in, you can have six players. There is no change in his style of showing his face in front of the goal with seven other players. Manager Guardiola pioneered the strategy of having the wingers take up width on the left and right while exploiting the spaces left inside, but recently the ``City strategy'' of solidifying defense and denying space has become popular.

However, one of Manchester City's strengths is that the players share a common sense of not missing even small gaps while moving the ball. If he holds the ball and faces forward, he has the ability to dribble into the penalty area or aim for the goal with a mid-range shot even if the opponent's defense is not completely broken down. Depending on the flow of play, right back Kyle Walker and center back Ruben Diaz can also aim directly at the goal.

However, it will be difficult for Manchester City to play 100% of their normal football in a different environment. It's only been two days since the match against Crystal Palace FC, including the flight, and considering that they are not used to the Saudi Arabian climate and pitch conditions, Urawa can be expected to have a good chance of winning.

*You can scroll to see the list.

GK Ederson

A world-class guardian who supports the high line defense from behind. In attack, he draws passes from teammates like a field player and distributes long and short balls into wide angles. The main style of this team is to hold the ball and attack into the opponent's territory, and Ederson's kicks, which allow him to get behind the opponent with a single feed, are a clear accent and do not allow the opponent's defense to have the courage to push up. . Urawa's goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa is also good at making long passes to running teammates, and even in a serious game, the collaboration between these two players, who are similar in type, is one of the highlights.

DF Joshko Gvardiol
He boasts a strong physique reminiscent of an ancient Roman gladiator, but when attacking, he handles the ball technically and creates decisive scenes with his left-footed kicks. Many fans and supporters of Urawa remember the Croatian national team's match against Japan in the Round of 16 of the Qatar World Cup, in which Hiroki Sakai also played. In that tournament, he was highly regarded as a centre-back with great interpersonal skills, but now at Manchester City, left-backs are on the board, and he not only defends and builds up in the same area, but also attacks to high positions. Eye-catching. We may also see a powerful offensive and defensive matchup with Sakai, who made a shocking comeback against Club Leon.

DF Rico Ruiz

The rising star of the England national team has a high ``soccer IQ'' and is able to play midfield and full-back at a high level. The way he plays has led some to compare him to Philipp Lahm, who played for a long time on the German national team. When Bernardo Silva has the ball on the right, he quickly runs up through the midfield and either pulls in a pass or draws the defender in, creating effective playing space for the players around him. Against Crystal Palace FC, he scored his first goal by cutting in from the left by Jack Grealish and moving in behind the field. He wears the big number 82 on his jersey, and is one of the young talents to keep an eye on, along with Norwegian national team midfielder Oscar Bobb, who also grew up at the academy.

MF Jack Grealish

He is currently one of the most popular players at Manchester City, whose team is on the decline. With the arrival of Jeremy Doku, he became the second-choice left-sided attacker, but he scored his first goal of the season after coming on as a substitute against Tottenham on December 3, and has scored consecutive goals in the last two games without Doku. He may be the player Urawa should be most wary of, as he is the type of player who can't be touched once he rides a wave. He is known for his unique rhythmic dribbling, which many J Leaguers use as a reference when playing. At home stadiums, fans can often be seen imitating the hairstyle of center-parted bangs held up with a headband.

FW Julián Alvarez

Toshihide of the Argentina national team became the world champion at the Qatar World Cup. As he is also known as "Messi's partner", he moves well on the front line and effectively draws passes from his teammates. In other words, he is a "sweating technician." As his league results show, with four goals and six assists, he can both score and cause goals. At 170cm, he is not a big man, but he can also head crosses as seen in the match against Crystal Palace FC. When he comes on at the same time as Haaland, he is in a second top position, but in the last few games he has played in the first top position. He plays the role of stirring up the opponent's defense while shrewdly aiming for the goal.

Key points and highlights for Urawa Reds victory
What is almost certain is that there will be many periods where Manchester City will take possession of the ball and attack, while Urawa will be defensive. However, even in the J League, Urawa Reds have traditionally been good at defending by creating compact blocks in the middle area of the field, the so-called middle zone, rather than trying to steal the ball from the front.

From there, they caught the ball holder who came into the block, Alexander Scholz and Marius Hoibraten powerfully rebounded the ball that was kicked in, and from where they picked up the second ball, they quickly switched offense and defense and aimed for a counter attack. Once you are retreated there, there is a basic priority of holding onto the ball and building from the back. Our strength is that we don't have to suddenly change our ways just because we're playing against Manchester City.

However, if you stand too far back, you will be attacked by more and more people, and even if there are defenders, a split-second switch will lead to a dangerous finish, or you will be subject to a secondary attack from the second ball. In that case, the risk of penalties and cards due to fouls and hands in the box increases. Even though it is expected that we will be on the receiving end of the ball to some extent, we want to stay close to the middle zone and carry the ball as high as possible on offense to avoid a situation like a half-court game.

Basically, they will aim for few chances from counters and restarts, but there will always be a window in the 90 minutes when Urawa can attack, as was the case for the Japanese national team against Spain at the Qatar World Cup. Especially since this is their first match in an unfamiliar environment in the Middle East, it can be assumed that Manchester City won't be able to move the ball around constantly and aim for an immediate recapture with a high press.

Even if the time is 10 or 20 minutes, Urawa's fearless attack will cause Manchester City's defense to be shaken up. To be honest, their defense in front of the goal isn't very strong. In such a situation, Jose Kante 's shooting ability can be relied on, but there is also the possibility that his ability to push in a loose ball that was once blocked by Ederson could be the winning goal. Also, if they receive a foul in the opponent's half, they have no choice but to take advantage of strengths unknown to the opponent, such as Ken Iwao 's quick restart ability.

Of course, the final awaits them after defeating Manchester City, but for now, I want them to not think about that and focus on using all their energy to defeat the European champions. However, even if you win, you need to be careful when taking commemorative photos. The ultimate goal is not to beat Manchester City, but to be number one in the world in the final.

Text: Yoshiyuki Kawaji (soccer journalist)