In the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup (FCWC), Urawa Reds lost 3-0 to European champions Manchester City FC, missing out on advancing to the finals.

They were brave from the get-go and defended from the front, troubling Manchester City's build-up, but they gradually began to lose ground and had to endure longer in their own half. Just when they tried to push up the line, their midfield defense was breached, leading to an own goal.
The second goal conceded at the beginning of the second half, and the third goal at the end of the second half, were not due to the defense in front of the goal being broken down, but were conceded goals as a result of an attempt to apply pressure from a high line. If we were only thinking about our chances of winning, we might have had a plan to stay at 0-0 and score a goal in the final stages if we had continued to solidify our defense.
However, because they aimed to play Urawa's style of defending in the middle zone, stealing the ball and pointing the arrow at the goal, there were visible differences and issues between them and the world's top players. Backed by the voices of the Urawa fans and supporters who didn't lower their energy even when the score was 0-3, they went out to score until the very end, which is why they could feel how close and far away the goal was. The next time they can steadily close that clear gap and check their growth in an official match will be in the summer of 2025, when the new format of FCWC is scheduled.

However, there is still work left for Urawa to do now. Defeat African champions Al Ahly FC in the third place match. Of course, the prize money is different for 3rd and 4th place. That is important for the club, but above all, it is to finish the battle on the international stage with a victory and carry on to next season. It will also be Maciej Skorza 's last time in charge at Urawa. He is looking forward to seeing whether he will have a second chapter with Urawa after that, but it is meaningful that he can end his dramatic year with coach Maciej with a victory and a smile on his face.

It will be Jose Kante 's last game as an active player, and it will also be Alex Schalk 's last game in Urawa, whose contract has already expired, but there are always encounters and partings in a soccer team. Whether we win or lose this match, we will start our activities with our new team after an off period, but we want to win this match for third place and make "URAWA" resonate around the world.

Opposing team information

Al Ahly FC (African Champions)

There are many clubs named ``Al Ahly'' in the Middle East and North Africa. The reason is that it has the meaning of ``the nation's club'' or ``the people's club.'' A national club whose home is the capital Cairo, they have won 43 league titles and have won 11 times in the CAF Champions League, which determines the African club champion. He also took 3rd place in the 2021 FCWC.

As the list shows, the fact that most of them are Egyptian representatives is a strength in terms of collaboration. The team, led by Swiss coach Marcel Koller, is a collective team in attack and defense, and they carry the ball into the opponent's half with a good sense of distance and nimble passing. There are many scenes where you can make a decision by showing off your skills. 1 Kahalaba, who is at the top, is an effective target man, but rather than hitting an approximate long ball, he should receive a wedge from a midfielder or a center back who has risen to a high position, and the wingers Percy Tau and Hussein El-Shahat can attack the ball positively. Direct.

In the quarterfinals of the FCWC, they defeated Al Ittihad, who participated as the league champions of the host country, 3-1. They used their organizational skills to hold off a talented group that included France national team forward Karim Benzema, midfielder N'Golo Kante, and Brazilian national team midfielder Fabinho. However, in the semi-finals, they faced South American champion Fluminense, and although they attacked with great force from the start, they gradually failed to perform as well as they had hoped, and were overwhelmed by the pressure and technique of their opponents, resulting in a 0-2 loss.

In the third-place deciding match, they will have one more day of rest and preparation than Urawa, so they will likely try to show off their true strengths even more. Also, Coach Koller sometimes changes two or three at a time, so Urawa needs to be careful.

*You can scroll to see the list.

FW Percy Tau
He threatens the opponent's goal with his explosive speed and left-footed shots. He previously played for Brighton in the Premier League, and also experienced the Belgian league on loan. In his younger days, he won the African Championship with Mamelodi Sundowns in his home country of South Africa, and participated in the 2016 FCWC. He participated in the match against Kashima Antlers, but lost 0-2. He has also been a mainstay for the South African national team, often scoring important goals. On the other hand, he is a player who is dedicated to defense, but in the semi-final match against Fluminense, he committed a foul in his own box, giving the opponent a penalty kick that would have given them the opening goal. They are expected to make a switch and face the match for third place, but they must always keep an eye on Urawa's left side.

DF Ali Maarul
He is an experienced full-back for the Tunisian national team and was one of the members that defeated France at the Qatar World Cup. Although he is 33 years old, he is a hard-working craftsman, and just when you think he has struggled on defense, he makes a well-timed attack and simply delivers an accurate cross. His shooting skills are also very high, and he was the top scorer with 14 goals in one season when he belonged to Sfaxian, a local club in his home country. In the match against Al Ittihad, he scored a goal from a penalty kick, but Al Ahly will be in possession of the ball in the match, and we need to be careful of his mid-range shots during periods when Urawa are in their own half.

DF Mohamed Abdelmoneim
A center back with both strength and skill. Even though the majority of the players are from the Egyptian national team, he is one of North Africa's best defensive talents, and has become a mainstay of the national team, along with defender Mohamed El-Shenawy. In the final qualifying round for the Qatar World Cup, he was substituted with an injury in the first half of the first match against Senegal, and was forced to miss the second match, which was crucial for his breakthrough. And Egypt had the painful experience of missing out on the main tournament due to penalties. He has speed and can play as a fullback. He grew up in the club's academy and has participated in Musha Training twice since being promoted to the top, but his ability should be suitable for the big leagues in Europe. It will be interesting to see whether he will continue to remain as a symbolic figure or whether he will seek a challenge in Europe.

Key points and highlights for Urawa Reds victory
Al Ahly is based on a 4-3-3, but it is not variable at will, and there is no doubt that it is easier to get stuck even before Manchester City. In order for Urawa to take the initiative, it will be effective to push their vertically compact blocks up to some high areas and put pressure on Al Ahly.

Basically, Al Ahly aims for a simple, vertical and fast attack, but they tend to go through three midfielders. They don't kick long balls too often, and even if a ball is kicked at forward Kahalaba, centre-backs such as Alexander Scholz and Marius Hoibraten can deal with it. However, it should be noted that if Tau and El-Shacht, who are positioned on the left and right wings, receive a vertical pass from a wide position, they will come to break through the defense at once.
Also, when it comes to counterattacks, rather than attacking with the front three, players such as left-back Marle use sharp running to overtake the ball and increase the number of attackers. Care must be taken to deal with that, but on the other hand, if Urawa successfully hooks the ball or picks up the second ball, a big chance may be created with a "counter of a counter."
Ideally, Urawa would take the ball higher than the middle zone and attack with a short counter. Al Ahly also had a solid defensive organization, and against Fluminense they were set up in a 4-5-1 formation, but when the offense and defense switched, the sides were leaning forward, so it was difficult to see the moment. We want to share attacking areas and attack from a distance that doesn't isolate the ball holder.

It is difficult to achieve a decisive finish with a single pass, but if you dribble one piece vertically, people tend to get closer to the ball side and create space on the far side. If he can pass a diagonal side-change pass there, a decisive scene should emerge from the opposing player. The defense team is also strong against people, but they are not very good at responding to movements that sneak in between. Jose Kante is reliable, but the finishing work of the second-row players will be key.

There is a big difference in the situations Urawa and Al Ahly find themselves in heading into this third-place deciding match. Urawa will enter the off-season with this match, while Al Ahly still has a match left in the year. They have to play the semi-finals of the Egyptian Super Cup in three days. In that sense, the closer the game gets, the more motivated Urawa will be able to win.

This will be Urawa's 60th game this year, but I want them to give it their all and finish the last game of 2023 with a victory. I also hope that the "Urawa Family" has a good Christmas.

Text: Yoshiyuki Kawaji (soccer journalist)