On the 22nd, the Saitama Soccer Festa 2024 was held at NACK5 Stadium Omiya.
This event, held in collaboration with Saitama City, the Saitama City Football Town Development Promotion Council, and Omiya Ardija was aimed at widely communicating the unique appeal of Saitama as a "football town."
Despite the bitterly cold weather on the day, approximately 2,000 people attended the event at NACK5 Stadium, and it was a day filled with smiles and an opportunity to experience the joy of soccer.

The various soccer experiences allowed participants of all ages to take part in a variety of interactions based on the themes of "playing," "watching," "learning" and "supporting" soccer.
The experience of three types of football for people with disabilities (blind football, low vision futsal and amputee football) gave participants a chance to get a first-hand look at unfamiliar and difficult movements, deepening their understanding of people with disabilities.





In addition, at the "Omiya vs Urawa Dream Match," an alumni player from both clubs played walking soccer in a Saitama Derby match with the general public. The alumni players and participants were seen smiling and enjoying themselves throughout the match, and after the match a ceremony and commemorative photographs were taken.








And in the annual "Omiya vs Urawa OB Special Match," a serious match between OB players from both teams took place. Omiya scored the opening goal in the first half, but a goal from Kazuki Hara tied the score, and then a goal from Akira Tokairin kept the lead at halftime. In the second half, Omiya scored an equalizing goal, and after that, both teams attacked each other, but they conceded a painful goal and lost the match.
After the match, Urawa Reds presented Tanaka Tatsuya, Kashiwagi Yosuke, and Nagata Takuya with bouquets of flowers to introduce the retired players, and the event concluded with a group photo.











[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]