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Urawa Reds -- Preseason Summary
The Beatles used to say that "money cant buy me love". Well, in the case of the Urawa Reds, love seems to be the one thing that money CAN buy. What it cant necessarily deliver, however, is a piece of silverware. Though the Reds did manage to shatter the so-called "ACL jinx", and capture an Asian championship last season, a look at prior holders of that trophy will tell you that it isnt as good an indicator of "success" as a domestic championship (the team that Urawa dethroned -- Jeonbuk Hyundai -- finished dead last in the K.League in the same season that they won the ACL trophy). What Urawa failed to do was win a domestic title in 2007. Indeed, despite the three stars they wear on the front of their uniforms, the Reds have only one J.League championship in their entire team history. And dont think that the fans, players and management are unaware of how limited their success has been.
Lest they suffer through another season of near-misses and qualified success, the club opened its huge private Swiss bank account and splashed out cash once again in the off-season to lure the best players that money could buy. The lavish spending lured Naohiro Takahara back from Europe, landed U-23 star prospect Tsukasa Umesaki, and landed Albirex Niigata's former ace striker Edmilson. Although Urawa somehow neglected to sign David Beckham when he was available, that was about the only example we can think of in which the team missed an opportunity to stuff its roster and upgrade its "brand value"
Now the question is, will money be enough to buy the Reds another title?
Here is the answer:
Yes, those of you who have been following the Rising Sun News for any length of time will be familiar with our well-work theory of Blind Faith. In footballing terms, what this means is that a football stadium -- even one as expansive as Saitama Stadium -- only has enough room to accomodate a certain volume of ego. Onc you hav too many egos to fit onto the pitch, the Blind Faith effect kicks in. It doesnt matter how many superstars might be in the lineup, the result is a spectacular flop.
Naturally, we are taking a bit of a risk by selecting Urawa as our "Blind Faith" award winner for 2008. There is no denying the talent and potential that this team has on tap. If the Reds do, somehow, manage to subdue their individual egos enough to fit on a single football pitch, then there is no other team in the J.League that will be able to keep up. Even Frontale, Antlers and Gamba will fall by the wayside as the Reds cruise to a title -- possibly in record time.
But we just dont see it happening. Past experience suggests that the Reds will blow hot and cold all season long, achieving enough blowout victories to remain in the title race, but falling victim to their lack of cohesion as they approach the final hurdle. On the other hand, Urawa does have a buye through te gruelling qualification round of the ACL, and will not join the fray until the knockout stages. This will put them in a very advantageous position relative to the other teams in the ACL, and we would not be too surprised to see the team raise another continental title this season. Perhaps that will allow the team's increasingly demanding fans to console themselves at the lack of any domestic silverware.
2007 Finish: 2nd Place
2008 Forecast: 2nd-4th Place
Roster Changes
IN |
| Pos. | Name | Former Team | Status |
|---|
| FW | Naohiro Takahara | Eintracht Frankfurt | Full transfer |
| FW | Edmilson | Albirex Niigata | Full transfer |
| FW | Hiroyuki Takasaki | Komazawa U. | New signing |
| MF | Tsukasa Umesaki | Oita Trinita | Full transfer |
| MF | Yusuke Hayashi | Morioka Shogyo HS | New signing |
| MF | Alex Santos | Red Bull Salzberg | Rental ends |
| DF | Masato Hashimoto | Funabashi HS | New signing |
| DF | Tetsushi Kondo | Ehime FC | Rental ends |
OUT |
| Pos. | Name | New Team | Status |
|---|
| FW | Washington | Fluminense | Full transfer |
| FW | Takuya Yokoyama | Ehime FC | Full transfer |
| FW | Takafumi Akahoshi | Mito Hollyhock | One-yr rental |
| MF | Shunsuke Oyama | Shonan Bellmare | One-yr rental |
| MF | Yuya Nakamura | Shonan Bellmare | Full transfer |
| MF | Shinji Ono | Vfl Bochum | Full transfer |
| MF | Makoto Hasebe | Vfl Wolfsburg | Full transfer |
| DF | Nene de Brito | --- | Released |
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