One simply has the word ‘respect’ written on top of a cute cartoon puppy. Some urge supporters to ‘feel the energy’ or embrace the ‘one family,’ the ‘reboot,’ the ‘re-boost,’ ‘the energy’ or the ‘spark’, while another simply demands you ‘be a stunner.’
With the commencement of every new J.League season comes this raft of unique, odd and often confusing team slogans, many written in English, that are a curio of Japanese football.
As the 2025 season gets underway this weekend, Urawa Red Diamonds have opted for a Japanese language version that proudly proclaims they will ‘Run, Fight and Persevere’ until the end.
Ahead of a hectic campaign, highlighted by the FIFA Club World Cup™, there will certainly be plenty of running, fighting and persevering required if Reds are to compete on multiple fronts. Factoring in the league, two domestic cups and the global showpiece, the club will be busy during a packed calendar year.
To that end they have recruited impressively and boast arguably the most complete squad in the J.League; one that has also been constructed to ensure they are competitive in the USA in June and July.
Headlining the new arrivals is ex-Kashiwa Reysol forward Matheus Savio, who led the J.League last year in chances created, one-on-ones, dribbles and through balls. The 27-year-old Brazilian also produced the second-highest number of crosses and has been one of the most consistently dangerous foreign players to have graced the competition in many years.
Returning home to his boyhood club from last year’s runners-up Sanfrecce Hiroshima is the silky central midfielder Taishi Matsumoto, while lively winger Takuro Kaneko was lured back to Japan from a stint in Belgium.
Versatile forward Motoki Nagakura arrives from Albirex Niigata, Brazilian centre-back Danilo Boza is a key defensive addition, and Urawa have also brought creative midfielder Jumpei Hayakawa and fullback Takuya Ogiwara back from loan spells to compete for starting roles. Rounding things out is the arrival of one of the stars of the university league in former Japan U-22 international central defender Kenta Nemoto and the promising rookie forward Toshikazu Teruuchi.
So deep is the squad that several former Japan internationals in the shape of Shoya Nakajima, Hiroki Abe and perhaps even Genki Haraguchi will be fighting for a place in the starting XI. As the returning coach Maciej Skorza said in the build-up to the new season, the depth and competitiveness of his pool is cause for genuine optimism.
“We’re in a really good condition and there’s a good atmosphere in the squad. We need that kind of cooperation within the squad and you can’t play football without it. In attack we need flexibility and we need to understand each other defensively, where we are defending zonally, and then the freedom to attack while maintaining our structure.”
Even with a busy domestic schedule over the opening three months of the season before heading to the USA, the Polish coach, who is in his second stint at the Saitama outfit, has promised a more attacking outlook and more goals.
That’s something he hopes can sway things the way of the Asian giants when they face CA River Plate, CF Monterrey and FC Internazionale Milano in Group E at the Club World Cup.
“Last year we struggled for goals and that’s an area we have to improve. We need to maintain our structure but also have players able to switch positions. As we start to understand that way of playing, I think there will be a big change [in terms of goals scored] from last year.
“My goal is to find the strongest group and make sure we have impact from the substitutes because we will need the power of the whole group if we are to meet our objectives. I’ve always said I want to win the J.League but this will be a very long and tough season and with one very important tournament [the Club World Cup] in the middle.”
