21 May 2009(Thu)

May 19, 2009: Despite collecting only one point from their last two home games, there wasn't much gloom and doom among Urawa Reds fans at Saitama Stadium on Saturday.

In fact there wasn't really any; more like appreciation of the effort put in, and an understanding that this new-look Reds team will take time to mature.

Their new manager, Volker Finke, gave off similar vibes after the goalless draw with Gamba Osaka, insisting that he could live with this result as there was plenty to build on for the rest of the season.

This was my third viewing of Reds live this season, and it is a much different story to last season.

Rather than the stale, pedestrian, and far from united bunch we saw last year, Reds have found a new purpose and a new collective spirit, with players knowing they must work for each other and be part of a squad. No free rides based on reputation or experience anymore -- and every chance of being taken off or dropped if the performance or motivation level dips.

In other words, players have to fight to earn their places, and then fight to keep them, and this has led to a renewed hunger and vigour throughout the team.

Much has been made of the contribution of youth team products Naoki Yamada and Genki Haraguchi, but there are other key factors behind this transformation.

One of them on Saturday was the display of captain Keita Suzuki, who is coming back to the boil after a tough year with illness and injury.

When Ivica Osim was national coach, Suzuki established himself as the midfield anchor with his mature and busy performances. Although he has faded from the national squad recently, he will be back if he maintains the kind of form he showed against Gamba. He was looking sharp and fit again, and, with Yuki Abe alongside, was keen to push forward at every opportunity.

Whether or not the national squad announcement on Thursday, May 21, comes too early for Suzuki remains to be seen, but Finke will not lose sleep if the player is omitted for the time being and given more opportunity to continue his progress within the club.

Edmilson, too, is thriving in his role as the lone centre forward, supported by Escudero on the right, young Yamada in the middle and Haraguchi on the left, and provided the final ball on each of the two occasions Yamada hit the woodwork. For the first one, Fujigaya made a smart, one-handed save to deflect the ball on to the post, and for the second he skimmed the bar with a first-time shot from the edge of the box as he tried to curl it round the keeper and into the top corner, Shinji Ono-style.

It was good to see Yamada hit that one early, as I felt Reds were taking too many touches and making too many passes around the box on several occasions, and promising moves would break down without even a shot at goal.

ends