November 19 (2000): The Fateful 64th Minute

What happened on this day cannot be summarized in just a few words. It was that kind of special day. November 19, 2000, which likely swayed the subsequent history of the Urawa Reds, should still remain vivid in the memories of the supporters from that time.

If you were to mention the highlight of this match, everyone would point to Masaki Tsuchihashi's winning goal. That is certain. However, there was another pivotal scene. It was the 64th minute, when the Urawa players and the supporters looked into the abyss for a brief moment.

It was a deadlock match where, despite taking the lead through Fukunaga's goal, the team was caught in a draw due to a communication error between the goalkeeper and the defense. A feed from the back by Tosu was not intercepted by Picun, who made a half-hearted slide, and the ball fell to the feet of Tosu's Ishitani. By the time Ishitani started his dribble, only the goalkeeper, Nishibe, remained. Muroi chased desperately from behind and tried to attack the ball, but he caught Ishitani's legs instead. The referee's whistle blew, and he pointed to the penalty spot. What followed was a red card.

The entire Komaba stadium was enveloped in a murmur mixed with screams. I learned later that at almost the same time as this penalty kick was called, Oita, who were competing for promotion, had scored their opening goal. It was a cruel and worst-case scenario that no writer, producer, or film director could fully capture. Standing in the west stand, facing the penalty spot, I literally froze. After returning home, I watched the recording of the broadcast on Television Saitama, which showed announcer Ueno's scream-like commentary, 'Eh, red? Is it red? Ehhh,' and the sight of Muroi leaving the pitch while wiping the sweat (or tears) from his face with the hem of his jersey. Muroi later said that at that moment, he thought, 'Is it going to be J2 again because of me?'

I can still recall this penalty kick scene like slow motion. The kicked penalty went in the opposite direction of Nishibe, who had dived to the right. Just as I thought, 'It's over,' the ball hit the post, and the rebound went to the kicker. The second shot went over the top of the goal (I didn't realize at the time that this was a foul). Urawa had escaped its greatest crisis. Although the disadvantage of 10 men against 11 continued, both the players and the stands had regained their strength.

Tsuchihashi's winning goal was also right in front of me. That shot, which drew a magnificent trajectory with spin. The sight of the Urawa players rushing toward Tsuchihashi from the pitch, from the bench, and from under the stands. Witnessing those scenes, I felt a sense of relief, released from the pressure I had been carrying since the summer of the previous year, and my eyes welled up with tears.

Urawa was forced into an unexpected struggle in J2 that year, and this match was also a truly difficult battle. It was a final match that seemed to condense the entire year in J2. However, I believe that the experience here changed the history of Urawa thereafter. That is the memory of the final J2 match, a day that was truly special.