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15/12/2023–|Last updated: 12/15/202309:49 PM (Mecca time)
Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds, the Asian champion, reserved a place in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup after defeating Mexican club Leon, the CONCACAF champion, in the second round of the tournament today, Friday.
The victory goal for the Japanese team was scored by Dutchman Alex Schalke (78).
He threatened! ⚽
Urawa opens the scoring through Alex ⚽🔥Club Leon 0 x 1 Urawa Reds#LeonUrawa#clubs World Cup | #SSC pic.twitter.com/5HDEP3HIMe
– Saudi Sports Company SSC (@ssc_sports) December 15, 2023
Urawa, the Asian champion three times (2007, 2017, 2023), exited the AFC Champions League competition for this season 2023-2024 from the group stage of the East region just a week ago.
Urawa won the continental competition title last season by defeating Al-Hilal Saudi Arabia (they tied 1-1 in the first leg and Urawa won 1-0 in the first leg) on May 6.
This is the Japanese team’s third participation in the Club World Cup after 2007, in which it won the bronze medal, while it ranked fifth in 2017.
For his part, Leon was crowned champion of the CONCACAF competition (North, Central America and the Caribbean) for the first time in its history last season, at the expense of Los Angeles of the United States.
The match was very close between the two sides, as the two teams did not face any danger, before Schalke was able to score 12 minutes before the end of normal time.
The match witnessed the expulsion of William Tessio, the Mexican player from Leon, in the 84th minute.
