Urawa Reds’ FIFA Club World Cup 2025 campaign concluded with more disappointment on Wednesday, as they were dealt a chastening 4-0 defeat by CF Monterrey of Mexico at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles.
Having lost their first two games against CA River Plate and FC Internazionale Milano, Urawa only had pride to play for in their third and final fixture in Group E.
Monterrey knew they could progress to the Round of 16 with a win though and consequently started as the aggressor, striking the bar as early as the fourth minute when Alfonso Alvarado headed against the frame of the goal after terrific footwork and a dinked cross from Jesus Corona.
Urawa then fashioned a chance of their own in the 23rd minute, but Yusuke Matsuo was swiftly closed down as he bore down on goal from the left side of the area and saw his attempt deflected behind for a corner.
There was a scare for Urawa three minutes later when Alvarado couldn’t quite get his shot on target after a back-pass to goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa fell short, but Monterrey did then open the scoring after half an hour, Nelson Deossa sending a ferocious effort swerving past Nishikawa from 35 yards.
That rocked Urawa and within four minutes they were 2-0 down, as German Berterame was played in on the left-hand side of the area and slotted clinically into the far bottom corner with his right foot.
Monterrey were now fully in the ascendancy and made it 3-0 in the 38th minute, Corona this time registering with another long-range strike, which whistled into the net from 30 yards out.
Nishikawa was then called upon to make a smart stop from Ricardo Chavez after a lightning Monterrey break two minutes into the second half, before his opposite number Esteban Andrada tipped over a Danilo Boza header from a corner two minutes later.
Ryoma Watanabe then went close to pulling a goal back for 2025 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE side Urawa in the 74th minute, but his whipped free-kick from just outside the area flew narrowly off target.
There was plenty more action at both ends of the pitch as full-time approached.
First, Nishikawa pulled off a phenomenal save when it looked like Roberto De La Rosa was certain to score after being teed up by Berterame in the 84th minute, then Thiago Santana thought he’d got his name on the scoresheet for Urawa in the first minute of injury time only for it to be ruled out for an offside in the build-up after a VAR check.
The scoring was then concluded with the last kick of the game in the 97th minute, as Berterame slid in to make it 4-0 after the ball fell kindly for him in front of goal.