The 2022 Japanese football season is here! The defending MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE champions Kawasaki Frontale will take on Emperor’s Cup holders Urawa Reds in the FUJIFILM SUPER CUP 2022, the kick-off extravaganza to the new season and a hotly contested battle for the first trophy of the year.

Frontale are hoping to continue a magical five years that has seen them win the league four times and capture a total of eight trophies. That haul includes winning the FUJIFILM SUPER CUP last year and in 2019, showing they are capable of turning up on the first day of the season and playing magnificently.

That 2019 triumph saw Frontale topple Urawa, 1-0, on a second-half tally by Leandro Damião. The Brazilian is the top returning goal scorer in J1 and every expectation is that he will challenge for the league’s Top Scorer award once again.

Stopping Damião is a big task, as Urawa and the rest of the league have learned for years, but the Reds are well-equipped to handle any opponent. They surged at the end of last season and have their eyes on one of the league’s top spots this year with a retooled defense. Newcomer Tomoya Inukai may get his first test of the season for Urawa, aiming to stymie Damião and the high-powered Frontale attack on Saturday.

Urawa want to be the best team in Japan once more and their Emperor’s Cup victory last season could be what propels them back to the top. Getting there will mean toppling Frontale, the kings of the country, and the champions will undoubtedly bring their best to Nissan Stadium on Saturday.

Do Urawa have what it takes this weekend, or will Frontale make clear that 2022 is going to be another year of dominance for the boys from Kawasaki?

Find out at FUJIFILM SUPER CUP 2022, which can be watched live worldwide (outside of Japan) on the Official J.LEAGUE International YouTube Channel!