Urawa Reds have been among the Meiji Yasuda J1 League’s top teams all season, but it’s been months since they’ve been able to place themselves among the top three. That can change this Friday at 7:30 pm JST if they get the better of Kyoto Sanga in a match that will be streamed live on the J.League International YouTube channel.

Urawa enter the weekend in fifth place, but only one point back of third and the spot in Asian competition that comes with it. A win over Sanga and dropped points ahead of them would allow them to move into the top three.

A win for the Reds will likely be keyed by their league-best defense. They have been sensational this season and are not just in good league form, but they are also coming off of a J.League YBC Levain Cup quarter-final victory.

Sanga have had a successful season of their own, climbing towards midtable and likely out of the relegation fight. They sit in 14th place, but 11 points clear of the drop zone and set to seal a third straight season in the top flight. Now, they’d just like to keep building and show their quality by knocking off an excellent team like Urawa.

The J.League announced that up to four matches will be streamed live each week for the 2023 season, bringing one of Asia’s top league’s to fans around the world. The streams will be free to view on the J.League International YouTube channel in any country that does not have an existing rights agreement.