Argentine squad River Plate outplayed the J.League's Urawa Reds in the teams' 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Group E opener on Tuesday, June 17 in Seattle, winning 3-1.
Striker Facundo Colidio's ninth-minute header gave River Plate a 1-0 lead. Sebastian Driussi doubled the advantage in the 48th minute.
Midfielder Yusuke Matsuo pulled the Reds to within 2-1 by converting a penalty in the 58th minute.
But that was as close as Urawa would get. Maximiliano Meza completed the scoring in the 73rd minute.
After the match, Colidio said a tone-setting victory was important for River Plate in the 32-team tournament.
"It was essential to start by winning," Colidio said, according to FIFA.com. "The opening match is always very important and of course a win is vital. I think we played well right from the start of the game."
Reactions from the Urawa Reds
"Unfortunately we lost today but we're going to learn a lot and take that into the next match," Matsuo added, according to Agence France-Presse.
What was Reds manager Maciej Skorza's assessment of his team's performance?
"We weren't able to play as we had prepared at the start and couldn't get into a rhythm," Skorza told reporters after the match. "After about 20 minutes, we started to get our groove, but we conceded a goal early on in the second half. I thought we controlled the game after we scored, but the third goal put us in a difficult situation."
Up next: the Urawa Reds face Italian club Inter Milan on Saturday, June 21 (Sunday 4 AM JST) in Seattle.
Papas Earns J.League Coaching Accolade
Cerezo Osaka's Arthur Papas was named the J.League's Manager of the Month for May, it was announced on Wednesday, June 18.
Under Papas' guidance, Cerezo won four of their six league matches in May, also earning a draw and losing one fixture.
Through Sunday, June 15, Cerezo are eighth in the standings (among 20 teams).
"It is a great honor for me to present the May Manager of the Month award on behalf of the club," Papas said in a statement. "For me, this award is a tribute to all the staff and players who have worked tirelessly over the past month and contributed greatly to the team's progress, and I believe it is an award that we all earned together."
Table Tennis
WTT Announces 4-Year Agreement with TV Tokyo
World Table Tennis and TV Tokyo have signed a four-year broadcast deal through 2028. An announcement was made on Monday, June 16.
"This four-year deal marks one of the most comprehensive media rights agreements for WTT, ensuring Japanese viewers won't miss a beat — from global showdowns to homegrown heroes chasing greatness," WTT said in a news release.
TV Tokyo will broadcast WTT Grand Smashes, WTT Champions, WTT Star Contender, WTT Finals and other banner events, including the ITTF World Team Championships, the ITTF Singles World Cup, the ITTF World Youth Championships and the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup.
"Japan is a powerhouse in the world of table tennis, and its fans are among the most passionate and knowledgeable on the planet," Ali Tavallai, the WTT broadcast director said in a statement. "This partnership with TV Tokyo means we're not just showing matches, we're building stories, creating access, and connecting millions of fans with every major WTT moment across the sport."
Baseball
Mizuhara Begins 57-Month Prison Sentence
Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, began serving his prison sentence at the federal prison complex in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, on Monday, June 16.
On the same day, Ohtani made his pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers, returning to the mound for the first time in a game in 633 days.
Mizuhara, 40, stole around $17 million USD (nearly ¥2.5 billion JPY) from Ohtani between 2021 and 2024 to pay for gambling debts, according to a federal investigation. In February 2025, he was handed a 57-month prison sentence in the fraud case.
A native of Hokkaido Prefecture, Mizuhara is not an American citizen and will likely be deported at the end of prison sentence, according to published reports, citing his legal team.
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Surfing
Matsuoka Triumphs in WSL Qualifying Series Event
Japanese teenager Anon Matsuoka placed first in the World Surf League Qualifying Series 6,000 women's event in Ujung Bocur, South Sumatra, Indonesia, on Tuesday, June 17.
Matsuoka, 19, met the challenge of riding 3-to-4 foot waves at Ujung Bocur in the first stop of the 2025-26 Asia and Australia/Oceania Qualifying Series.
Matsuoka rallied from fourth place to first in the final round to secure her second title in this Indonesian event. She also triumphed there in 2023.
"So happy to [earn] this win," Matsuoka wrote in an Instagram post. "Thanks to my dad and mom, friends [and] all of my sponsors. I've learned so much the last few weeks. It is important for me to always think about what I should be doing and focus on what is in front of me. I will carry this positive feeling forward. The journey continues to South Africa."
To reach the second-tier WSL Challenger Series in both regions, the Qualifying Series is an important stepping stone for surfers.
Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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