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Meet the Club World Cup Teams: Kashiwa Reysol
Host representatives Kashiwa Reysol is coming into the tournament just days after claiming its first J-League title and could impress in its first international competition
Dec 6, 2011 6:30:00 AM
By Dan Orlowitz
Getty
The 2011 Club World Cup is fast approaching, and those taking part are keen to begin their run in the competition, with an eye on the ultimate prize.
The tournament, which runs from December 8 to 18 in Japan, sees the top clubs from all the world's football confederations battle it out for glory, and, while most fans are familiar with the likes of Barcelona and Santos, several of the other competitors need to be introduced.
Goal.com presents all seven teams that will be taking part in this highly-anticipated competition. Here, we profile Kashiwa Reysol.
| SHORT HISTORY |
| Kashiwa Reysol's roots are based in Hitachi Soccer Club, which was founded in suburban Tokyo in 1940 and had moderate success before relocating to their present home in 1986. Reysol reached the top flight in 1995 and with former Olympic coach (and Gamba Osaka legend-to-be) Akira Nishino at the reins, the club won the J-League Cup in 1999 and achieved two consecutive third-place finishes. Soon after, a series of front office mis-steps made Reysol a perennial punching bag and eventually resulted in their 2005 relegation. Despite returning to J1 in a year, Reysol continued to flounder and would again fall in 2009. It was in this season that they rebuilt and cruised to the J2 championship with just two losses in 36 matches under manager Nelsinho. This year in their third J1 stint, Reysol surprised all expectations by leading the league for for nearly two-thirds of the season despite often being overshadowed in the media by larger, better-supported rivals. While it took them until the final day to claim the J1 championship, Reysol undoubtedly earned it. |
| TACTICS & PLAYING STYLE |
| Nelsinho's arrival heralded an era of positive change for the turbulent Reysol. Instead of introducing aging stars or high-priced imports as struggling Japanese sides often do, he rebuilt the squad with the perfect combination of locally-trained youngsters such as Wataru Hashimoto and Junya Tanaka and seasoned veterans like Masakatsu Sawa. The final pieces of the puzzle came in the form of Brazilians Leandro Domingues and Jorge Wagner, who form the axis of Reysol's attack and combined to score 26 goals and provide many more assists in 2011. The Brazilians at midfield form the catalyst of Kashiwa's attack, while players like Hiroki Sakai are strong enough to punish anyone who wanders into the penalty area. The 4-4-1-1 formation preferred by the team makes them dangerous just about anywhere on the field. Perhaps Reysol's greatest strength is the lack of any particular superstar in the roster; it has rarely sent players to the national team, and instead of relying on one player to carry the workload the players are a cohesive unit willing and able to back each other up. |
| THE STAR | Leandro Domingues |
| Most Brazilian imports into the J-League either fail to live up to expectations or stand out so much that they're snatched up by Middle Eastern clubs with vast cash reserves. This is not the case so far with Leandro, who has so far had two stellar seasons with Reysol. While decidedly on the shorter side of physiques, his positioning sense and freekick abilities make him one of the strongest attackers in the league. Leandro was all but guaranteed to win this year's J-League MVP award, and perhaps Reysol's biggest fear coming into the CWC is that team directors around the world will get a good look at their star attacker. |
| THE SYMBOL | Hideaki Kitajima |
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The 33-year-old veteran has seen it all at Reysol; 12 of his 15 years as a professional player have been at the club. Though never able to replicate the success of his breakout 2000 season in which he scored 18 goals in 30 appearances, Kitajima is an enduring presence in the Reysol squad and serves as a mentor to the younger players. He was there when they won the J-League Cup in 1999, helped the team bounce back from relegation twice, and will now keep his team-mates focused as they face their biggest challenge yet. |
| THE YOUNGSTER | Hiroki Sakai |
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The youngster has already impressed in just his first full year of top flight football; Sakai's speed and aggressiveness on both ends of the pitch make him one of Japan's strongest defenders. With interest from international clubs already growing, he'll be looking to make an impact in the CWC after having won the J-League's Best Young Player award and earning a spot in the league's Best XI. |
| THREE FUN FACTS |
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| PROBABLE STARTING XI |
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Nelsinho has little reason to make any significant changes from his normal line-up, expect Reysol to bring out their usual 4-4-1-1 formation at least for the play-off game against Auckland. |
 Sugeno Kondo, Masushima, Hashimoto, Sakai Otani, Leandro, Wagner, Ibarada Tanaka Kudo |
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