Soccer: Urawa Reds, FC Tokyo open season with 1-1 stalemate
February 27, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
FC Tokyo defender Masato Morishige, far right, reacts after scoring the equalizer against the Urawa Reds in their 1-1 draw at Saitama Stadium on Feb. 27, 2021. (Kyodo) TOKYO (Kyodo) Masato Morishige netted a late equalizer Saturday as FC Tokyo salvaged a 1-1 draw and denied new Urawa Reds manager Ricardo Rodriguez a winning start to his J-League first-division career. The opening-round match at Saitama Stadium featured two teams with their sights on a title after falling short of expectations last season. FC Tokyo, 2019 runners-up, are aiming for a maiden J1 crown under fourth-year manager Kenta Hasegawa, while two-time Asian champions Urawa have big hopes for highly touted Spaniard Rodriguez, whom they lured from Tokushima Vortis after he steered the Shikoku club to J1 promotion.
Duo Set to Revive Partnership at Leicester Saturday, 24th Dec 2011 16:22
Ívar Ingimarsson and Ibrahima Sonko look set to revive their central defensive partnership from their days at Reading when the Blues take on Leicester at the King Power Stadium on Boxing Day (KO 3pm). Town boss Paul Jewell is forced into the change with Danny Collins having returned to Stoke at the end of his loan.
The Blues manager says he has three options, Ingimarsson, Damien Delaney and Tommy Smith, none of whom have played much first team football in recent weeks.
In addition to his experience of playing alongside Sonko, the Icelander has been involved more often than the other two alternatives of late with his last game the 4-0 defeat at Burnley at the end of November and it seems likely that he’ll get the nod.