Urawa Reds would probably prefer not to have the added pressure of a local derby as they look to get their J. League title challenge back on track against Omiya Ardija on Saturday, but it will take more than just hostile fans to faze striker Shinzo Koroki.
Urawa takes on Omiya having slipped to third in the table with seven games of the season remaining, trailing leaders Yokohama F. Marinos by four points and Sanfrecce Hiroshima by two after taking only two points from their last three outings.
And with Ardija scrambling to salvage something from a once-promising campaign — plummeting from first place to ninth over an acrimonious summer — tensions are likely to run high when the teams take the field at Saitama Stadium.