It may not have been the J. League debut he expected, but Urawa Reds defender Thomas Deng made the most of it on July 4 with an impressive full appearance in the team’s 0-0 draw against Yokohama F. Marinos.
Playing in an empty stadium due to restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, the Australia international and Olympic candidate helped shut down a Marinos side that romped to the first-division title last season on the back of a fearsome, multilayered attack.
“It was great to make my debut against the former champions,” Deng said after the match. “They’re a very quality side. For me tonight was quite difficult at certain times, but me and my teammates communicated very well and we were able to shut them down at important times.”