Last season's J. League title race was as notable for Urawa Reds' physical breakdown as it was for eventual champion Kashima Antlers' success, and one glance at the rest of this year's fixture list should be enough to send a familiar shiver running down Reds manager Gert Engels' spine.
Urawa has slipped back to fourth in the table after a grueling run that saw it play six J. League and Asian Champions League games in the space of just 18 days, with another crucial domestic match against JEF United to come on Sunday.
Reds then square off against Gamba Osaka in their two-legged ACL semifinal on Oct. 8 and 22, with key players involved in the national team's World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan sandwiched in the middle.