Just three months into his first season in Japan, Urawa Reds center-back Marius Hoibraten is celebrating an Asian Champions League football title with his new team.
The 28-year-old was integral to the J-League side's 2-1 aggregate victory in the ACL final against Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, helping anchor Urawa's defense and providing a crucial touch that led to the goal in Saturday's 1-0 second-leg win on home turf.
Three minutes into the second half, Hoibraten sent a header toward the opposing net that just missed Urawa attacker Shinzo Koroki but deflected off Al Hilal winger Andre Carrillo for an own-goal.
No stranger to footballing success in his homeland, as a two-time Norwegian champion with FK Bodo/Glimt, Hoibraten said winning the continental title in front of more than 53,000 raucous fans at Saitama Stadium was a career high point.
"I think it's the most fun game I've ever played in my career so far," Hoibraten said Saturday. "It's something I'll take with me for the rest of my life."
The Oslo native said the vocal support from Urawa's legion of dedicated fans provided "a lot of energy" and played "a huge role" in winning the club's record third ACL crown.
"They're amazing, you can see the passion they have, so (I feel) humble. It's an honor to play in front of them," he said.
Saturday's match was the long-delayed culmination of the 2022 ACL. With the timing of the tournament already impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and last year's World Cup in Qatar, the final was further postponed by the scheduled replacement of the Saitama Stadium pitch.
Hoibraten's transfer early this year was one of several changes to the Urawa side that advanced to the final by beating South Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on penalties last August.
New manager Maciej Skorza replaced Ricardo Rodriguez, who steered Reds through the semifinals, and set about reshaping the team. While the Polish tactician wants Urawa to play open and attacking football, the ACL final win was founded on rock-solid defense from Hoibraten, center-back partner Alexander Scholz and goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa.
"I think we have developed a good link. Not just me and Scholz, but I think the whole team also is defending quite well," Hoibraten said. "Our goalkeeper had a huge role today, he saved some really big chances."
Hoibraten echoed his manager in hoping to use the ACL victory as a springboard to J-League first-division success for Reds, who can challenge for top spot by winning their games in hand.
"We cannot settle with this, we have to reach for the stars, and there are always details to the game that we have to be better," Hoibraten said.
"Of course, the two games against Al Hilal showed we are a solid team (and) if we can keep staying solid, we'll be up there."
