Milan Win World Club Cup

After the excitement generated by the semi finals I decided to head somewhere more tranquil. Catching the westward bound Shinkansen I headed for Itsukushima, home of the floating shrine and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It offered a stark contrast to the previous night as there were more deer than
people wandering around the dimly lit streets. But in the bay the floating shrine was lit up. I understand that mere mortals used to have to enter the island by boat through this shrine. These days it would seem to be a matter of studying the tides as the two times I have been here the shrine appears to be standing on a mud flat.

Choosing something to eat isn't as difficult as you would imagine here in Japan. Mainly due to the fact that outside the majority of establishments they have either a photograph or a plastic imitation of the dishes available.

The main problem I have is when they describe the dish in English, seeing the likes of eel, squid and octopus immediately puts me off, whereas written in Japanese the food might still look appealing. This night I chose a local speciality okonomiyaki, a noodle dish with pancakes and
fried eggs as well as shaved fish, called hanakatsuo. When this is added as a topping to a hot dish, the heat has the effect of making the flakes move as if dancing; because of this, it is also known as dancing fish flakes.
Watching the shavings move made me wonder if John Lennon was on drugs or just eating okonomiyaki.

It just so happened that the next day Sanfrecce Hiroshima were hosting Jubilo Iwata in the Emperor's Cup. So taking the Astram line monorail out of the city, with buildings below and hills on either side I eventually reached The Big Arch, home of Sanfrecce and almost a World Cup venue in 2002. As I walked in I was handed a leaflet, with closer inspection I found that it was
a songsheet for the supporters, complete with words (in Japanese). So later
I was to be entertained with Smoke on the Water, Ale, Ale Hiroshima
(possibly a drinking song) and The Great Escape.

Two well taken free kicks gave Sanfrecce a comfortable win and a place in the semi-finals of the Emperor's Cup. This appeared to appease the home supporters in the sparse crowd who looked a little lost in the 50,000 stadium built originally for the 1994 Asian Games.

Headed homeward after the match on the Shinkansen with a brief stop (normally less than a minute between arriving and departing stations (at Osaka and then a slight detour in Nagoya) before arriving back in Tokyo on the eve of the Club World Cup Final.

The first match of the day saw Urawa Red Diamonds clinch third spot thanks to a 4-2 penalty shoot win, after a 2-2 draw during normal time. Washington the Urawa goalscorer, with two headed goals will be greatly missed as he is now to return to Brazil. However he has promised the Japanese that one day he will be back to manage the only club he could ever play for in Japan.



The final itself was a simply a showcase for Kaka, who in turn used it to announce that he belonged to Jesus. Kaka was a constant menace and as well scoring he provided two assists and provoked into a foul a Boca player which saw him sent off. Boca supporters continued their chant of "dale Boca" throughout, but whilst it must have looked as though the team were dallying, in truth Kaka delivered a performance which saw him crowned World Player of the year, if the vote had gone to anyone else they would have changed it after watching this display. His performance meant that once again Brazil were the winners of this competition, a fact which clearly hurt the Argentinians. He taunted the Boca fans with the trophy and Brazil flag as he ran round on Milan's lap of honour.



Once again Japan has left its impression on me. The place where you start the day with the latest energy drink, with two pills dispensed in a plastic cup before knocking back some potion. The cleanliness of the place, where even at the football stadiums people pick up their rubbish and place it in the bins provided. Where you now pay for items by scanning your mobile phone
over a paypoint. This time though I get to leave my own (fingerprint) impression with Japan.

© Ross Clegg & Soccerphile.com


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I WAS A TEENAGE ETOILE DU SOHEIL FAN!

Back to Tokyo for the semi finals of the competition and I noted that Sepp Blatter has already questioned the participation of the Oceania tournament winner. Not only is this the smallest of the federations it also recently lost Australia to the Asian tournament, as they wished the national team to have more competition and also avoid their inevitable World Cup play off against South American opponents.

Making my way from the subway stadium to the first game it was noticeable that a large number of locals were sporting the yellow and blue of Boca. I was handed a flyer for La Bombonera, a Japanese bar dedicated to the team, there were a number of people handing them, obviously to boost business for what should be their busiest night ever.

The standard of football was raised with the introduction of the first South American champions not to come from Brazil. Etoile showed their intentions with a shot at goal from the kick off. However Boca's slick passing was the key to their win. With 37 minutes gone Palermo put Palacio away down the left wing who played an intricate ball into the feet of Nery Cardozo who gleefully hammered the ball into the roof of the net. Etoile shook off the defensive qualities that saw them through their qualifying match and showed that they could play.

The Argentinian side have been quoted as saying that they have to win this tournament no matter what, and Fabian Vargas's second yellow proved they are not going to let anyone get in the way. Despite this setback with 25 minutes left Boca reverted to 4-3-2, proving that attack is the best form of defence. They matched their opponents with chances at both ends, cruelly Etoile substitute Gilson Silva hit the post in the last minute.

So where better to go having just seen Boca clinch their place in the final than La Bombonera. One useful skill in Japan is orienteering! Directions are given by small diagrams, they may have street names on but I wouldn't know.
So having negotiated my way I arrived at a small bar in the back streets of the Yoyogi area. The bar was indeed box shaped and decked out with Boca souvenirs and old Boca matches broadcast in the background.

I got talking to one local who had his Boca shirt on and had also gone to the game. During our conversation he pointed to a picture which showed mascots from the J League teams. I quickly reeled of two of the teams. With this I became an instant celebrity. I tried to explain the race that our mascots back in England, but I think this would seem rather tame to them.
(Have you seen the clips from the Japanese show where they play football
with binoculars on or even the rugby game in fancy dress suits!).
Free drinks were the order of the night, Quilmes of course.

Next day and it was down the road to Yokohama. Another closely contested game with an excellent atmosphere. The Urawa fans were their usual self. Chanting and pogoing (well almost all of them) to their songs. Urawa conceded territorial advantage but defended well. When they broke they used the width of the whole pitch and became more confident as the game wore on.
Kaka was a constant menace but with no end product he switched flanks during the first half looking for a way past a resolute Urawa defence.




The chants of the Urawa fans grew louder during the second half as they sensed that their team might get a result. Especially when Washington curled a shot into the corner only for Dida to pluck it out of the air just when it looked like going in. Then the inevitable, Kaka broke down the left and got to the byline and laid the ball into the path of Seedorf who stroked the ball into an empty net.

Listen to an Urawa Reds chant

Mysteriously Tanaka who didn't get to Kaka in time to stop the ball being pulled back signalled for his own substitution. At first he held his hamstring and then moments later collapsed as though he had been shot.

The Urawa fans gave their all, but their team couldn't do quite enough to get back in the game. The referee blew the final whistle and the chanting stopped, just as suddenly as it had begun in Nagoya. Despite that as I left the stadium I could still hear the chanting in my head. It went (in my best Japanese) -

Allez, allez, allez, allez,
Allez, allez, allez,
Allez, allez, allez,
.............................
(repeat until coming to a sudden stop)

© Ross Clegg & Soccerphile

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Urawa Reds

Urawa Reds fans - tightly controlled, regimented, verging on the fascistic, the hordes from Saitama and beyond are the J-League's noisiest fans.

"We are the Redsu" will be ringing out tonight when Urawa take on Milan in the semi-final of the World Club Cup.




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Marcus Tulio Tanaka Anchorman?

Like the teams at the World Club Cup I have now adjusted to my surroundings, having arrived in Japan last Friday lunchtime, after an 11 hour flight and nine hours time difference.
This gave me enough time to check in at my hotel and have something to eat before collecting my tickets for the tournament and attending the opening game.

Initial frustrations over my inability to understand the language and even more frustrating being unable to read the signs are overcome by familiarity on my third trip to the country. At least they drive on the left over here.

The purchase of a rail pass is a necessity for any foreigner contemplating travelling in Japan as with a couple of trips you will have paid for it.
Having done just that, I set off for Kobe on Saturday morning. It is just under 600km away, but only 3 hours by the Hikari Super Express Shinkansen.

During the day I managed to take in the 5th Round Emperor's Cup game between Vissel Kobe and Kawaski Frontale, before heading to Chinatown and then viewing the Kobe Luminaire - a light festival held in Kobe every December since 1995 to commemorate the Hanshin earthquake of that year. The streets are closed and lit up forming what seems like an arch that leads to what could be a palace.

Returning to Tokyo I met up with a Japanese friend, Tetsuma, to see Pachuca v Etoile Sportive Du Sahel. We had already spotted large groups of schoolchildren dressed in dug out coats (a sure sign that Japanese people are going to the match), and he explained that a large number of tickets were given to schools. As we arrived at the ticket booth we were approached by a young man offering two free tickets for the game.

The match itself was frustrating but symptomatic of a lot of games played at this competition over the last few years. Both sides were restrained and play was concentrated around midfield as players held on to the ball for too long. In the first half a couple of Sahel lapses gave Alvarez a chance to shine.

Unfortunately he didn't take them and Sahel punished the Mexicans with a deflected strike late on. This delighted the travelling supporters who celebrated for some time with the team and then in the darkness of the stands in the National Stadium (which houses the Prince Chichibu Memorial Sports Museum).

The next day saw proceedings move from Tokyo to Toyota (who just happen to sponsor the tournament). Toyota lies around an hour away from Nagoya, the name of the city was changed in 1959 by the Toyada family who revived the economy of the town by founding the Toyota Motor Company. The magnificent stadium was completed in 2001 and occasionally hosts J-League side Nagoya Grampus Eight (who in a rare role reversal were originally called Toyota Motor S.C.)



The local Urawa supporters and FIFA will be delighted that they made it through to this prestigious stage of the tournament. Where they are guaranteed a further two games and a meeting with AC Milan.

The silence in the crowd was eerie on Monday night in Toyota as the game was about to kick off. Until the Urawa supporters as one, burst in to rhythmic chanting which continued for the majority of the game. This trance like state was evident as locals around us began joining in by clapping, the older folks around the stadium thankfully refrained from joining in the pogoing.

This same concentration was not matched on the pitch by last years Asian Footballer of the year, Tulio, whose defensive lapse let in Sepahan for their goal.

After the match it was back to my accommodation a Nagoya, a capsule hotel.
Once again the experience can be quite daunting as with most things Japanese there are prescribed ways that things are done. I gathered immediately that my shoes should be removed and placed in a locker. Upon payment I was given a wristband with a locker key and a number. I was shown a map which showed the layout of the beds, mine was number 163.

Having placed all my clothes in the locker, I made use of the one size fits all pink shorts. The next room had washing facilities but up the steps I could see the glass door steaming up. Walking through them revealed a communal baths with hot water being pumped through artificially replicating the hot springs found outdoors around Japan.

So having observed the ritualsand thoroughly washed myself I saw that a pile of pink shorts lay discardedin the basket next to the door. Oh well, I would have looked silly going in with my shorts.

Testing the different pools I noted that one was freezing cold. I opted for the warmer version with the bubbles massaging my back. I then found the sauna, and briefly made use of the cold pool. By this stage of the evening there was no one else around so I sheepishly investigated my
surroundings and found a door through which there was a pile of towels and Japanese style pyjamas.

Now it was off to find my capsule. (A walk around the place revealed that all the capsules fitted in just two rooms). Having found it, I slid in and proceeded to look for the light switch. I found a radio with an alarm clock but no switch. Eventually I realised that an object I had felt could be a
torch. Sure enough it was. I now pulled down my blind and retired for the night. Emerging at around 10a.m. the next morning I noted that everyone else had gone, but it didn't stop me from visiting the pool again. The hardest part of the whole experience turned out to be leaving the place.

© Ross Clegg & Soccerphile


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Urawa Reds v Sepahan

Urawa Reds defeated Sepahan in a rematch of their ACL final showdown, this time 3-1 in front of a partisan 30,000 crowd at Toyota Stadium.

On a crisp night in the suburbs of Nagoya, the result never looked in doubt once Yuichiro Nagai converted a low cross from the ever-dangerous Takahito Soma's low cross on the half hour mark.

Though the Iranian team twice hit the bar, once just after the interval, the visitors never looked likely winners.



Urawa's Brazilian marksman, Washington, converted from a narrow angle 10 minutes in to the second half and an own goal from Hadi Aghily effectively settled the outcome. Sepahan did register a consolation just before the end after a mistake by the hapless Marco Tulio Tanaka, but it is Urawa who will face AC Milan on Thursday in Tokyo.

Listen to the sounds of the small group of Iran supporters


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Etoile du Sahel stun Pachuca at the FIFA Club World Cup

Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel stunned Mexican outfit Pachuca, beating their more fancied opponents 1-0 at the FIFA Club World Cup in Tokyo.

Just under 35,000 fans turned out at the National Stadium to witness CONCACAF representatives Pachuca dominate possession on a blustery afternoon in Tokyo, but Pachuca ended up on the wrong side of the scoresheet against their African opponents.

21-year-old Ghanian midfielder Moussa Narry scored the crucial goal in the 85th minute with a low drive that took a deflection off defender Leobardo Lopez and left Pachuca keeper Miguel Calero wrong-footed.

It was no less than Etoile deserved, with the Tunisian team absorbing constant bouts of Pachuca pressure before hitting their opponents with a classic sucker punch.

Etoile coach Bertrand Marchand praised his young side while admitting that Pachuca out-played his charges for long stretches of this match. Nevertheless Marchand admitted that his team was elated to have advanced to the semi-finals of the competition, where they will take on Argentine giants Boca Juniors at the National Stadium in Tokyo on December 12.

Pachuca coach Enrique Meza was happy with his team's performance, and claimed that the loss was "just one of those things."

Pachuca stars Damian Alvarez and Juan Carlos Cacho will have plenty to ponder on their long flight back to Mexico, on a day in which the highly rated duo failed to crack open a resolute Etoile defence.

Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com

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FRIDAY NIGHTS AND THE GATES ARE LOW

On Friday 7th December the opening match of the FIFA World Club Championship was played between Waitakere United of New Zealand and Sepahan of Iran. In this the third tournament to be held in Japan FIFA decided to alter the format slightly in order to boost attendances. Having attended in 2005, I would agree with their idea of the league winners from the host nation competing, as surely all games they play would be sold out. So with the opening game moved back to a Friday I decided to alter my schedule in order to attend such a game.

In the meantime the winners of the six confederations were playing out their own cup competitions to decide who would be there in Japan. In the Asian Cup Urawa Red Diamonds beat Sepahan 3-1 to qualify in their own right. But then I realised that Sepahan had been awarded a place at the tournament as only one team from the host country were allowed to compete. At the time Urawa held a ten point league, with four games to go and so the decision seemed fair enough. Urawa though managed to lose the title on the last day of the season to Kashima Antlers and were also knocked out of the Emperor's Cup.

So as a result of Urawas success in the Asian Cup the opening fixture was decided. Bearing in mind that the purpose of this competition is to find the best club side in the world, casting an eye down the Waitakere line up, made me think that FIFA might be changing the format again in the very near future. Danny Hay, Neil Emblem and Darren Bazeley (remember any of them?) all started for the New Zealand side. Knowing nothing about this team I read up in the programme and found that they come from just outside Auckland, have a stadium with a capacity of 8,000 and their home town is shown as a field of sheep!

So it was no surprise that Sepahan raced into a 2-0 lead within three minutes. Their Iraqi striker Emar Mohammed finding himself on a hat trick with a full 86 minutes to go. The format of the competion means that the winners go on to play Urawa Red Diamonds in a quarter final and then if successful play again on Thursday and on Sunday. So it was no surprise that Sepahan slowed the pace down and conserved energy. The first half fizzled out with a series of wayward long range shots which were never going to test the goalkeeper. Or so I thought.

With the second half just a few minutes old another long range shot, but this time it was on target, the goalkeeper had it covered, in fact it was possibly going wide, until he let it through his hands and into the net. Not content with this, as Sepahan played out time Waitakere applied pressure and the Iranian goalkeeper (a paid up member of the goalkeepers union) decided to push the ball into his own net, under the slightest pressure from Danny Hay the Waitakere captain.

The crowd was 24,788 the lowest so far for an opening game. While FIFA is being idealistic in allowing a team from New Zealand to compete for this title I wonder how long it will take before a rankings system is put into place for clubs worldwide and the entrants to be decided from this. Meaning that you have the best in both footballing and in all probability financial terms.

Ross Clegg


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Sepahan advance to the FIFA Club World Cup quarter-finals

Iranian side Sepahan beat New Zealand outfit Waitakere United 3-1 to advance to the quarter-finals of the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup.

Iraq-born striker Emad Mohammed got Sepahan off to a dream start, scoring twice inside the opening four minutes to set up a comfortable win for the Iranians.

Sepahan were recently defeated in the 2007 AFC Champions League Final by J-League side Urawa Reds, but their win here sets up a rematch with Urawa just a month after the west Asian team lost to the Reds in their continental decider.

Sepahan made light work of semi-professionals Waitakere, with Emad Mohammed heading home the opener after Waitakere goalkeeper Simon Eaddy could only parry Jaba Mujiri's shot.

Sixty seconds later Mohammed produced a neat finish to flick the ball passed Eaddy with the Waitakere defence caught square, although there was a suspicion of handball in the build-up to the goal.

After totally dominating the first half the onslaught continued immediately after the restart, as forty-nine minutes in Sepahan midfielder Abdul Abu Al Hail hit an innocuous looking drive that was fumbled into the net by the hapless Eaddy.

With the majority of the 25,000 strong crowd voicing their support for underdogs Waitakere, the New Zealand side managed to pull a goal back after seventy-four minutes, with ex-Leeds United defender Danny Hay causing confusion inside the six yard box, although the goal was later credited as an own-goal by defender Hadi Aghily.

Waitakere produced their best spell in the final ten minutes of the match, but Sepahan managed to hang on to book a showdown with Urawa at Toyota Stadium on December 10.

After the match Waitakere coach Chris Milicich blasted his side for their poor defending, conceding that "stupid goals" had cost his team dearly.

Sepahan coach Luka Bonacic claimed that his side was looking forward to their rematch with Urawa, a team that Bonacic claimed to respect, but one that the Croatian feels is vulnerable after Urawa recently reliquished both their Emperor's Cup and J-League crowns within the space of a week.

Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com

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Barca Crushes Club America

Having arrived in Japan only two days prior to kickoff, Barcelona was expected to be playing at only 70 percent or so--and possibly fade in the second half. It didn't happen. In spite of a 12-hour flight and a half day time difference, the Catalans put on a 90-minute display of the beautiful game, crushing Mexican champion Club America 4-0 at the venue for the 2002 World Cup Final.

The scoreline could have been much worse. The Mexican side had but one real chance at goal all evening, when former Argentine forward Claudio Lopez flubbed a beautiful pass that left him alone in front of the Barcelona keeper early on. After that, it was all Barcelona.

Playing in a steady rain in Yokohama, Deco guided the midfield with grace and aplomb, moving the ball around with tremendous pace. Up front, Ronaldinho only found the net once but confounded the Mexican defense throughout the match and set up Deco's brilliant strike.

In the eleventh minute, Iceland international Gudjohnsen opened his account. Falling to his left, he curled in a low hard shot with his right foot against the flow of play. Barca's next goal came from Mexican international Marquez who headed in from a corner in the 30th minute.

The first half ended at 2-0 and Barca having 65% of possession.

The second half continued the same way. After many close calls, Ronaldinho finally scored in the 66th minute. From close range, the Brazilian star picked up a loose ball with players all around him, feinted once, then pounded the ball into the upper right corner, just eluding the keeper's outstretched hands.

Ronaldinho then set up the fourth and final goal--a bullet from Deco--by feeding him and then body blocking a defender out of the way and thus clearing a path for the shot.

Barcelona is now in the Final. With a few days off to further acclimate and practice, they look nearly unbeatable.


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Al Ahly v Auckland City

Club World Championship 2007, Match 1
Al Ahly 2 Auckland City 0
Toyota Stadium, Toyota
Attendance 29,912

Listen to the Egyptian beat of Al Ahly's fans

Al Ahly improved on their performance in last year's Club World Championship by winning their first match this time around, whereas the team representing Oceania lost out in their opening game for the second year running.



On a chilly night in Nagoya, the African Champions were too hot for the team from New Zealand. After a poor first-half where Al Ahly had most of the possession and Auckland were reduced to the long ball, the game burst into life five minutes after the interval. The Angolan striker Flavio opened the scoring with a fine right foot shot after some good build-up play by the Egyptians. In response, Auckland brought on local favorite 34-year-old Teruo Iwamoto, a midfielder in the Shunsuke Nakamura mode, whose cultured left foot helped the team in white create more of a threat going forward and from free kicks and corners.

Al Ahly, it was though, who sealed the match and sent their colorful band of supporters into raptures, when Egyptian striker Aboutrika rifled home the second and clinching goal from a free kick.



The African champions displayed some pretty combination play going forward and were rarely tested at the back by a technically limited Auckland side, but it is hard to imagine South American champions Internacional having much difficulty in progressing to their expected final match up with Barcelona, when the two teams meet on Wednesday in Tokyo's National Stadium.

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World Club Championship – Part 5: Show me the way to go home

The Final: Liverpool V Sau Paulo – Yokohama


Tragedy has struck – we’re not talking disaster in epic proportions of course, I’m not commenting on a terrorist strike or a tsunami; but merely a catastrophe within the context of world football. The heartbreaking tale I’m referring to is Liverpool’s ultimately unsuccessful attempt to bring the World Club Championship to Merseyside for the first time. Last night the global crown eluded us once again as the Kings of Europe were subjected to a painful one-nil defeat at the hands of South Americans Champions, Sao Paulo. Victory for the Brazilians on a freezing night in Yokohama means that despite having won our own continental crown on five occasions, we’re still yet to lift the world title: a tragedy indeed.

Liverpool conceded the decisive goal on 27 minutes, when Mineiro coolly slotted home, following a well-executed move. It was the first time the watertight defence had been breached since Boa Morte’s strike in a league meeting with Fulham back in October. The proud record of eleven consecutive clean sheets is now confined to memory however, and more importantly, so is our dream for world domination …well, for a year at least. As with ‘that final’ in Istanbul, which saw Liverpool qualify for this inter-continental competition, the first half display was well below par. On this occasion however, it proved our undoing rather than our inspiration.

The Japanese Workforce

Sao Paulo on the other hand illustrated to the footballing world exactly why they are champions of South America, playing some breathtaking football in the opening period. With Costa Rican outfit Deportivo Saprissa having won the play-off for third place in the warm up game before the final, in front of a largely disinterested crowd, it is the Americas who have best acquitted themselves in this year’s tournament in Japan. Europe has failed to produce a King of Kings once again.

Liverpool were poor at best in the first half, with the Brazilians deserving of the advantage they took into the interval. In the second period however, Sao Paulo were virtually non existent, forced to desperately defend their slender lead. Liverpool spent the entire second half orchestrating wave after wave of attacks, bombarding the Sao Paulo goal from the first whistle until the last. As Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said after the game: “The first thing I can say is congratulations to my players as we deserved to win. We had 21 shots and 17 corners and hit the bar twice and scored three disallowed goals. We couldn't have done anymore to win.”


You can quote all the statistics in the world though, but the only one that matters is the final score line. One last glimpse at the scoreboard as the referee blew his whistle for a final time confirmed for me and the other 66,000 present that the game finished without us having equalised. Some of the decisions made by the officials may have been harsh, dubious, ridiculous, even scandalous …but the simply fact is that with refereeing judgments you’re as likely to be a beneficiary as a victim. We didn’t score so we deserved what we got: nothing.

Liverpool's failure to cancel out the Brazilian’s first half strike outlined our main areas of weakness in terms of personnel, emphasising in the cruelest of contexts, that despite being European Champions we still remain three or four short players of being a truly formidable side. With the transfer window just
around the corner, I can only hope this painful reminder will do more to convince the Liverpool management that further recruitment is required. Without it, it could be a while before I’m
back in Japan to see us do the job properly.

Making Friends with the Locals

The Brazilians came in their droves to see their side secure a famous victory over the mighty Liverpool. I’d love to reflect warmly on them, and praise them for their gracious acceptance of the triumph, but sadly they were not the carnivalesque party-loving South Americans that the media love to portray them as. The vast majority instead seemed to represent more of the Barra Bravas school of football fandom. They set the tone for the evening; it was just a shame the Liverpool team couldn’t muster up a goal to put them in their place.

The song, “where’s your European Cups?” was one of many chants to have been lost on the boys from Brazil. Now Liverpool face a return to reality and the bread and butter of the English League Championship, with Newcastle and a certain Michael Owen to visit Anfield on Boxing Day. This is a club and indeed a player to whom the song in question will prove to be far more stinging. I for one can’t wait.

Sydney FC v Deportivo Saprissa

Sydney FC v Deportivo Saprissa

On a freezing night at Toyota Stadium, Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa defeated Sydney FC 1-0 in an a match that did little to raise the temperature of the subdued 28,503 crowd.



Christian Bolanos scored in the 47th minute for the CONCACAF champions from a long ball from defence and the Costa Ricans could easily have extended their lead on the counter as Sydney desperately pushed for an equalizer in the closing stages.

Sydney's task was made all the harder when defender Alvin Ceccoli was sent off with ten minutes to go for an adjudged elbow on the Saprissa goalkeeper. Dwight Yorke attempted to pull the strings from a deep-lying midfield position for Sydney but lacked support from his team-mates in an uninspired and one-paced midfield.



FC Sydney's Kazu Miura failed to make much of an impression in front of his home fans and Saprissa will now take on European Champions Liverpool in Yokohama on Thursday.

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This is the World Club Championship

This is the World Club Championship

Football’s global club competition, the FIFA World Club Championship, has not enjoyed an easy time in seeking to become the world’s most prestigious club tournament. It was Real Madrid president Jamie Bernard who first proposed the idea for the event during the 1950s. This was unsurprising, as the Spaniards had won the European title on five consecutive occasions from its inception, and doubtless wanted to propel their status still further, turning continental domination into catholic supremacy. Indeed the inter-continental competition that began soon after was erected under the preface that the winners could unequivocally claim to be the best side in the world.

In reality however, the competition has had difficulty in developing and maintaining such lofty status. The enhancement of this lagging reputation has been impeded in no small part by the Europeans, who have in the past viewed the competition more as a practical inconvenience than a yardstick for prestige. During the 1970s football’s home continent decided against even sending a representative team. Then in 1978, when Liverpool decided against participating, the competition was cancelled. A wise course of action to take, one based on a logical thought process you might say: ‘If the Scousers aren’t coming what’s the point’, I can only assume must have been the official explanation.

Now forget all this modern hype about most English fans despising Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal. When I was growing up in South Liverpool during the 1980s it was Nottingham Forest who were considered the enemy. And when the Toyota Cup was introduced following the demise and ultimate cancellation of the World Club Championship, it was Clough’s side who were the cheeky enough to put themselves in the reckoning for the event. One league title, that’s the sum total of their domestic achievements – one. And although their European record is more impressive - they are the only team to have won the European Cup more times than their own domestic league - the Nottinghamshire minnows still got the chance to conquer the world. As painful as it is to admit, it was Forest, having defeated the cream of Europe, who went on to face opposition from further field in the opening edition of the newly erected Toyota Cup. Needless to say, they failed, falling at the hands of Uruguay’s Nacional. Cue smug grin and enforced replay of the 5-0 drubbing of Forest at Anfield one memorable April evening in 1988.

The current format no longer involves a one-off contest between the Kings of South America and Europe, as was previously the case. And rightly so, for surely a true world club tournament requires representatives from the whole world. So this year’s event will incorporate a clash of the continental kings, involving Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica, Australia’s Sydney FC, Sao Paulo from Brazil, Al Ahly of Egypt, Al Ittihad from Saudi Arabia, and of course Liverpool of Liverpool. The six teams will come together for a week-long event in December; a competition that FIFA are hoping will prove a huge success and subsequently see its profile propelled on the world football stage. Of course, if you want to increase the popularity of something it’s always wise to remarket it and then maybe give it a memorable name. FIFA have clearly adopted this ethos, with the competition currently known as the ‘World Club Championship Toyota Cup’. Mmm, catchy.

Irrespective of its lengthy title, its inconsistent past and somewhat clouded current status however, the event will certainly prove a success in 2005. Why? Simply because it will boast some of the finest footballing talent on the planet. Millions will surely flock to television screens to see the likes of Traore, Josemi and Crouch in action - sporting icons and good looking lads to boot. It’s a marketers dream.

In terms of competition structure, the champions of Asia, Oceania, Africa and North America will play first, which is only fair I suppose. Liverpool and Sao Paulo will have to wait until the semi-final stage before meeting the respective winners of the opening two encounters. So then, prepare yourself for an intercontinental feast of club football, where the kings of each of the globe’s six sub-sections will commence battle in Toyota, Tokyo and Yokohama for the title of ‘the greatest team in the world’,. …as soon as I can get my doctor to sign my sick note to get me out of work for a week, I’ll be on a plane to the Far East to watch the show unfold.

Tokyo, Yokohama, Toyota, Japan

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Club World Championship

The FIFA Club World Championship begins in just over a month in Tokyo. The Club World Championship supercedes the annual World Club Championship (Toyota Cup) between the champions of Europe and South America.

This tournament marks the second staging of the event after the first Club World Championship in Brazil 2000, won by Sao Paulo. Both Manchester United and Real Madrid took part, with Manchester United famously withdrawing from the FA Cup to participate - supposedly in an a failed attempt to draw attention to the English FA's 2006 World Cup bid.

The World Club Championship part II will be held in Japan in December 2005 and is known as the FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA CUP.

The tournament runs from December 11-18 2005.

The club champions from Europe, South America, Oceania, Asia, Africa and Central and North America will compete.

Expected weather conditions, cool but fine.

Teams

Liverpool (Europe), Sao Paulo FC (South America), Deportivo Saprissa (CONCACAF), FC Sydney (Oceania) plus the still to be decided champions of Asia and Africa.

Match Schedule

FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA CUP 2005 tournament schedule

Date KO (Local Time)Match Venue

Quarterfinals

Sun 11 Dec 19.20 AFC Champions v CAF Champions Tokyo
Mon 12 Dec 19.20 Sydney FC v Deportivo Saprissa Toyota (Nagoya)

Semifinals

Wed 14 Dec 19.20 Winner Match 1 v Sao Paulo Tokyo
Thurs 15 Dec 19.20 Winner Match 2 v Liverpool Yokohama

Match for Fifth Place

Fri 16 Dec 19.20 Loser Match 1 v Loser Match 2 Tokyo

Third Place Play-Off

Sun 18 Dec 16.20 Loser Match 3 v Loser Match 4 Yokohama

Final

Sun 18 Dec 19.20 Winner Match 3 v Winner Match 4 Yokohama


Stadiums

Toyota Stadium

The matches will be played at the 72,000 capacity Yokohama International Stadium (venue for the 2002 World Cup final), the high-tech 45,000 capacity Toyota Stadium in Toyota City (just outside Nagoya) and the older 60,000 capacity National Stadium in Tokyo.
Getting To The Stadiums

Yokohama International Stadium can be reached in about 40-50 minutes from downtown Tokyo. The stadium is a 10 minute walk from Shin-Yokohama or Kozukue stations on the JR Yokohama Line.
The National Stadium is located in downtown Tokyo and the nearest subway station is Kokuritsu Kyogijo on the Oedo Line. The stadium is also within easy walking distance of both Sendagaya and Shinanomachi stations on the JR Chuo Line.
Toyota Stadium is located in Toyota City, just outside Nagoya. Take the Tsurumai subway line which becomes the Meitetsu Toyota Line after Akaike. From Toyotashi station there are shuttle buses to the stadium or it is a 15 minute walk. Allow about 50 minutes to an hour from Nagoya station.

Club World Championship
Asian Champions League
Australian A-League

Tickets are available online in Japan Nov 4-10 with any remaining tickets going on general sale from Nov. 13

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K. League Results

Sat 29 Oct
Pohang Steelers 2 Ulsan Tigers 1
Sun 30 Oct
Bucheon SK 2 Suwon Blue Wings 1
Chonbuk Motors 1 Chunnam Dragons 0
FC Seoul 2 Busan I'Park 1
Incheon United 0 Daejeon Citizen 1
Seongnam Ilhwa 2 Gwangju Sangmu 1

K.League Table
Seongnam P10 Pts 25
Bucheon P10 Pts 22
Daegu P10 Pts 19
Incheon P10 Pts 18
Pohang P11 Pts 18


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Toyota Stadium

Toyota Stadium




Toyota Stadium is the venue for the Sydney FC v Deportivo Saprissa game in the upcoming Club World Championship in Japan.

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