First of all, an apology to all of you who were hoping to get the latest update on the remaining games of the 2007 World Club Cup before now.
Without wishing to bore you with details about my personal life, my house unfortunately ended up half-flooded by a burst water pipe towards the end of last week, thereby leaving it without an electricity supply for a considerable time. Fortunately for me, my extremely efficient co-blogger Smart has been more than capably keeping you entertained while power was restored to my home, so now that's been fixed, let me belatedly fill you in on all the news.
Oh and before I carry on, I'd like to dedicate this post to P Shaw. Thank you...
Semi Finals
Etoile Sportive du Sahel 0-1 Boca Juniors
December 12 2007
It was a case of 'Enter the Giants' as the semi-finals welcomed the arrival of AC Milan and first, Boca Juniors whose first game was against the challengers from Tunisia, Etiole du Sahel.
The CAF representatives enjoyed an equal share of the early play in the first half but suffered a hammer blow when Neri Cardozo smashed in a left-footed shot from close range in the 37th minute to put Boca 1-0 up.
Sahel came out fighting and put together a number of chances that came close to bringing them an equaliser, including an Amine Chermiti effort which was comfortably saved by Mauricio Caranta in the Boca goal. Then in the 65th minute, Fabian Vargas was sent off for his second bookable offence which gave the Africans hope of cashing in on their numerical advantage.
If anything, it made the Argentineans all the stronger both in defence and attack as some of the closing exchanges resulted in Palacio grazing the crossbar with one shot and Palermo heading just wide of the post too.
Finally at the death, a scare for Boca as Sahel substitute Gilson Silva hit the post with a close-range header. It was to be the final act in a tense match for both sides, but it was Boca Juniors, somewhat predictably, that earned their place in the Final while Etoile du Sahel exited the competition with rather more respect than they arrived with.
Urawa Red Diamonds 0-1 AC Milan
December 13 2007
Urawa were unquestionably spurred on by what was virtually home support in this semi, as Urawa played out an unexciting first half that ended goalless against the European champions. That's not to say it was entirely lacking in notable incident - Ambrosini managed to get in a header that just skimmed the crossbar - but it would be the second half that was all the more entertaining for the fans.
AC Milan came out looking like they wanted the win more, Clarence Seedorf quickly getting a couple of straight-forward chances which were squandered, but in the 68th minute it all came right for the Italian club.
Kaka took the ball down the left, beat his man, reached the byline and put in a cross which he Seedord lashed home after taking a moment to control the ball first. 1-0 to Milan.
It was somewhat ironic that the balance of power should swing their way as only minutes before Nesta had almost scored an own-goal and Washington had had his shot saved by Dida. Once the goal was scored, though, there was no way back for Urawa and the game ended in a single goal victory for Carlo Ancelotti's men.
Final
December 16 2007
Boca Juniors 2-4 AC Milan
After an exciting 3rd/4th Place Play-off that saw Urawa Red Diamonds win 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw, the Final had much to do to if it was to go one better for entertainment value. Fortunately it didn't disappoint.
As everyone in the entire known universe had predicted from the start (even FIFA if they're honest with us), it was yet another match up between the champions of Europe and South America in the final match. What wasn't certain was whether a European club would win for a change.
In the end, the Argentineans fate would be undone by a Brazilian - namely Kaka of AC Milan. It was his surging run and shot mid-way through the first half that brought about a chance for Filippo Inzaghi to open the scoring, although the Italians didn't hold the lead for long.
Direct from the kick-off, Boca Juniors quickly went on the attack once more and within seconds it was Rodrigo Palacio who headed the ball in to make it 1-1.
Into the second half and Milan came straight back at Boca, Alessandro Nesta hitting a tremendous volley to restore their lead while Kaka was causing much concern among the opposition with numerous threatening runs.
At the other end, Hugo Ibarra came close to equalising with a long-range shot that hit the post, but it was Kaka once again who was next to get on the scoresheet with a shot scored from a narrow angle at the end of another one of those surging runs.
A candidate for 'Man of the Match', Kaka completed an impressive performance by setting up Inzaghi with his second of the game (Milan's fourth) ten minutes later. Pablo Ledesma got a second for Boca Juniors with five minutes remaining, but there was to be only one winner in this game, and just for once, they were European.
AC Milan are the new World Club Cup champions, and from the evidence seen in this match, it's deservedly so.
Showing posts with label World Club Cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Club Cup. Show all posts
Monday, 17 December 2007
Monday, 10 December 2007
FIFA World Club Cup 2007 - Update 1
Having got the preamble out of the way, let's now catch up on the opening three matches of the 2007 FIFA World Club Cup.
Play-off
Sepahan 3 - 1 Waitakere United
December 7 2007
The competition got underway with a play-off between Sepahan of Iran and Waitakere United of New Zealand, the winner gaining a place in the quarter-finals against Urawa Red Diamonds. Sepahan were looking for a chance to exact revenge on Urawa who knocked the Iranian side out of the Asian Champions League Final, so a play-off win was essential if they wanted another bite of the cherry.
It turned into a walk in the park for Sepahan as they scored two goals inside the first four minutes through Emad Mohammed. The Waitakere defence proved more than generous with their lapses in concentration, and when goalkeeper Simon Eaddy's mistake allowed Abdul Wahab Abu Al Hail to score a third in the 47th minute, the game was effectively all over.
The New Zealanders, to their credit, continued to battle away and they effectively gained the support and sympathy of the Japanese fans for the remainder of the game. It may have been a key factor in helping Hadi Aghily get a goal back for Waitakere sixteen minutes from the end to make it 3-1, but that was to be the last goal of the game.
Sepahan had earned a comfortable victory, but next up for them would be that much-wanted rematch against Urawa Red Diamonds...
Quarter Finals
Etoile Sportive du Sahel 1 - 0 Pachuca
December 9 2007
The Tunisians of Sahel upset the form book with this surprise victory over their Mexican counterparts in Tokyo's National Stadium.
Pachuca were easily the more dominant side throughout and had a number of chances to take the lead in the first half. Juan Carlos Cacho headed against the crossbar early on with Gabriel Caballero's follow-up effort cleared off the line and that set the tone for the early action.
Etoile du Sahel got through to half time still on level terms, but the second half remained largely one-way traffic as Pachuca maintained their superiority. They had a goal disallowed for offside in the 73rd minute and it seemed only a matter of time before they'd get on that was valid, but it was Sahel that got the winner five minutes from the end.
The Ghanaian Moussa Narry tried a speculative shot from well outside the penalty area, and though not especially well hit, the resulting deflection off Pachuca's Leobardo Lopez was enough to see the ball bounce past wrong-footed keeper Miguel Calero and into the net.
When the final whistle went, it was the Tunisians that were the surprising winners and they now go through to play Boca Juniors in the semi-finals. For Pachuca, all that awaited was a plane journey home, and all too soon after they'd arrived at that.
Sepahan 1 - 3 Urawa Red Diamonds
December 10 2007
The rematch: Sepahan v Urawa. Only a month earlier, the two sides had met in the Final of the AFC Champions League, and on that occasion Urawa had won 3-1 on aggregate over two legs. How that scoreline would come back to haunt them again...
Yuichiro Nagai was first out of the blocks when he put Urawa in front after 32 minutes, scoring from point-blank range when he met a low cross from Takahito Soma. Sepahan were stunned but undeterred as they entered the second half still only one goal behind.
Sadly for them, a second Urawa goal was not long in coming as Brazilian striker Washington scored neatly from a tight angle in the 54th minute. One of Sepahan's scorers from the Waitakere play-off, Hadi Aghily, was next to put the ball in the net but unfortunately for him it was at the wrong end of the pitch. It signalled the end of the Iranian team's chances, although a late goal from substitute Mahmoud Karimi did at least give them something to cheer.
Urawa Red Diamonds ended the game as 3-1 winners and they now face AC Milan in the semi-finals. As for Sepahan, it seems the flu bug that swept through their squad upon arrival in Japan may have made too much of an impact, although coach Luka Bonacic was quick to acknowledge Urawa as the better team on the night.
So with the quarter-finals out of the way, here's confirmation of the semi-final fixtures coming up over the next few days:
Semi Finals
Etoile Sportive du Sahel v Boca Juniors (December 12)
Urawa Red Diamonds v AC Milan (December 13)
We'll be back nearer the end of the week with match reports from both those games. Until then, Sayonara...
Play-off
Sepahan 3 - 1 Waitakere United
December 7 2007
The competition got underway with a play-off between Sepahan of Iran and Waitakere United of New Zealand, the winner gaining a place in the quarter-finals against Urawa Red Diamonds. Sepahan were looking for a chance to exact revenge on Urawa who knocked the Iranian side out of the Asian Champions League Final, so a play-off win was essential if they wanted another bite of the cherry.
It turned into a walk in the park for Sepahan as they scored two goals inside the first four minutes through Emad Mohammed. The Waitakere defence proved more than generous with their lapses in concentration, and when goalkeeper Simon Eaddy's mistake allowed Abdul Wahab Abu Al Hail to score a third in the 47th minute, the game was effectively all over.
The New Zealanders, to their credit, continued to battle away and they effectively gained the support and sympathy of the Japanese fans for the remainder of the game. It may have been a key factor in helping Hadi Aghily get a goal back for Waitakere sixteen minutes from the end to make it 3-1, but that was to be the last goal of the game.
Sepahan had earned a comfortable victory, but next up for them would be that much-wanted rematch against Urawa Red Diamonds...
Quarter Finals
Etoile Sportive du Sahel 1 - 0 Pachuca
December 9 2007
The Tunisians of Sahel upset the form book with this surprise victory over their Mexican counterparts in Tokyo's National Stadium.
Pachuca were easily the more dominant side throughout and had a number of chances to take the lead in the first half. Juan Carlos Cacho headed against the crossbar early on with Gabriel Caballero's follow-up effort cleared off the line and that set the tone for the early action.
Etoile du Sahel got through to half time still on level terms, but the second half remained largely one-way traffic as Pachuca maintained their superiority. They had a goal disallowed for offside in the 73rd minute and it seemed only a matter of time before they'd get on that was valid, but it was Sahel that got the winner five minutes from the end.
The Ghanaian Moussa Narry tried a speculative shot from well outside the penalty area, and though not especially well hit, the resulting deflection off Pachuca's Leobardo Lopez was enough to see the ball bounce past wrong-footed keeper Miguel Calero and into the net.
When the final whistle went, it was the Tunisians that were the surprising winners and they now go through to play Boca Juniors in the semi-finals. For Pachuca, all that awaited was a plane journey home, and all too soon after they'd arrived at that.
Sepahan 1 - 3 Urawa Red Diamonds
December 10 2007
The rematch: Sepahan v Urawa. Only a month earlier, the two sides had met in the Final of the AFC Champions League, and on that occasion Urawa had won 3-1 on aggregate over two legs. How that scoreline would come back to haunt them again...
Yuichiro Nagai was first out of the blocks when he put Urawa in front after 32 minutes, scoring from point-blank range when he met a low cross from Takahito Soma. Sepahan were stunned but undeterred as they entered the second half still only one goal behind.
Sadly for them, a second Urawa goal was not long in coming as Brazilian striker Washington scored neatly from a tight angle in the 54th minute. One of Sepahan's scorers from the Waitakere play-off, Hadi Aghily, was next to put the ball in the net but unfortunately for him it was at the wrong end of the pitch. It signalled the end of the Iranian team's chances, although a late goal from substitute Mahmoud Karimi did at least give them something to cheer.
Urawa Red Diamonds ended the game as 3-1 winners and they now face AC Milan in the semi-finals. As for Sepahan, it seems the flu bug that swept through their squad upon arrival in Japan may have made too much of an impact, although coach Luka Bonacic was quick to acknowledge Urawa as the better team on the night.
So with the quarter-finals out of the way, here's confirmation of the semi-final fixtures coming up over the next few days:
Semi Finals
Etoile Sportive du Sahel v Boca Juniors (December 12)
Urawa Red Diamonds v AC Milan (December 13)
We'll be back nearer the end of the week with match reports from both those games. Until then, Sayonara...
Sunday, 9 December 2007
Your guide to the FIFA World Club Cup
Just when you thought you couldn't possibly cram any more football competitions into one year, 2007 is about to end with one last hurrah in the form of the 2007 FIFA World Club Cup.
Over in Japan, the action's just getting underway, and as ever, SPAOTP will attempt to keep you up-to-date with everything that's going on as efficiently as we can.
By now you may be starting to get a confused look on your face. We're thinking the name of this competition sounds familiar to you, but you're not sure why. Let us explain…
This is not the World Cup as we know it, but it is the equivalent for club teams. Forget Brazil, Italy and the like - think Manchester United, Real Madrid and so on. This is the chance for the big teams at club level to prove they’re the best in the world.
All well and good, then, but you're probably feeling a little ill-prepared for such an event - a bit under-informed, perhaps. Fear not, fine people. What you're about to get is a whistle-stop tour of all the key details to help you get the most out of our coverage.
So if you're ready then, buckle up and let's go - the 2007 FIFA World Club Cup awaits…
History
In its current form, the FIFA World Club Cup has been running since 2000, but its origins go back much further than that. Prior to 2000, there was the Intercontinental Cup - an annual meeting between the club champions of Europe and South America, and that began back in 1960.
The Roll of Honour for the Intercontinental Cup is an impressive one. Names such as Real Madrid, Santos, AC Milan and Independiente would often appear in the Final - played in Japan from 1980 onwards - but by the turn of the century FIFA wanted to cast the net wider and include the continental champions from all over the globe.
And so it was that in 2000, FIFA created the World Club Championship to serve just such a purpose. The competition took place in Brazi where eight teams competed in two First Round groups. Among them were recent treble-winners Manchester United (who passed up the chance to defend their FA Cup title in order to be there), Real Madrid (playing by special invitation) and two home sides, Vasco da Gama and Corinthians of Brazil.
To be fair, the competition never quite caught fire as a spectacle despite being played in the homeland of Pele, Carlos Alberto and Jairzinho. Man United's only win came against South Melbourne and Real Madrid were even beaten in the 3rd/4th place play-off by Mexican side Necaxa. Fortunately for the home supporters, both Brazilian teams got through to the Final which Corinthians won 4-3 on penalties after ninety minutes and extra time had failed to produce a goal.
What with all the problems surrounding over-crowded fixture lists and the unspectacular nature of the 2000 event, FIFA decided to quietly put the World Club Championship on the back burner until 2005 when it re-emerged in Japan once more. This time, a knock-out formula was established, however the champions of South America and Europe (Sao Paulo and Liverpool) were given byes to the semi-finals while the other continental champions battled it out in the previous round.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, it was Sao Paulo and Liverpool who met in the Final and this time it was a more exciting affair despite a 1-0 scoreline which ultimately went in favour of the Brazilians again.
With some credibility regained, FIFA decided to stage the competition annually from now on and also changed the title too, opting for the altogether more catchy 'World Club Cup'. Some things stayed the same though. The venue for the third edition remained as Japan and the format was untouched too. Even the two 'seeded' teams ended up in the Final again - this time it was Internacional of Brazil against Barcelona of Spain.
Despite being heavily tipped as favourites to win outright, Barcelona couldn't quite pull it off. They faced a Brazilian side under the leadership of Abel Braga that knew exactly how to deal with the likes of Deco and Ronaldinho. They opted to mark them closely, shut off the midfield supply chain and counter-attack whenever possible. It worked, thanks to an Adriano goal eight minutes from time, all of which meant that all three winners of the competition had now come from Brazil.
Will the sequence end in 2007? To find out, we need to know a bit more about this year's competition...
The format
Once again, a knock-out format is in use whereby the champions of Europe and South America receive byes to the semi-final stage. To begin, a play-off was required to establish the future involvement of the representatives from Oceania (who used to get qualify as of right but don't anymore - don't ask, long story) and that took place on December 7th 2007 (more of which later).
The winner of that play-off would then enter the quarter-finals which, as in the last World Club Cup, would involve just four teams. The two winners from the quarter-finals would then go through to play the champions of Europe and South America (deliberately kept apart again) and as you'd expect, the winners of the semi-finals will go through to the Final.
The contenders
Eight teams began the 2007 FIFA World Club Cup starting with the play-off, and they are:
Boca Juniors (South America)
Country of origin: Argentina
Coach: Miguel Angel Russo
Captain: Martin Palermo
Other notable players: Rodrigo Palacio, Gabriel Paletta (formerly of Liverpool), Hugo Ibarra
Honours: 3 Intercontinental Cups, 6 Copa Libertadores (South American championships) and 23 Primera Division titles.
AC Milan (Europe)
Country of origin: Italy
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
Captain: Paolo Maldini
Other notable players: Cafu, Gennaro Gatusso, Filippo Inzaghi, Clarence Seedorf, Alessandro Nesta, Kaká, Ronaldo.
Honours: 3 Intercontinental Cups, 7 European Cups, 2 European Cup Winners' Cups, 17 Serie A titles
Pachuca (North and Central America)
Country of origin: Mexico
Coach: Enrique Meza
Captain: Miguel Calero
Other notable players: Christian Gimenez, Miguel Calero, Aquivaldo Mosquera, Gabriel Caballero, Andres Chitiva, Luis Angel Landin.
Honours: 5 Primera Division titles, 2 CONCACAF Champions' Cups, 1 North American SuperLiga
Urawa Red Diamonds (Asia)
Country of origin: Japan
Coach: Holger Osieck
Captain: Nobuhisa Yamada
Other notable players: Marcus Tulio Tanaka, Keisuke Tsuboi, Yuki Abe, Keita Suzuki, Robson Ponte, Yuichiro Nagai, Nobuhisa Yamada.
Honours: 1 J League title, 1 AFC Champions League.
Étoile Sportive du Sahel (Africa)
Country of origin: Tunisia
Coach: Bertrand Marchand
Captain: Saber Ben Frej
Other notable players: Francileudo dos Santos Silva… and various others that we were unable to discern due to a lack of details on the internet.
Honours: 3 CAF Cups, 9 Tunisian Championships, 1 African Champions League.
Sepahan (Asia)
Country of origin: Iran
Coach: Luka Bonačić
Captain: Moharram Navidkia
Other notable players: Maharram Navidkia, Emad Mohammed.
Honours: 1 Iranian League Championship
Waitakere United (Oceania)
Country of origin: New Zealand
Coach: Chris Millichich
Captain: Danny Hay
Other notable players: Danny Hay, Commins Menapi
Honours: 1 OFC Champions League, 1 New Zealand Championship
So now you know all the facts, it's time to get stuck into the news from the 2007 World Club Cup... except we're going to give you a break now otherwise you'll be reading this page until late into the night. Next time out, we're going to give you the match reports from the first few games to get you up to speed, but for now, pour yourself a glass of saki and dwell on the undoubted sense of anticipation that's now starting to grow inside you. See you next time...
Over in Japan, the action's just getting underway, and as ever, SPAOTP will attempt to keep you up-to-date with everything that's going on as efficiently as we can.
By now you may be starting to get a confused look on your face. We're thinking the name of this competition sounds familiar to you, but you're not sure why. Let us explain…
This is not the World Cup as we know it, but it is the equivalent for club teams. Forget Brazil, Italy and the like - think Manchester United, Real Madrid and so on. This is the chance for the big teams at club level to prove they’re the best in the world.
All well and good, then, but you're probably feeling a little ill-prepared for such an event - a bit under-informed, perhaps. Fear not, fine people. What you're about to get is a whistle-stop tour of all the key details to help you get the most out of our coverage.
So if you're ready then, buckle up and let's go - the 2007 FIFA World Club Cup awaits…
History
In its current form, the FIFA World Club Cup has been running since 2000, but its origins go back much further than that. Prior to 2000, there was the Intercontinental Cup - an annual meeting between the club champions of Europe and South America, and that began back in 1960.
The Roll of Honour for the Intercontinental Cup is an impressive one. Names such as Real Madrid, Santos, AC Milan and Independiente would often appear in the Final - played in Japan from 1980 onwards - but by the turn of the century FIFA wanted to cast the net wider and include the continental champions from all over the globe.
And so it was that in 2000, FIFA created the World Club Championship to serve just such a purpose. The competition took place in Brazi where eight teams competed in two First Round groups. Among them were recent treble-winners Manchester United (who passed up the chance to defend their FA Cup title in order to be there), Real Madrid (playing by special invitation) and two home sides, Vasco da Gama and Corinthians of Brazil.
To be fair, the competition never quite caught fire as a spectacle despite being played in the homeland of Pele, Carlos Alberto and Jairzinho. Man United's only win came against South Melbourne and Real Madrid were even beaten in the 3rd/4th place play-off by Mexican side Necaxa. Fortunately for the home supporters, both Brazilian teams got through to the Final which Corinthians won 4-3 on penalties after ninety minutes and extra time had failed to produce a goal.
What with all the problems surrounding over-crowded fixture lists and the unspectacular nature of the 2000 event, FIFA decided to quietly put the World Club Championship on the back burner until 2005 when it re-emerged in Japan once more. This time, a knock-out formula was established, however the champions of South America and Europe (Sao Paulo and Liverpool) were given byes to the semi-finals while the other continental champions battled it out in the previous round.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, it was Sao Paulo and Liverpool who met in the Final and this time it was a more exciting affair despite a 1-0 scoreline which ultimately went in favour of the Brazilians again.
With some credibility regained, FIFA decided to stage the competition annually from now on and also changed the title too, opting for the altogether more catchy 'World Club Cup'. Some things stayed the same though. The venue for the third edition remained as Japan and the format was untouched too. Even the two 'seeded' teams ended up in the Final again - this time it was Internacional of Brazil against Barcelona of Spain.
Despite being heavily tipped as favourites to win outright, Barcelona couldn't quite pull it off. They faced a Brazilian side under the leadership of Abel Braga that knew exactly how to deal with the likes of Deco and Ronaldinho. They opted to mark them closely, shut off the midfield supply chain and counter-attack whenever possible. It worked, thanks to an Adriano goal eight minutes from time, all of which meant that all three winners of the competition had now come from Brazil.
Will the sequence end in 2007? To find out, we need to know a bit more about this year's competition...
The format
Once again, a knock-out format is in use whereby the champions of Europe and South America receive byes to the semi-final stage. To begin, a play-off was required to establish the future involvement of the representatives from Oceania (who used to get qualify as of right but don't anymore - don't ask, long story) and that took place on December 7th 2007 (more of which later).
The winner of that play-off would then enter the quarter-finals which, as in the last World Club Cup, would involve just four teams. The two winners from the quarter-finals would then go through to play the champions of Europe and South America (deliberately kept apart again) and as you'd expect, the winners of the semi-finals will go through to the Final.
The contenders
Eight teams began the 2007 FIFA World Club Cup starting with the play-off, and they are:
Boca Juniors (South America)
Country of origin: Argentina
Coach: Miguel Angel Russo
Captain: Martin Palermo
Other notable players: Rodrigo Palacio, Gabriel Paletta (formerly of Liverpool), Hugo Ibarra
Honours: 3 Intercontinental Cups, 6 Copa Libertadores (South American championships) and 23 Primera Division titles.
AC Milan (Europe)
Country of origin: Italy
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
Captain: Paolo Maldini
Other notable players: Cafu, Gennaro Gatusso, Filippo Inzaghi, Clarence Seedorf, Alessandro Nesta, Kaká, Ronaldo.
Honours: 3 Intercontinental Cups, 7 European Cups, 2 European Cup Winners' Cups, 17 Serie A titles
Pachuca (North and Central America)
Country of origin: Mexico
Coach: Enrique Meza
Captain: Miguel Calero
Other notable players: Christian Gimenez, Miguel Calero, Aquivaldo Mosquera, Gabriel Caballero, Andres Chitiva, Luis Angel Landin.
Honours: 5 Primera Division titles, 2 CONCACAF Champions' Cups, 1 North American SuperLiga
Urawa Red Diamonds (Asia)
Country of origin: Japan
Coach: Holger Osieck
Captain: Nobuhisa Yamada
Other notable players: Marcus Tulio Tanaka, Keisuke Tsuboi, Yuki Abe, Keita Suzuki, Robson Ponte, Yuichiro Nagai, Nobuhisa Yamada.
Honours: 1 J League title, 1 AFC Champions League.
Étoile Sportive du Sahel (Africa)
Country of origin: Tunisia
Coach: Bertrand Marchand
Captain: Saber Ben Frej
Other notable players: Francileudo dos Santos Silva… and various others that we were unable to discern due to a lack of details on the internet.
Honours: 3 CAF Cups, 9 Tunisian Championships, 1 African Champions League.
Sepahan (Asia)
Country of origin: Iran
Coach: Luka Bonačić
Captain: Moharram Navidkia
Other notable players: Maharram Navidkia, Emad Mohammed.
Honours: 1 Iranian League Championship
Waitakere United (Oceania)
Country of origin: New Zealand
Coach: Chris Millichich
Captain: Danny Hay
Other notable players: Danny Hay, Commins Menapi
Honours: 1 OFC Champions League, 1 New Zealand Championship
So now you know all the facts, it's time to get stuck into the news from the 2007 World Club Cup... except we're going to give you a break now otherwise you'll be reading this page until late into the night. Next time out, we're going to give you the match reports from the first few games to get you up to speed, but for now, pour yourself a glass of saki and dwell on the undoubted sense of anticipation that's now starting to grow inside you. See you next time...
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