Posts tagged FIFAClubWorldCup at FanHouse

Leave it to a Brazilian to pick apart the Argentine champions of CONMEBOL.

That's exactly what AC Milan superstar and Ballon d'Or winner Ricky Kaká did in Japan on a Sunday night in Yokohama, ripping through the defense of Copa Libertadores champions Boca Juniors to lead European Cup winners AC Milan to a 4-2 victory in the FIFA Club World Cup championship match.

Preacherman did pretty much anything he wanted with the ball, scoring once himself and making brilliant crosses to Filippo Inzaghi, who converted twice without having to use his bicep like he did in Greece last May. In the end, Boca resorted to hacking at Kaká, who was nice enough to turn the other cheek. The testiness at the end of the match showed, as Kakhaber Kaladze of Milan and Pablo Martín Ledesma of Boca were both sent off for ugly tackles.

There were questions about whether Milan would take this competition seriously, but honestly, you won't find a Brazilian on the planet who wouldn't want to put it to Boca Juniors. If anything, it showed that the Club World Cup may have a long way to go to become a truly major event, but it's not going anywhere. If this competition stays in Japan, let's hope Urawa Reds make it back next year.

Is it possible to start a fan club for fans? Because I want to start one for these zany Urawa Red Diamonds supporters. These guys create a home field advantage like nobody I've ever seen.

If you think that video from Urawa's FIFA Club World Cup win over Sepahan was impressive, wait until you see the stops they pull out on Thursday, when the Asian champions take on European champions AC Milan. That game will air live on Fox Soccer Channel Thursday morning at 5:00 AM, with a replay at 8:00 PM. Urawa plays a pretty entertaining brand of football, but it may not be as entertaining as watching how loud these ultras will get when Kaka & Co. come to play. They're making this competition worth watching. (You can see more videos of the Reds supporters here and here.)

In the other Club World Cup semifinal, CONMEBOL champs Boca Juniors will take on African champions Étoile du Sahel, who defeated CONCACAF Champions Cup winners Pachuca on Sunday.

Previously at FanHouse:
Do We Care About the FIFA Club World Cup?
Urawa Reds Supporters Are Insane, Awesome

In the world of soccer, you can tell a competition lacks prestige when a participant saying it plans to take the event seriously seems newsworthy.

That's the strange irony of the FIFA Club World Cup, which starts tomorrow in Japan. The club champions of all six major confederations will meet in a nine-day tournament to determine which club will be crowned the planetary champion of soccer.

So why does this seem like such a minor event? After all, the club that wins this event will hold the true title of world champion, yet winning the UEFA Champions League or the Copa Libertadores seems to have far more prestige than the Club World Cup. Why is that?

Is it the novelty of the event itself, which officially replaced the Intercontinental Cup in 2005 and sought to include every confederation, rather than just UEFA and CONMEBOL? Is it the format, a basic bracket that gives the European and South American champs automatic passes to the semifinals? Does the fact that the tournament is held in Japan and can't be shown live at a convenient time for anyone in Europe or the Americas make it out of sight and out of mind? Or is it just one more competition on everyone's crowded calendar?