2012 FIFA Club World Cup: News & Analysis [R]

Nico Limmat · Nov 16, 2012

Less than 24 hours to go until the African champion is crowned. Attendance has been capped at 35,000 in the 65,000 Rades Stadium in Tunis. Harrison Afful and Sameh Derbali are out suspended for Esperance while Youssef Msakni is questionable.

Nico Limmat · Nov 17, 2012

Halftime: Esperance - Al Ahly 0:1 (1:2 on aggregate)

Can Al Ahly really pull it off? Can they win Africa's top competition - without having played a single domestic league match since February - and gift their fan base a record 7th CAF Champions League title after the Port Said tragedy?

zahzah · Nov 17, 2012

SwissGCZ said: ↑

Halftime: Esperance - Al Ahly 0:1 (1:2 on aggregate)

Can Al Ahly really pull it off? Can they win Africa's top competition - without having played a single domestic league match since February - and gift their fan base a record 7th CAF Champions League title after the Port Said tragedy?
Click to expand...

0:2 now and Ah Ahly look set to win it! Esperance with 30 minutes to score 3 goals!

Nico Limmat · Nov 17, 2012

And Al Ahly does it, wins in Tunis 2:1! What a story!

Seven CAF Champions League titles, a new record in Africa. And all that after not playing regular league matches since February and having zero home crowd support until the final with all CL matches played behind closed doors.

What an emotional night this must be for the older players like Aboutrika and Barakat who initially retired after 79 (mostly Al Ahly fans) died in Port Said earlier this year.

Nico Limmat · Nov 17, 2012

Qualified to date for Japan 2012:

UEFA: Chelsea FC (England)
CONMEBOL: SC Corinthians Paulista (Brazil)
AFC: Ulsan Hyundai FC (South Korea)
CONCACAF: CF Monterrey (Mexico)
OFC: Auckland City FC (New Zealand)
CAF: Al Ahly SC (Egypt)
Host: TBD

So just like last year the J. League champions are the last ones to join the fold. Sanfrecce lost to Urawa today but Vegalta failed to capitalize with only a draw. The last two rounds are on the following dates:

- Nov 24
- Dec 1

So again we could only be looking at four days of rest (and time to sell tickets)

zahzah · Nov 17, 2012

SwissGCZ said: ↑

Qualified to date for Japan 2012:

UEFA: Chelsea FC (England)
CONMEBOL: SC Corinthians Paulista (Brazil)
AFC: Ulsan Hyundai FC (South Korea)
CONCACAF: CF Monterrey (Mexico)
OFC: Auckland City FC (New Zealand)
CAF: Al Ahly SC (Egypt)
Host: TBD

So just like last year the J. League champions are the last ones to join the fold. Sanfrecce lost to Urawa today but Vegalta failed to capitalize with only a draw. The last two rounds are on the following dates:

- Nov 24
- Dec 1

So again we could only be looking at four days of rest (and time to sell tickets)
Click to expand...

In theory still 4 teams in it... but realistically Sanfrecce or Vegalta

Nico Limmat · Nov 18, 2012

Looking at the next matchday on Nov 24 it looks like the J. League will be decided on the last day. Vegalta is playing Albirex (17th in the league) at home. That should be a victory.

unclesox · Nov 19, 2012

The run-up to the tournament.

Monterrey and Al-Ahly have no matches scheduled before the FCWC.

Tue 20 Nov
20:45/UTC+01:00 UEFA Champions League Juventus v Chelsea
Wed 21 Nov
19:00/UTC+09:00 K-League Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors v Ulsan Hyundai

Sat 24 Nov
14:30/UTC+09:00 J-League Sanfrecce Hiroshima v Cerezo Osaka
............................................... Vegalta Sendai v Albirex Niigata
............................................... Sagan Tosu v Urawa Red Diamonds
Sun 25 Nov
14:00/UTC+12:00 ASB Premiership Waitakere United v Auckland City
15:00/UTC+09:00 K-League Jeju UTD v Ulsan Hyundai
16:00/UTC±00:00 Premier League Chelsea v Manchester City
17:00/UTC−03:00 Brasileirão Corinthians v Santos

Wed 28 Nov
19:45/UTC±00:00 Premier League Chelsea v Fulham
Thur 29 Nov
19:30/UTC+09:00 K-League Busan IPark v Ulsan Hyundai

Sat 1 Dec
15:30/UTC+09:00 J-League Vissel Kobe v Sanfrecce Hiroshima
............................................... FC Tokyo v Vegalta Sendai
............................................... Urawa Red Diamonds v Nagoya Grampus
12:45/UTC±00:00 Premier League West Ham v Chelsea
Sun 2 Dec
14:00/UTC+09:00 K-League Ulsan Hyundai v Gyeongnam FC
17:00/UTC−03:00 Brasileirão São Paulo v Corinthians

Wed 5 Dec
19:45/UTC±00:00 UEFA Champions League Chelsea v Nordsjaelland

Thur 6 Dec
19:45/UTC+09:00 FCWC J-League Champion v Auckland City

Sat 8 Dec
15:00/UTC±00:00 Premier League Sunderland v Chelsea

Sun 9 Dec
16:00/UTC+09:00 FCWC Ulsan Hyundai v Monterrey
19:30/UTC+09:00 FCWC Winner Match 1 v Al-Ahly

Nico Limmat · Nov 21, 2012

unclesox said: ↑

Tue 20 Nov
20:45/UTC+01:00 UEFA Champions League Juventus v Chelsea 3:0
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After this loss which means the likely elimination of Chelsea in the group stage the club has decided to sack Roberto Di Matteo.

unclesox · Nov 21, 2012

At least Internazionale waited until after the Club World Cup to part ways with Rafael Benitez in 2010.
And I can see Di Matteo winning the FIFA Coach of the Year award in January.

glennaldo_sf · Nov 21, 2012

seems like when Chelsea hire a manager on a 3-4 season contract, what they're really talking about is spring, summer, fall & winter - RDM didn't last the latter....

Nico Limmat · Nov 21, 2012

unclesox said: ↑

At least Internazionale waited until after the Club World Cup to part ways with Rafael Benitez in 2010.
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And apparently Benitez is in the running to take over. That would mean coaching three different teams at the CWC after Liverpool and Inter Milan.

unclesox · Nov 21, 2012

SwissGCZ said: ↑

And apparently Benitez is in the running to take over. That would mean coaching three different teams at the CWC after Liverpool and Inter Milan.
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With Liverpool the only one he actually qualified for the FCWC with (!)

Since the 2005 tournament are there any other clubs that had a coach in the FCWC that was different than the one they had won their continental tournament with?

Paul Calixte · Nov 21, 2012

unclesox said: ↑

Since the 2005 tournament are there any other clubs that had a coach in the FCWC that was different than the one they had won their continental tournament with?
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Pachuca won the 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League under Guillermo Rivarola, who subsequently got sacked and replaced by Pablo Marini ahead of their horror run in the 2010 CWC.

It's called FOOTBALL · Nov 21, 2012

SwissGCZ said: ↑

And Al Ahly does it, wins in Tunis 2:1! What a story!

Seven CAF Champions League titles, a new record in Africa. And all that after not playing regular league matches since February and having zero home crowd support until the final with all CL matches played behind closed doors.

What an emotional night this must be for the older players like Aboutrika and Barakat who initially retired after 79 (mostly Al Ahly fans) died in Port Said earlier this year.
Click to expand...

How are they able to pay their players if there is no revenue from league games? And how did the team keep fit all year without a league schedule? Friendlies galore?

Will any Egyptian teams participate in next year's AFC CL?

unclesox said: ↑

With Liverpool the only one he actually qualified for the FCWC with (!)

Since the 2005 tournament are there any other clubs that had a coach in the FCWC that was different than the one they had won their continental tournament with?
Click to expand...

Not only did Mourinho abandon Inter in between their CL conquest and the CWC, he also abandoned Porto in 2004 in between their CL victory and the IC.

EvanJ · Nov 22, 2012

It's called FOOTBALL said: ↑

Will any Egyptian teams participate in next year's AFC CL?
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_CAF_Champions_League says "The 2011–12 Egyptian Premier League champion and runner-up would originally represent Egypt in this tournament but due of its cancellation the 2010–11 Egyptian Premier League champion and runner-up will represent Egypt."

AFC is Asia. You mean the CAF Champions league.

Nico Limmat · Nov 22, 2012

It's called FOOTBALL said: ↑

How are they able to pay their players if there is no revenue from league games? And how did the team keep fit all year without a league schedule? Friendlies galore?
Click to expand...

Good question on the pay, but Ahly are the biggest club in Africa - I'm sure they find ways. And yes, they kept themselves fit with many friendlies.

And Chelsea has now announced Benitez as the new coach.

Suyuntuy · Nov 22, 2012

SwissGCZ said: ↑

Good question on the pay, but Ahly are the biggest club in Africa - I'm sure they find ways. And yes, they kept themselves fit with many friendlies.

And Chelsea has now announced Benitez as the new coach.
Click to expand...

Weird. One of the stingiest coaches in football, coaching one of the teams that likes throwing money around the most. Wonder if Abramovich is starting to count pennies.

Nico Limmat · Nov 23, 2012

Suyuntuy said: ↑

Weird. One of the stingiest coaches in football, coaching one of the teams that likes throwing money around the most. Wonder if Abramovich is starting to count pennies.
Click to expand...

Not sure about the rest of the season but for the CWC the hiring of Benitez makes sense. He knows what it takes to succeed.

Anyway, less than two weeks to go until opening kick-off. I will go ahead and start the match thread for Ulsan/Monterrey to be followed by Host/Auckland once the J.League is decided.

Nico Limmat · Nov 24, 2012

Vegalta surprisingly lost at home to relegation-threatened Albirex Niigata, handing Sanfrecce Hiroshima their first ever J. League title one round before the conclusion of the league.

The CWC is now complete:

UEFA: Chelsea FC (England)
CONMEBOL: SC Corinthians Paulista (Brazil)
AFC: Ulsan Hyundai FC (South Korea)
CONCACAF: CF Monterrey (Mexico)
OFC: Auckland City FC (New Zealand)
CAF: Al Ahly SC (Egypt)
Host: Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Japan)

Suyuntuy · Nov 24, 2012

Both Corinthians and Chelsea are sides that, even though popular in their countries and wealthy, have won their continental tournament for the first time, after a long, long, long time wanting it. To the point that both teams were sort of a joke in their confederation, because they had failed to get the title even when they had spent millions in the attempt. Jokes about Corinthians and Chelsea were rendered moot all of a sudden this year.

23 clubs from 7 nations have won the Libertadores. 22 teams from 10 nations have won the Champions and European Cup. 8 teams from 4 nations have won the Libertadores 3 or more times. 8 teams from 5 nations have won the Champions/EuroCup 3 or more times.

Last time around, the winners of the two competitions were not favorites due to historical reasons (neither had ever won it), yet both managed to eliminate the 2011 champs in the semis (Corinthians beat Santos and Chelsea beat Barcelona), and went on to defeat the favorites, teams with much more success in the competition previously, in the final (Corinthians beat Boca, Chelsea beat Bayern).

Otherwise, all confederations are represented by a team from what is widely regarded as their strongest league: UEFA by EPL, CONMEBOL by Brasilerao, AFC by K-League, CONCACAF by Liga MX, CAF by the Etisalat League, and OFC by the ASB Premiership.

Sanfrece is a club that had not won the Japanese league in over 40 years (since 1970, as Toyo Industries).

Nico Limmat · Nov 24, 2012

To be continued in the General In-Tournament Thread.