2014 FIFA Club World Cup: Tournament News & Qualifiers [R]

Xolos won the South-Californian cross-border derby:


In other news, Diego Forlan got his first ACL goal for Cerezo:


Finally, China decided not to bid for the CWC after all:
http://english.cntv.cn/20140319/103729.shtml

Strange, Guangzhou seemed all over this. Money can't be the issue, maybe differences with the local association?

 

So the final eight in UEFA are:

FC Barcelona (Spain)
Manchester United (England)
Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Atletico Madrid (Spain)
Chelsea (England)
Real Madrid (Spain)
Bayern Munich (Germany)

ManU clawed themselves into the quarterfinals.

In CONCACAF it is indeed looking like Mexico will extend its world record streak to 9 consecutive titles:

 

If Alajuelense makes the final against Cruz Azul they don't have to do anything.

Just watch La Máquina implode...

As for Al Sadd, I was about to go see them (with Raúl) take on Dubai's Al Ahli. Unfortunately something came up so I penciled in Al Ahli against storied Saudi giant Al Hilal on match-day five instead.

 

So the final four in CONCACAF are:

Alajuelense (Costa Rica) - Toluca (Mexico)
Tijuana (Mexico) - Cruz Azul (Mexico)

The UEFA quarterfinal draw happened yesterday:

FC Barcelona - Atletico Madrid
Real Madrid - Borussia Dortmund
Paris St. Germain - Chelsea
Manchester United - Bayern Munich

Coming back to future hosting, the exact conditions for 2015/2016 and 2017/2018 are now publically available on the FIFA website: http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/aff...017fu17wwc2018fu20wwc2018fwwc2019_neutral.pdf

In summary, the hosting association has to pay USD 25M per edition to FIFA and bear its own additional cost of organizing the event. In return the association gets the commercial proceeds from FIFA, which at this stage - I assume - don't exceed USD 25M. This is FIFA after all.

I've got the feeling India will also get cold feet in light of the cost and lack of quality of the I-League. This isn't cricket and what's the point in spending that much when you can't present your domestic league in a positive light? Right now my gut feeling right now tells me the next two editions are going back to Japan to cover the East Asian time-zone with 2017/2018 in South Africa or the Middle East. The UAE is bidding for the 2019 Asian Cup and part of that will be a new 60,000 stadium in Dubai Sports City. I'm sure the opening of that ground could be moved forward for the CWC if the UAE FA decides to bid.

For Morocco 2014 Rabat will be the second host city next to Marrakech (subject to completion of stadium works by 31 August 2014) - not Agadir. Another new stadium to showcase?

 

The first legs of the CAF Second Round were completed this past weekend. This is the last round before the eight-team group stage. Al Ahly stumbled against their namesake from Libya while Horoya could not replicate the magic that helped them eliminate Raja Casablanca. The biggest scoreline however was South African champions Kaizer Chiefs getting mauled 3-0 in DR Congo by the Black Dolphins from AS Vita Club.

Vita Club has long been in the shadow of domestic rivals TP Mazembe but is now on the verge of qualifying for the group stage. After the run of Orlando Pirates last year I thought this may be South Africa's year to overturn nearly two decades of failure. Doesn't look like it. Speaking of the Almighty Mazembe, they escaped Ivory Coast with a narrow loss, getting an away goal in the process:

 

The first four teams of the 2014 CAF group stage are now known:

TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
AS Vita Club (DR Congo)
CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)
Al Ahly SC (Libya)

Yep, that last one is not a typo. There can be only one Al Ahly and the Benghazi version eliminated its much more illustrious namesake from Cairo. Both African clubs from the 2013 CWC in the end did not make the group stage. Joining them in the failure corner are South African Kaizer Chiefs. They beat Vita Club 2:0 in the return leg but it wasn't enough. With all the resources available the ABSA Premiership simply must do better. DR Congo's Linafoot now has two teams in the final eight, completed by TP Mazembe who snuck in on away goals.

In case you are wondering what the Crows of Lubumbashi are up to, they are as ambitious as ever:

I admire Katumbi's ambition but winning the CWC in three years almost makes Don Garber's "MLS to be top league by 2022" pep rally talk sound rational and realistic.

 

Unfortunately not. CAF really needs to improve its online presence, at least once the group stage starts.

Speaking of, it is now complete:

TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
AS Vita Club (DR Congo)
Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia)
CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)
Zamalek (Egypt)
Al Ahly SC (Libya)
Al Hilal (Sudan)
ES Setif (Algeria)

Draw is on April 29.

 

UEFA Quarterfinals, First Leg:
FC Barcelona - Atletico Madrid 1:1
Real Madrid - Borussia Dortmund 3:0
Paris St. Germain - Chelsea 3:1
Manchester United - Bayern Munich 1:1

Looks like Real are getting their revenge for last year. PSG are also close to the semis.

CONCACAF Semifinals, First Leg:
Alajuelense (Costa Rica) - Toluca (Mexico) 0:1
Tijuana (Mexico) - Cruz Azul (Mexico) 1:0

 

Turning our attention towards South America, the Copa Libertadores now has completed five matchdays. Eliminated are Uruguay powerhouses Penarol and Nacional while Brazilian clubs Cruzeiro and Flamengo need additional efforts to qualify to the knock-out rounds.

The AFC played its fourth matchday this week and not a single team has been eliminated yet. To my delight the UAE clubs are quite strong this year so far and the Australian clubs have recovered as well from a weak start. Thai club Buriram United and Uzbekistan's Bunyodkor are having a bad year but they too can still make it.

Expensive foreign signings have paid off so far with several goals scored by Asamoah Gyan (Al Ain), Vagner Love (Shandong) and Alessandro Diamanti (Evergrande).

The March 30 deadline has passed but FIFA has yet to reveal which associations have bid to host the CWC.

 

In summary...

UEFA Final Four (Draw Tomorrow)
Bayern Munich (Germany)
Real Madrid (Spain)
Atletico Madrid (Spain)
Chelsea (England)

This is Atletico Madrid's first semi-final appearance since 1974. Their rise to success domestically as well as internationally has certainly been quite a story this season. Will we have a Madrid derby in the semis? Chelsea continue to carry the English hopes this year in Europe and - more importantly here given the English club world record - the global hopes of South American fans.

CONCACAF Final
Cruz Azul (Mexico) - CD Toluca (Mexico)

That now makes 9 titles in a row for Mexico, 30 titles total. Both are world records.





The Libertadores group stage will conclude tonight and the OFC Champions League group phase is now underway in Fiji. Former surprise champions Hekari United have started with a loss and a draw.

 

Not that Leon can qualify to the CWC via the Libertadores.

But yes, so far Flamengo crashed out together with fellow Brasilian clubs Atlético Paranaense and Botafogo.