2018 FIFA Club World Cup: Tournament News & Qualifiers [R]

CAF Quarterfinals - First Leg:
Primeiro do Agosto (Angola) - TP Mazembe (DR Congo) 0:0
Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia) - Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) 2:1
ES Setif (Algeria) - Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) 1:0
Horoya AC (Guinea) - Al Ahly (Egypt) 0:0

There was a big crowd in Luanda. Unfortunately they didn't get to see any goals. Defending champions Wydad will have to fight their way back from a 1:0 deficit incurred in Algeria:

 

Esteghlal did look dangerous, even with a man down. Nervous moments for Xavi and Al Sadd. In the East, Kashima Antlers are one step closer to a rematch of the 2016 CWC final against Real Madrid. They beat Tianjin Quanjian "away" in Macau, where the game took place due to Typhoon Mangkhut:



The AFC semis are now set:

Al Sadd (Qatar) - Persepolis FC (Iran)
Kashima Antlers (Japan) - Suwon Bluewings (S. Korea)

 

TBD. They are leading the CSL right now ahead of Guangzhou Evergrande. In fact, they just beat them this week. If they can interrupt Guangzhou's seven year winning streak at the domestic front then that would certainly justify some of the mad spending.

 

Copa Libertadores - Quarterfinals, First Leg:

Independiente (ARG) - River Plate (ARG) 0:0
Colo Cole (Chile) - Palmeiras (BRA) 0:2
Boca Juniors (ARG) - Cruzeiro (BRA) 2:0
Atletico Tucuman (ARG) - Gremio 0:2



Next to Kashima, Gremio must also be plotting for another Real Madrid encounter.

Real Madrid could end up playing both losing finalists from 2016 and 2017. Again.

 

The final four are set in CAF:

Al Ahly (Egypt) - ES Setif (Algeria)
Primeiro do Agosto (Angola) - Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia)

Defending champions Wydad Casablanca got knocked out by ES Setif. But the shocker of the quarterfinals was Angola's Primeiro do Agosto. They eliminated TP Mazembe on away goals for their first semi-final appearance in club history:



Hey, Swiss national day is on the first of August. They are good in my book.

 

AFC Semis, First Leg:
Al Sadd (Qatar) - Persepolis FC (Iran) 0:1
Kashima Antlers (Japan) - Suwon Bluewings (S. Korea) 3:2

If Persepolis and Kashima both get through to the final we are guaranteed a new ACL champion.

CAF Semis, First Leg:
Al Ahly (Egypt) - ES Setif (Algeria) 2:0
Primeiro do Agosto (Angola) - Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia) 1:0

The Angolan champions continue to surprise. Can they actually make the final?

 

The semis are also set in CONMEBOL:

River Plate (ARG) - Gremio (BRA)
Boca Juniors (ARG) - Palmeiras (BRA)

All are former Libertadores winners. Three are former club world champions. Only Palmeiras aren't.

 

2018 CWC referees announced:
https://img.fifa.com/image/upload/j9o6ckra4gynltd46kib.pdf

 

Quite an exciting football evening on BeIn. AFC, CAF and UEFA Champions League being played simultaneously.

Iran's Persepolis secured their place in the ACL final as the Western representative. That probably also spells the end of Xavi's Asian ambitions before retirement. I still don't think any player has won UEFA and AFC Champions League? The Eastern finalist will be determined tomorrow - with a CONCACAF ref crew! (Remember, the AFC sent one to the CCL earlier this year)

Both CAF finalists will be determined tonight. As I type this Primeiro do Agosto is eliminating Esperance!

 

And it was an intense affair:

Primeiro can hold their heads high however, they represented Angolan football extremely well.

So we have a clash of two African heavyweights in the final...

Al Ahly (Egypt) - Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia)

I will shamelessly root for Al Ahly because they will bring out the crowds in the UAE.

 

A great series indeed. So the Asian final is...

Kashima Antlers (Japan) - Persepolis FC (Iran)

We are guaranteed a new ACL winner. Both clubs, in spite of being league record holders at the domestic front, have never lifted the continental title. Think about that for a moment.

I'm a bit split on this one. Persepolis would bring out the crowds but Kashima may fare better against Chivas.

 

The Libertadores semis are also ongoing.

River Plate - Gremio 0:1
Boca Juniors - Palmeiras 2:0

Return legs are this week.

 

Whoa...let's see what happens there. Here are are Gremio-River highlights:

 

Alright, here is the finals schedule for those who want to tune in. It all starts tomorrow! All times local:

Nov 2: Al Ahly - Esperance de Tunis (21:00)
Nov 3: Kashima Antlers - Persepolis FC (15:00)
Nov 9: Esperance de Tunis - Al Ahly (20:00)
Nov 10: Persepolis FC - Kashima Antlers (18:30)
Nov 10: Boca Juniors - River Plate (16:00)
Nov 24: River Plate - Boca Juniors (16:00)

So by the time Boca and River kick off the Asian and African champions will have been crowned.