Club World Championship

FIFA Club World Cup. The FIFA Club World Championship supercedes the annual World Club Championship (Toyota Cup) between the champions of Europe and South America.

The fourth Club World Championship after the first event in Brazil 2000 which featured both Manchester United and Real Madrid will be held in Japan in December 2007 and is known as the FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA CUP. In the Club World Championship 2006 Internacional defeated Barcelona 1-0 in the final.

The tournament will run from December 7-16 2007.

Club champions from Europe (Champions League winners), South America (Libertadores Cup winners), Oceania (OFC Club Championship winners), Asia (Asian Champions League winners), Africa (CAF Champions League winners) and Central and North America (CONCACAF Champions Cup winners) will compete along with the Japanese J-League champions.

The weather forecast is for cold conditions.

Teams

AC Milan (Italy; Europe/UEFA)
Boca Juniors (Argentina; South America/CONMEBOL)
Pachuca (Mexico; CONCACAF)
Waitakere United (New Zealand; Oceania)
Urawa Reds (Japan; Asia/AFC)
Sepahan (Iran; Asia/AFC)
Etoile Sportive du Sahel (Tunisia; Africa/CAF).

*As Urawa Reds are both AFC And J-League champions Sepahan, the AFC Champions League runners up will also take part.

Match Schedule

FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA CUP 2006 tournament schedule
Play Off Match
Match	Date	KO	Teams	Venue
1	Friday 7 Dec	19.45	Sepahan 3 v Waitakere United 1	Tokyo
Quarterfinals
2	Sun 9 Dec	14.45	Etoile Sportive du Sahel 1 v Pachuca 0	Tokyo
3	Mon 10 Dec	19.30	Sepahan v Urawa Reds	Toyota (Nagoya)

Semifinals
	Date	KO	Teams	Venue
4	Wed 12 Dec	19.30	Etoile Sportive 0 v Boca Juniors 1	Tokyo
5	Thurs 13 Dec	19.30	Urawa Reds 0 v AC Milan 1	Yokohama

Third Place Play-Off
	Date	KO	Teams	Venue
6	Sun 16 Dec	16.00	Etoile Sportive 2 v Urawa Reds 2 Urawa won 4-2 on pens.	Yokohama

Final
	Date	KO	Teams	Venue
7	Sun 16 Dec	19.30	Boca Juniors 2 v AC Milan 4	Yokohama

Stadiums

The matches will be played at the 72,000 capacity Yokohama International Stadium (venue for the 2002 World Cup final), the high-tech 45,000 capacity Toyota Stadium in Toyota City (just outside Nagoya) and the older 60,000 capacity National Stadium in Tokyo.

Getting To The Stadiums

Yokohama International Stadium can be reached in about 40-50 minutes from downtown Tokyo. The stadium is a 10 minute walk from Shin-Yokohama or Kozukue stations on the JR Yokohama Line.
The National Stadium is located in downtown Tokyo and the nearest subway station is Kokuritsu Kyogijo on the Oedo Line. The stadium is also within easy walking distance of both Sendagaya and Shinanomachi stations on the JR Chuo Line.
Toyota Stadium is located in Toyota City, just outside Nagoya. Take the Tsurumai subway line which becomes the Meitetsu Toyota Line after Akaike. From Toyotashi station there are shuttle buses to the stadium or it is a 15 minute walk. Allow about 50 minutes to an hour from Nagoya station.

Predictions

With Asian Champions Urawa Reds and their fanatical supporters representing hosts Japan it is just possible to see an upset this year, if Urawa get through their opening game and surprise AC Milan, who have been in poor form in Serie A in the semi-finals and who may be without Brazilian striker Ronaldo.

There is no A-League representative as Australia is now a part of Asia in football terms, so New Zealand side Waitakere United will be lucky to avoid elimination in the opening play off game with the Iranian team Sepahan.

The main challenge to Boca and Milan, will come from Urawa but look to the Mexican side Pachuca to come through their clash with Etoile Sportive du Sahel before giving Boca a game in the semi-finals. We predict another meeting of the European and South American champions in the final in Yokohama and Milan to edge the match as playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme will not be turning out for the Libertadores Cup winners as he is ineligible.

For astrological predictions of the games check out Soccerphile's resident astrologist Anita Nigam's match predictions for the Club World Championship.