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 fifth 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 2007 AC Milan defeated Boca Juniors 4-2 in the final.

The tournament will run from December 11-21 2008.

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 in Japan is for cold conditions.

The tournament will move to Abu Dhabi for the 2009 & 2010 competitions, returning to Japan for 2011 and 2012.

Teams

Manchester United (England; Europe/UEFA)
LDU Quito (Ecuador; South America/CONMEBOL)
Pachuca (Mexico; CONCACAF)
Waitakere United (New Zealand; Oceania)
Gamba Osaka (Japan; Asia/AFC)
Adelaide United (Australia; Asia/AFC)
Al Ahly (Egypt; Africa/CAF).

*As Gamba Osaka are both AFC champions and qualify as Japan's representative, Australia's Adelaide United, the defeated Asian Champions League finalists, also participate, as the FIFA World Club Cup tournament regulations do not allow more than one Japanese team to take part.

Match Schedule

FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA CUP 2008 tournament schedule
Play Off Match
Match	Date	KO	Teams	Venue
1	Thurs 11 Dec	19.45	Adelaide United 2 v Waitakere United 1	Tokyo
Quarterfinals
2	Sat 13 Dec	13.45	Al Ahly 2 v Pachuca 4 (aet)	Tokyo
3	Sun 14 Dec	19.30	Adelaide United 0 v Gamba Osaka 1	Toyota (Nagoya)

Semifinals
	Date	KO	Teams	Venue
4	Wed 17 Dec	19.30	Pachuca 0 v LDU Quito 2	Tokyo
5	Thurs 18 Dec	19.30	Gamba Osaka 3 v Manchester United 5	Yokohama

Fifth Place Play-Off
	Date	KO	Teams	Venue
6	Thurs 16 Dec	16.30	Al Ahly 0 v Adelaide United 1	Yokohama

Third Place Play-Off
	Date	KO	Teams	Venue
7	Sun 21 Dec	16.30	Pachuca 0 v Gamba Osaka 1	Yokohama

Final
	Date	KO	Teams	Venue
8	Sun 21 Dec	19.30	LDU Quito 0 v Manchester United 1	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

Manchester United, who have won in Tokyo before in 1999, when the competition was the one-off Toyota Cup, must start as strong favorites. A Roy Keane goal and a superb display in goal by Mark Bosnich saw off the Brazilians Palmeiras last time out. As the Old Trafford team is in the middle of a grueling Premier League and Champions League campaign, look to manager Alex Ferguson to give starts to fringe players Carlos Tevez, Park Ji-sung, Ben Foster and Da Silva.

LDU Quito are the first team from Ecuador to reach these heights after beating Fluminense in the 2008 Copa Libertadores final on penalties, with the aggregate score locked at 5-5. The club provides the backbone of the Ecuadorian national team, which reached the 2002 and 2006 World Cup finals and is challenging again in the South American qualifying zone.

Flying the flag for the A-League and Australian soccer is Adelaide United, who in all honesty look out of their depth at this level and the same must be said for Kiwi outfit Waitakere United, who they meet in the "play-in" match. Adelaide were easily outclassed home and away by Gamba Osaka in the ACL final and will struggle to make much impact against more the more skilful sides, if they dispose of Waitakere in the opening match. Waitakere United, making their second successive appearance at the World Club Cup, also look weak at this level. The Kiwis lost 3-1 to Iran's Sepahan last time out in the 2007 edition. Neil Emblen will be a familar face to fans in the UK.

Mexican side Pachuca are also making a repeat visit to Japan after losing out to Etoile Sportive du Sahel in a shock 1-0 loss last year and will be looking to do better this time out.

Al Ahly from Cairo, founded back in 1907, have represented Africa three times so far at this tournament (previously 2005 and 2006) and are arguably the continent's biggest club. Their best placing was third in 2006.

Home side Gamba Osaka have some good players in Japan international Yasuhito Endo and a wily coach in Akira Nishino, but the J-League season is coming to an end and the players will be too tired to really challenge the top two teams from Europe and South America.