Club World Championship

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

The second 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 2005 and is known as the FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA CUP.

The tournament will run from December 11-18 2005.

Club champions from Europe, South America, Oceania, Asia, Africa and Central and North America will compete.

The weather forecast is for cold conditions.

Teams

Liverpool (England; Europe)
Sao Paulo FC (Brazil; South America)
Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica; CONCACAF)
FC Sydney (Australia; Oceania)
Al Ittihad Jeddah (Saudi Arabia; Asia)
Al Ahly (Egypt; Africa).

Match Schedule

FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA CUP 2005 tournament schedule
Quarterfinals
Date	KO	Match	Venue
Sun 11 Dec	19.20	Al Ittihad (AFC Champions) 1 v Al Ahly 0 (CAF Champions)	Tokyo
Mon 12 Dec	19.20	Sydney FC (Oceania) 0 v Deportivo Saprissa (CONCACAF) 1	Toyota (Nagoya)

Semifinals
Date	KO	Match	Venue
Wed 14 Dec	19.20	Al Ittihad 2 v Sao Paulo 3	Tokyo
Thurs 15 Dec	19.20	Deportivo Saprissa 0 v Liverpool 3	Yokohama

Match for Fifth Place
Date	KO	Match	Venue
Fri 16 Dec	19.20	Al Ahly 1 v Sydney FC 2	Tokyo

Third Place Play-Off
Date	KO	Match	Venue
Sun 18 Dec	16.20	Al Ittihad 2 v Deportivo Saprissa 3	Yokohama

Final
Date	KO	Match	Venue
Sun 18 Dec	19.20	Sao Paulo 1 v Liverpool 0	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 no team from the host nation Japan and only the possibility of the aging Kazu Miura turning out for FC Sydney, it is difficult to see anything other than a Liverpool v Sao Paulo final.

Deportivo Saprissa from Costa Rica have shown they can beat the best Mexican sides and they should have too much for the A-League's FC Sydney despite the presence of Dwight Yorke and the 38-year-old "King" Kazu.

The main challenge to Liverpool and Sao Paulo may well come from either the African or Asian champions - Egypt's Al Ahly and Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad. In Asian qualifying the UAE's Al Ain lost out to Saudi powerhouse Al Ittihad in the final. In the African Champions League Egypt's Al Ahly came through a tough qualification campaign.

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