Barcelona wins the World Club Cup

Barcelona left it late before capping a superb year by clinching the Club World Cup here on Saturday.
The Spanish giants needed extra time to beat Argentina's Estudiantes 2-1 and secure their sixth title of 2009.
Mauro Boselli had put Estudiantes ahead after 37 minutes only for Barca striker Pedro to grab the equaliser in the dying minutes of the game, with Argentina striker Lionel Messi nailing victory after 110 minutes.
The Spanish giants end the year on a high after following up last season's league, Champions League and Cup treble with their first title in this competition.
"We knew Estudiantes would put up a big fight," said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.
"At half-time I told my players they had to be strong, that you have to dig deep to win finals like this. They showed their determination.

"It?s been an amazing year. By winning six trophies in total we have achieved something that no-one has achieved before.
"I?m lucky that I have such quality players in my squad. The success that we?ve had has been down to them and I?d like to thank them for that."
Barca dominated early play but met with stubborn opposition from the South American champions' defense.

Xavi thought he had earned Barcelona a penalty on 35 minutes, but goalkeeper Damian Albil's challenge on him went unpunished.
And it was Estudiantes who surprisingly took the lead two minutes later when Juan Manuel Diaz crossed from the left, and Boselli got in front of Eric Abidal to fire home a header.
Barcelona reacted immediately with Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic almost getting a touch on a Messi free-kick after 41 minutes but Albil proved solid ensuring Alejandro Sabella's team held their lead going into half time.
After the break an Ibrahimovic effort went just wide and the Swedish forward then had another shot blocked by Leandro Desabato.
Despite the best efforts of Ibrahimovic and Messi, Barcelona failed to break down their opponents, with an effort from the Ballon d'Or winner held by Albil after 70 minutes.
But their pressing paid off after 89 minutes when Gerard Pique fed substitute Pedro, who headed into the back of the net.
Barcelona dominated extra time before Messi scored the winner after chesting home an Dani Alves cross to ensure the Catalans end the year as the kings of world football.
Earlier, South Korea's Pohang Steelers beat Mexican club Atlante 4-3 on penalties to clinch third place at the Zayed Sports City.

Milan rule the world by beating Boca 4-2

AC Milan beat Boca Juniors 4-2 today to become the first European winners of the FIFA Club World Cup. A double from Filippo Inzaghi and goals from Alessandro Nesta and Kaka earned the Italians a deserved victory at the International Stadium in Yokohama, where a sell-out crowd was treated to a fitting climax to a thrilling tournament.

It took Carlo Ancelotti's side 21 minutes to make the breakthrough. Kaka drove at the Boca defence and after his shot was blocked, he instinctively and superbly drove the ball into the path of Inzaghi, who did not require a second invitation to slot the ball home from six yards. From the restart, though, Boca quickly moved the ball up the other end and Rodrigo Palacio nodded home to level the scores.

Play resumed at a frenetic pace following the interval and within five minutes, Nesta's stunning volley restored Milan's advantage. A couple of menacing runs from the lively Kaka threatened to add to their lead, while only the post denied Hugo Ibarra a superb, long-range equaliser.

milan 4-2 boca

With Kaka in inspirational form, though, Milan began to dominate proceedings and it was the Brazilian who made it 3-1 just after the hour mark, slotting through the goalkeeper's legs from a tight angle after a purposeful charge down the left flank. The 25-year-old, a candidate to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award at tomorrow's Gala, then supplied a second goal for Inzaghi in the 71st minute.

A Massimo Ambrosini own goal reduced the deficit with time running out, but the day belonged to AC Milan, who succeeded where the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United (both 2000), Liverpool (2005) and Barcelona (2006) had failed.

Milan champion

Milan meets Boca in the final

The crowd at the International Stadium in Yokohama provided an excellent atmosphere to a close fought encounter between Urawa Red Diamonds and AC Milan, which the Europeans edged, thanks to Clarence Seedorf's 68th minute goal.

AC Milan had the better of the opening stages. Andrea Pirlo saw a free-kick well saved by the goalkeeper and captain Massimo Ambrosini's header was narrowly off target. The Italians had the majority of the possession, but were frustrated by a well-organised Urawa defence.

The Japanese team had two good chances to score after half time when Alessandro Nesta almost put the ball through his own net and Dida had to be alert to keep out Washington's attempt.

The matchwinning goal came when Ballon d'Or winner Kaka received the ball on the left, beat his marker and reached the byline. He crossed the ball into the box which Seedorf controlled expertly, before lashing the ball into the net with his left foot.

AC Milan VS Urawa Red Diamonds

UEFA Champions League holders AC Milan make their tournament bow against their AFC counterparts Urawa Red Diamonds. Buoyed by an emphatic 3-1 win over Sepahan in the quarter-finals and cheered on by their army of vociferous fans, the Japanese now have the Italian aristocrats in their sights. Carlo Ancelotti's men will need to tread carefully if they are to avoid one of the biggest shocks in the history of the competition.

The game
Urawa Red Diamonds-AC Milan, Yokohama, Thursday 13 December, 19.30 (local time)

The stakes
After lifting the AFC Champions League trophy, Urawa lost momentum at the end of the domestic season to let Kashima Antlers steal the J-League crown from under their noses. Similarly impressive in their continental commitments, having coasted into the second round of the UEFA Champions league, the Rossoneri find themselves marooned in the mid-table positions in Serie A. What better way then for both sides to forget their domestic blues than by going for glory at the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2007?

The players
Nobuhisa Yamada, Tatsuya Tanaka and Tadaaki Hirakawa are all injury doubts for the Japanese side, while the European champions are waiting for news on Dida's troublesome back. One man definitely out is Ronaldo.

The past
The two teams have never met before and the only encounter between Asian and European sides in the tournament took place in the inaugural tournament in 2000, when Real Madrid of Spain defeated Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr 3-1 in Sao Paulo. The Milanese giants made their last appearance in the Intercontinental (Toyota) Cup in 2003 when they lost to Boca Juniors on penalties.

The words
"Our aim was to reach the semi-finals and play AC Milan, one of the best teams on the planet. This is a terrific opportunity for us. Of course, we're facing a very difficult task but we're looking to represent Japanese football and the colours of our club as best we possibly can. I'm hoping our fans can push us in the right direction." Holger Osieck, Urawa Red Diamonds coach

"Our objective here couldn't be clearer - we want to go back to Milan with the trophy. It won't be easy but we'll be trying as hard as we can. Urawa are a very technical side who have benefited a lot from the tactical know-how of their German coach. They are very experienced players and they'll have the fans behind them. Believe me, we really need to be on our guard." Carlo Ancelotti, AC Milan coach