Yeah, yeah he may have only played six games on loan (scoring once) but Naohiro Takahara's short spell at Argentine giants Boca Juniors ensures that the fans will be out in force at the National Stadium in Tokyo tonight.

Thousands of Boca-jersey-wearing Japanese fans are making their way in to Kokuritsu, with locals keen to check out the famed Buenos Aires club for whom the former Jubilo Iwata and current Eintracht Frankfurt striker once played.

Boca are expected to hand Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel a footballing lesson in the Japanese capital, but as Etoile demonstrated in beating Mexican side Pachuca in their opening game, there are no certainties at the FIFA Club World Cup.

Nevertheless with the likes of Sebastian Battaglia, Hugo Ibarra, Rodrigo Palacio and Martin Palermo to call upon, Boca will be tough to beat, particularly given the importance with which they have treated inter-continental tournaments in the past.

One player missing from the Boca midfield is playmaker Juan Roman Riquleme, whose transfer from Spanish side Villarreal was finalised after the official squads for the Club World Cup had been named.

     Boca counts on Palermo experience to lead them to their 4th Intercontinental Finals 

It seems that everything is calm on Boca’s side here in Japan.

The Argie team is confident and motivated to win the game against the Tunisian surprise of Etoile du Sahel and move on to the finals of the FIFA Club World Cup.  

According to the media representative for Boca, the team is totally focused on this first game and aiming for the finals.

He told me on the phone just a few minutes ago that Boca will go one step at a time to win the title.  

He also revealed the team’s feelings about Riquelme’s absence. “Juan (Roman Riquelme) was crucial for the team to win the Copa Libertadores but since he left the team learned how to play without him. The team is full of great young talents and experienced players who are all very determined to win this title.” 

Still according to Boca’s media representative, the team is prepared to avoid the same mistakes that Pachuca made against Etoile du Sahel. “We watched that game and we studied the best way to break their defensive strategy. We respect Etoile du Sahel because they made it to this round by their own merits but we need to start the game putting pressure on them, to make our game prevail”. 

If Boca achieves the expected success in the game tonight it will be their first final in this FIFA format of the World Club Cup but it will be Boca’s 4^th Intercontinental Final. All the other 3 times Boca made to the finals they won.

A good sign for the fans! 

What is your prediction for tonight’s game? Mine is Boca wins 3 x 0.  

I’m Mano Gil, writing directly from Tokyo, exclusively for Ole Ole.    

Dewa mata suguni ne!!!

MikeTuckerman speaks to Zeljko Kalac for OleOle

AC Milan trained in Yokohama ahead of their upcoming clash with Urawa Reds, and after the session Milan goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac took time out to speak exclusively to OleOle.

MT: Welcome to Japan, Spider. What's the mood in the camp?

Zeljko Kalac: We're feeling confident. We're well prepared and we've obviously come here to win the tournament.

MT: Did you get a chance to see Urawa's game yesterday?

Zeljko Kalac: Yeah, we watched it last night.

MT: What's the feeling?

Zeljko Kalac: They're a good side, obviously. They've had a long season, and they'll be looking forward to this match. I think the whole of Japan will be looking forward to this match, so it will definitely be difficult.

MT: You've played a couple of Champions League games this year, how do you think this will compare?

Zeljko Kalac: Our goal is definitely to win this tournament - it's very high on the list of priorities, to follow up on the Super Cup win and win this, and then continue on in the Champions League and qualify for the Champions League next year by finishing in the first four. But this is definitely a goal for us.

MT: A win here will take you above Boca in terms of trophies won. Is that a motivation for the team?

Zeljko Kalac: Oh, I didn't know about that! I think the last time they played Boca, Boca won 1-0. So we might get a chance to hopefully repay them.

MT: For all the Aussies out there, any chance of making it to the A-League in future?

Zeljko Kalac: No, I don't think so. I've still got another year and a half left after this. That will take me through to 36 and then we'll see if I have maybe one more year after that, and I think that'll do me.

Today AC Milan trained at 'Marinos Town' - the training centre of J-League side Yokohama F. Marinos.

The Rossoneri looked sharp, with Ronaldo taking part in the session as he attempts to recover from a calf injury that could keep him out of Milan's showdown with Urawa Reds at the Yokohama International Stadium on December 13.

In the pre-training press conference, Milan playmaker Andrea Pirlo singled out striker Washington, defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka and young wingback Takahito Soma as the players Milan must pay most attention to when the Rossoneri take on the Reds.

Croatian defender Dario Simic also trained this afternoon but it was Dutch international Clarence Seedorf who impressed, demonstrating his array of skills in front of the assembled world media.

Newly crowned European Footballer Of The Year Kaká was mobbed at every turn, with plenty of pressure on Milan to bring home the Club World Cup and become the first European side to do so since the competition was launched in its current format in 2000.

Where were the fans? This apparently vast, massive army of Urawa fans? They weren't at Toyota Stadium.

A number of factors contributed to the swathe of empty seats visible throughout the 33,263 crowd at Toyota Stadium tonight.

The first is that the city of Nagoya lies around 400km (249 miles) from Urawa's home town of Saitama.

If this fixture had been played at the National Stadium in Tokyo - a favourite stamping ground of Urawa's, the match would have been sold out weeks in advance.

The second, and perhaps more important factor, was that this match was played on a weeknight. Had the game taken place on a Sunday afternoon - instead of a Monday night, then thousands more Urawa fans would invariably have made the long journey to Nagoya.

Yet I can't help but feel that the unsavoury jeering aimed at opposition players by Urawa fans is also a contributing factor for any neutral fans weighing up the decision to make their way to Toyota Stadium on a cold December night. Indeed, Urawa's self-proclaimed role as the "Manchester United of Japanese football" probably contains an unintended swipe - Urawa are as hated in Japan as they are popular.

The Urawa fans who did make their way to Toyota Stadium were in their usual fine voice - on their day, there's no louder bunch of fans in Japanese football. Yet their penchant for booing away teams and the number of self-styled "hooligans" who call Urawa their team, no doubt saw some football fans put their feet up and watch this match on TV from the comfort of their homes.

I remember a time when we would pick on that kid who was not a very good player by saying that he played like Japanese. Well that certainly is a thing of the past.

They still make mistakes that are almost impossible to understand like when … missed a certain goal from inside the box, face to face with the goalie but in general when they make a mistake is by trying an step-over, a curvy pass or a fancy move. They have learned.

In 1993 when the J-League was launched the idea of having a Japanese team playing in a World Level championship seemed like a far, far, far, away dream but some very important people believed in it. Zico was one of them. The maestro of the great Flamengo from the 80’s and the main component of the best team who didn’t win a World Cup – Brazil of 1982 – arrived in Japan to be what Pele was for the NY Cosmos in the the late 70’s. The only difference is that the conservative, traditionalist, paternalist Japanese culture were open for this revolution.    

The most popular sports in Japan were, at the time, baseball and sumo. Football existed but in a very amateur way. But the idea of popularizing football was very well accepted and the presence of foreign players like Zico, who attracted a bunch of other Brazilians with him was exactly what the Japanese Football Federation needed to transform the sport here.

Today Japanese players learned a lot from this “in-house exchange program” and even though almost every team has at least one Brazilian on their squad, one can see the arising of some good domestic talents.

And the fans… Oh, the fans…

 

Japanese football fans LOVE their teams. They wear the colors, they support the players, they chant ALL THE TIME! I’m honestly extremely pleased with what I saw here on a Monday night. I just can’t wait to see what show the Reds fans are going to put up against Milan.

So if Japan doesn’t have the easy to beat football how should we label that kid who is so bad that he ends up as the goalkeeper. Let me think… hmmm… what about English?

“Hey kid, you’re so bad that it seems you’re from England…”

I’m Mano Gil, writing from the Toyota Stadium, exclusively for Ole Ole.

Sayonara!!!

Keita Suzuki and co were too strong for Sepahan for the second time in two months, beating the Iranian side 3-1 at Toyota Stadium.

A Yuichiro Nagai strike just after the half hour mark put Urawa in control and made up for an atrocious miss from midfielder Makoto Hasebe only minutes earlier, after he inexplicably volleyed wide from just outside the six yard box.

In the second half Urawa lead a procession towards Mohammed Savari's goal, with former Brazilian international Washington finishing superbly after he rounded Savari to sweep home from the tightest of angles. 

Hadi Aghily scored his second own goal in as many FIFA Club World Cup games, but substitute Shinji Ono repaid the favour to Sepahan, when his woeful pass in midfield was intercepted and eventually tapped home by fellow substitute Mahmoud Karimi - to the  obvious annoyance of Urawa goalkeeper Ryota Tsuzuki, who turned in another assured performance at the back.

An added bonus for Urawa coach Holger Osieck was the form of youngsters Takahito Soma and Hajime Hosogai. Ex-Tokyo Verdy starlet Soma was a constant menace when he marauded forward from the back, and it was his excellent run and cross to Yuichiro Nagai that sent Urawa on their way. Japan under-22 international Hosogai also turned in an assured performance at the back, to suggest that he has a bright future at the Saitama giants. 

Urawa Reds are Japan's most popular club.

They play at the 63,000 capacity Saitama Stadium and the 20,000 capacity Komaba Stadium, and drew an average attendance of 46,667 fans between the two grounds in the J-League this season.

Urawa have won the J-League once in 2006, the Emperor's Cup twice in 2005 and 2006 and the League Cup in 2004. They are the reigning AFC Champions League champions.

Key players

Ryota Tsuzuki - Goalkeeper: The ex-Gamba Osaka shot-stopper had a superb 2007, conceding the fewest number of goals in the J-League and helping propel Urawa to the Asian crown. He has done so playing behind an injury-riddled defence, with Urawa often playing two former midfielders in their back four.

Marcus Tulio Tanaka - Central Defence: The Brazilian-raised Japan international is one of the most aggressive players in the J-League and a tower of strength at the back. His tendency to raid forward at every opportunity occasionally leaves Urawa exposed in defence, but means that Tulio is often counted on when Urawa need to throw players into attack.

Keita Suzuki - Defensive Midfield: The gritty Keita Suzuki is the heart and soul of this Urawa team and indispensable to coach Holger Osieck's game plans. Suzuki is a classic "number six," acting as a screen in front of the back four and setting the tempo when Urawa are streaming forward.

Washington - Striker: The fiery ex-Brazil international has been Urawa's top scorer for two seasons now. Often criticised for not being a team player, the former Fenerbahce striker can nevertheless be relied upon to score goals when they are needed.

Weaknesses

Yuki Abe - Defence: Whether in central defence or on the left side of a back four, Yuki Abe has had a forgettable season since his $US3 million switch from league rivals JEF United. Abe's errors have put consistent pressure on the Urawa defence, and the former defensive midfielder has never looked settled since being pushed into the back four by coach Osieck.

Current form

Urawa's current form is dreadful. They picked up just three points from a possible fifteen in their last five J-League matches to see bitter rivals Kashima Antlers snatch the J-League title on the final day of the season. They were also knocked out of the Emperor's Cup as defending champions by J2 side Ehime FC on November 28. The Reds are down on confidence, and they'll need their army of fans to act as their twelfth man in this showdown with Sepahan.

Injuries

The Reds have had a dreadful run of injuries over the back end of the season. Robson Ponte has been ruled out for six months with serious knee ligament damage, prompting coach Holger Osieck to demand that former Feyenoord midfielder Shinji Ono step up in Ponte's absence.

Also under an injury cloud is captain Nobuhisa Yamada, whose participation in this match is doubtful. Tatsuya Tanaka is rated a 50/50 chance of playing - Washington may be Urawa's top goal scorer, but the explosive Tanaka is arguably Urawa's most dangerous striker. Takahito Soma is another player to have missed a considerable part of the season through injury, while midfielder Tadaaki Hirakawa was missing for part of the title run-in, but both players look set to play some part against Sepahan tonight.

Forget the form guide. Forget the growing injury list. Forget the fact that they're on alien territory at Toyota Stadium - the home of Nagoya Grampus Eight. Urawa Reds are coming, and they're not here for a picnic.

Urawa qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup by winning this season's AFC Champions League at the first attempt. Their victory meant that a J-League team would not play off against the Oceania champions, but instead both Urawa and AFC Champions League runner-up Sepahan went into the draw for this season's FIFA Club World Cup. Urawa went straight into quarter-finals, while Sepahan beat Oceania representatives Waitakere United 3-1 in the tournament's opening game.

On November 14, Urawa beat Sepahan 2-0 in front of 59,304 fans at Saitama Stadium, to lift the AFC Champions League crown. Having held the Reds to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the final in Iran, however, Sepahan will feel confident of causing an upset in this match.

They'll have some 40,000 Reds fans against them though, and the vociferous Urawa fans could prove the difference tonight, particularly with so many of Urawa's key men carrying injuries. The Reds suffered an agonising 1-0 defeat to bottom club Yokohama FC on the final day of the J-League season just ten days ago, to go with being knocked out of the Emperor's Cup by Second Division side Ehime FC just days earlier. Yet Urawa are the first Japanese team to play in the FIFA Club World Cup, and with the eyes of the Asian football world on them, they'll be up for the challenge when they take on a side they beat less than a month ago.

I'm not going to write my opinion about Pachuca's defeat to Etoile du Sahel. I'm going to reproduce the exact words of 4 of the players that I interviewed exclusively for Ole Ole.

Let's start with Pachuca's forward Christian Gimenez:

Mano Gil: Do you think that a goal in the very end of the game when Pachuca was playing better can be called simply bad luck?

Gimenez: I believe Pachuca tried to win the game. We faced a opponent that knows how to defend very well and we knew they had a very fast counter-attack and so they scored in the chance they had that's why we're now out of the competition.

Mano Gil: I read that since Pachuca arrived in Japan you guys have been thinking about the game against Boca, do you think that there was a moment that Pachuca simply forgot to think about Etoile du Sahel?  

Gimenez: No, of course not. Because since the beggining we came with the idea of playing a good tournament and tradition and experience always teach you to face each game as if it were the final and I believe we showed that on the field today. Our team was a lot better and we tried to win but right at the end they socred their goal and then it was too late to react.

Mano Gil: And what do you have to say now to all the fans that came all the way from Mexico to support the team?

Gimenez: We can only thank each one of them for their support. We all should go back to our hotel and hug every single fan we meet and tell them how much we appreciate their support and let them know that the team tried our best. Unfortunately we couldn't give them the satisfaction of winning this first game but we are really grateful for their unconditional support and passion for the team.

I also talked to the team captain the experient goalkeeper Miguel Calero:  

Mano Gil: How do you feel spiritually after such a disappointment?

Calero: I'm sad. We lost the game and that's was not what we planned for this tournament. I'm simply very sad.

Mano Gil: Did it cross your mind to lose to a team from Tunisia?

Calero: We alaways step on the pitch to win. We never think we are gonna loose but what happened is that we played well but in a fast play they had a deflected shot and scored their goal.

Mano Gil: Do you think that the large number of games that Pachuca played this year had an influence on the team's physical condition in the end of this game?

Calero: Well, not really. I think we were all focused in winning, in moving to the next round. Unfortunately Etoile (du Sahel) played too defensive some even with 11 players on their own field and it was complicated. I believe that towards the end we lacked some patience to find the right way to the goal.  

And of course I talked to the winning side. First let's see what the capeverdian Gilson Silva Alves had to say:

Mano Gil: Pachuca arrived already talking about how their game against Boca would be, did that motivated the players from your team?

Silva Alves: I think that is normal. We were ready for them. We had God’s support which is always very import so we had a lot of faith. The team was well positioned on the pitch. On the first half we let them play and on the second half we started playing more. We moved the ball in midfield with Moussa (Narry) and things worked.

Mano Gil: Did you guys studied Pachuca’s stragegies?

Silva Alves: Yes, we used everything we could. TV, videos, etc… we got here very well prepared knowing what we had to do to get as far as we can in the competition.

And most important of all I talked to Moussa Nary, the efficient midfielder from Ghana who was the executioner of Pachuca’s dream of gold.

Mano Gil: How important was it for Etoile to arrive here in Japan before all the other teams?

Narry: It was important. We arrived and we practiced very much. We came to do our maximum so we dedicated for that. We came to win this match. That’s why in the end we succeeded.

Mano Gil: And how is the team going to prepare to play against Boca? 

Narry: We are going to do the same thing. We are going to play hard and try to win again with the help of God.

Mano Gil: What do you know about Boca Juniors’ team?

Narry: Nothing. I don’t know anything and I don’t even want to know. I will get to know Boca when I get to pitch. I just think about my team, that we have to play the same way if we want to win. We need to have our minds in the final. 

Happiness is the image of Etoile Du Sahel fans!   

I’m Mano Gil, writing direct from Tokyo , exclusively for Ole Ole.

Sayonara!