Well. WELL. It's 4.15, and time for the first match of the afternoon. Ahly SC vs Club America. Sepp Blatter's out there, wearing what looks like a VERY expensive cashmere coat, and I think he's about to give a speech. It's okay, though, because I've got my headphones on, and I'm going to drown him out by listening to "The Boys In The Old Brighton Blue".

4.17: They've just asked us to stand for the "FIFA Anthem". Oh, the boooys in the ooold Brighton Bluuuueeeeee. Actually, it's not that bad. Largely because they fade it out after about 15 seconds. Team news! neither Blanco nor Lopez are starting for Club America. Regarding Blanco, this comes as no great surprise. Lopez as well, though? He must have picked up an injury. For Ahly, the goalkeeper El Hadary is injured, so Abdelhamid starts instead.

4.22: There are a lot of empty seats, but FIFA have pulled a pretty neat trick here, by only selling tickets for both matches. This means that, although there can't be more than 20,000 in here for this match, they can still announce the official attendance as 72,000.

4.25: First chance to Ahly. Neat inter-play on the edge of the penalty area, but the shot from Shawky is charged down. Away to my left, I can clearly hear about 20 voices with English accents singing "Come on you reds". It's all Ahly at the moment.

4.28: I'm listening to "Ossie's Dream" now. Do you think Keith Burkinshaw ever was a general in the army? As you may have guessed, it's all a bit lethargic out there at the moment.

4.35: Ahly's goalkeeper is down injured. If he can't continue, then they have got a third one that they can bring in. There are a lot of concerned faces, and he's taking an age to get up again. When he finally does, one of his defenders takes the goal kick for him: the universal sign of the Goalkeeper In Distress.

4.38: Fabiano Pereira wastes a good opportunity for CA. His shot is charged down by the stricken Ahly goalkeeper. Pereira goes down like a sack of spuds on the follow up tackle, but the referee isn't having any of it.

4.41: CA have picked up the pace a little bit now, but they're missing the extra spark that Lopez gave them up front. At the other end, Ashour shoots a couple of feet over for Ahly from twenty yards out.

4.50: Is it too early to start drinking yet? This is just dire. Really miserable stuff from two teams that, I think, would really rather not be here today.

4.55: There's no extra-time tonight, by the way. Because of the time constrictions brought about by having a second match kick off an hour and a quarter after this one is scheduled to finish, it'll be straight to penalties at 90 ninety minutes. On this display, I think that most people would be happy if it went to penalties now.

5.00: Forty minutes played, and both teams have had a shot on goal each. The only thing that I could think of that would liven proceedings up at the moment would be an angry bear. And it would have to be pretty damn angry.

5.02: GOAL: Ahly SC 1-0 Club America - A delightful twenty-five yard curling free-kick from Mohammed Aboutrika, over the wall, wide of the goalkeeper's dive and into the corner. He did exactly the same against Auckland City.

5.06: Ahly deserve this because, despite their obvious limitations, they at least want it. Club America just look as if they can't really be bothered. They've just put together about 20 consecutive
passes, but the final ball was poor. And that's it for this half. 1-0 Ahly, who have been the better of two pretty bad teams. More to follow in fifteen minutes. Let's hope it's not more of the same.

5.30: Oops! I appear to have missed the first five minutes of the second half. That's what I get for joining the world's longest queue to try and get a drink at half-time. Some things are just like home.

5.32: First real chance of the second half (as far as I know) to CA. Cuevas gets away down the left, and forces a good save from Abdelhamid.

5.34: CA are turning the screw a bit, and their supporters are starting to make a bit more noise, now. Abdelhamid saves well again - this time from a free-kick along the ground from someone. A minute or so later, Castro's cross is deflected onto the back of the crossbar and away for a corner.

5.37: GOAL - Ahly SC 1-1 Club America: A fine run down the right wing from Blanco (who came on at half-time), who's cross is headed in by Salvador Cabanas. Behind me, the Mexican commentator is singing, "Vamos, vamos America".

5.42: Against a team like this, Blanco, although slightly out of shape, still looks like a class act. His vision is outstanding, and he still has just enough pace to be able to give the Ahly defenders a run for their money.

5.46: Expectation levels rise another notch. Claudio Lopez has come for Club America.. Ahly are having the better of the play at the moment, though. A good corner is flicked on at the near post and requires an excellent clearance by Vuono, though the reaction of the Ahly bench suggests that they though that he used his arm.

5.54: It's all gone quiet here again, I'm afraid. We are only fourteen minutes away from a penalty shoot-out, though, which I'm moderately excited about.

5.55: A long ball over the top, and Claudio Lopez springs the offside trap, but can't connect with it, and Abdelhamid gathers it, at the the second attempt.

5.58: GOAL - Ahly 2-1 Club America: A very simple goal for Ahly. Flavio's pass along the ground is met by Aboutrika, who needs only one touch to roll the ball into the corner of the net. A little harsh on CA, considering the way things have been going in the second half. Aboutrika is the tournament's top scorer with three goals now.

6.00: Almost straight the kick-off, CA have a chance to draw level. The ball is drifted across the penalty area towards Claudio Lopez, who attempts a deft flick, but succeeds only in missing the ball and allowing it to run through to (a doubtlessly relieved) Amir Abdelhamid.

6.07: Two minutes plus stoppage time for CA to rescue it. A decent cross from the left, but Lopez (again!) can't quite get on the end of the ball.

6.10: Aboutrika has a chance to finish it off and claim his hat-trick, but his lob falls wide of the post.

FULL-TIME: Ahly 2-1 Club America - The impressive Mohammed Aboutrika was the clear difference between the two sides. The announcer is telling us that we should stay seated for the medal ceremony, but most people are already drifting away to get refreshments before the main event. Me? I'm off to try and find some loopy Brazilian fans before the Barca-Inter match. Back in an hour!

In spite of a moment of minor panic on the train out of Tokyo, we made it to Yokohama in one piece. It's finals day, no less, so there are two matches being played on this final day of the World Club Cup, with Ahly SC taking on Club America for third place before the main event - Barcelona vs Internacional. To my considerable surprise, they're not even showing the final live here, and I can't even find a listing for it on the radio. As I write this, Sepp Blatter is sitting in a conference room (he's got more of a tan than I remember him having, and it looks to me rather as if he has put on a few pounds as well). Sadly (or otherwise), the English language television is belting out all of his answers in Japanese... Damn. They've turned it over, and now I can hear EVERY WORD OF WHAT HE HAS TO SAY.

So, time enough to let you know what I will be up to today. I'm off for a wander in a moment, and will be back at 4.00 local time with a preamble for today's two live matches. Some of you may be wondering whether I've footballed myself out this week, and I can only answer that question by saying that I was up at 1.30 this morning watching Arsenal claw a point back against Harry Redknapp's woefully dour Portsmouth team. That Matthew Taylor is destined for better things than that lot, I can tell you. The two matches are Ahly SC vs Club America, which kicks at 7.20 GMT, and Barcelona vs Internacional, which kicks off at 10.20 GMT. It would be lovely to see you here for either or both of these matches.

For the record, the tide of certainty that Barca are going to win handsomely this evening has been turning, somewhat, A repeat viewing of Barca's win on Thursday night has demonstrated that they were rather handed the victory by a woeful performance from Club America. Combine this with the fact that everybody was surprised at how poor Internacional were against Ahly SC in their semi-final match (the widespread rumour is that they got quite a telling off afterwards, and rightly so), and we could be in for a much tighter game that many may expect. Having said that, though, one would be a fool to bet against Barca this evening, such is the wealth of talent that they have at their disposal. I'm also, for the record, backing Ahly to beat Club America this afternoon. Ahly have been a tidy team so far, and were slightly unlucky to get knocked out by Internacionale. CA seem to still be suffering from the hangover that has been afflicting them since their recent Mexican League play-off defeat by Chivas of Guadalajara. Blanc and Lopez, the main men, have looked out of sorts, and I just don't think they've got what it takes to win this one. Could be a tight match, though.

Right: I'm off to have a wander around and compose some words for "The Star Spangled Blatter", and I'll be back later on. All I need is a microphone and a blank CD, and I could leave my mark on this tournament before the action even starts.

I don't know. Maybe Barca fans are just used to this sort of thing, week in week out. On this sort of showing, though, there surely can be no stopping them in the final of the World Club Cup on Sunday and, as I said below, Inter must be absolutely cacking themselves at the thought if having to line up against this lot in just three days time. Not, of course, that you'd have had the slightest inkling of any of this if you'd just got to the stadium in time for Frank Rijkaard's post-match press conference. Now, here's a man that talks a lot, and says very little. Here's a couple of sample comments for you: "Our changing room is filled with positive energy and everyone is working towards the same goal". "We have a disadvantage in the final through Inter having been out here longer than us". "We are not afraid of anyone, but Inter come from the country where football was born". You'd think that his team had just scrambled a goalless draw on a wet Sunday night in La Coruna rather than that his team had just utterly outplayed the opposition in the semi-finals of the World Club Championship. Truly, he is a master of understatement.

Let's take a look at those three quotes again. Maybe something was lost in the translation, but all of them, I think, deserve closer inspection. "Our changing room is filled with positive energy and everyone is working towards the same goal". Well, one would hope so. If you can't be positive after a 4-0 win in a cup semi-final, when can you be? The same goes for "working towards the same goal". I'm struggling to see what alternative there could be, here, unless Deco and Ronaldinho are in direct competition to see who can pull off the most outrageous piece of skill ever seen on a football pitch. "We are not afraid of anyone, but Inter come from the country where football was born". Well, for one thing, I would take issue with Brazil being the country of football's birth, obviously (point taken, Frankie, but the game was well into its adolescence before the Brazilians got completely involved), but also... "not afraid"? Really? A wealth of talent that borders on the obscene, and they're not afraid of anyone? I'd sack their psychologist if they were. Finally: "We have a disadvantage in the final through Inter having been out here longer than us". Ah, the old favourite. Making out that the other team have an enormous advantage because they've been here for forty-eight hours longer than you. An almost Ronaldinho-esque body swerve there from Frank. If they lose on Sunday... it's all the fault of jet lag! We were tired! Well, I'm not buying that. Not that I think that such an excuse will be necessary. Inter looked out of sorts last night, and I'd be unsurprised if Barca did the sort of damage to them that they did to Club America this evening.

Of course, football being football, this could all come back to bite me on the backside on Sunday night. Barca's players could all fall asleep on the pitch here through jet lag, allowing Inter a chance to at least take the match to extra-time. On the basis of what I've seen so far, though, the others should make the most of the free time between now and the final, because Sunday night seems likely to be the Ronaldinho and Deco Show.

We're in Yokohama this evening for Barcelona vs Club America. The Japanese fans are really out in force this evening, and they're all supporting Barca. It's going to be a home match for them this evening. The arrival of the Catalans in Japan has caused more excitement than I thought it might. The hacks are all here this evening, and my excitement has reached fever pitch by spotting former Anglia TV commentator Gerry Harrison sitting not ten yards away from me. I might go over and ask him whether he remembers when my junior school knitted the world's longest football scarf and paraded it on the pitch at Kenilworth Road before a match between Luton Town and West Bromwich Albion that he was covering in 1983. How could he conceivably have forgotten that?

By half-time this evening, we'll have reached the halfway point in the competition, so I thought that now would be a good time to stop and have a look back over the last few days. What have I learnt since I've been in Japan? Perhaps surprisingly, I think I've actually learnt a lot. This is obviously a very good thing. My candidacy for a post with FIFA was already strong, but I feel that I'm at the point now of being able to launch an almost completely watertight case for a place amongst the game's great and good. So, let's have a look back and see what I've learnt.

1. Playing matches in a stadium with the roof on it when it's half empty is a really bad idea. Everything echoes too much, and it ends up sounding like it's being played in a car park. I'm not a fan of keeping the roof on ever, but this is really beyond the pale.

2. The current format of the World Club Cup is flawed. Sorry, but there is just so much room for improvement here. Even if it was two groups of three with the Europeans and South Americans playing as group seeds, this would be better than what we have now.

3. The music that is played while the teams line up before kick-off is terrible. Awful. FIFA should have it's own anthem, with words and everything that everyone has to sing before these matches. Something like "God Save The Sepp", perhaps. Or "The Star Spangled Blatter".

4. There aren't as many "duck" puns as I had originally thought there would be. I've got three days left to think of some more, and I can't help but think that I've already used by best ones.

5. Japanese fans care about the Premiership and nothing else. On Saturday night, I sat up and watched the Manchester derby and Liverpool vs Fulham. Not even the most cursory of glances was made towards the Football League. The Japanese must wonder where the promoted sides come from.

6. Gerry Harrison is much, much taller than I thought he would be.

7. No-one wants press conferences. The managers and coaches don't, and respond by spouting out the most banal things that they can think of. The press aren't interested in what they have to say, and often don't even ask questions at all (sample "question" from the press conference after last night's match between Internacional and Ahly SC to the Ahly coach from an Egyptian journalist: "You presented Egyptian football very well. We are very proud of you.".

8. Whether this competition is a success or not will be judged almost entirely on whether Ronaldinho plays. Some of the people around here are so excited that they're almost weeing themselves.

9. The Brazilian fans are complete and utter mentalists. Their almost deranged devotion to their club is almost infectious. They are, on their own, worth the admission fee. And they are all massively, massively drunk.

10. The "smaller" clubs are massively unhappy with the format of this tournament. Here are the Ahly SC coach's thoughts on the matter from after last night's match: "The competition is not fair, giving a seeded place to the Brazilian team. Maybe we have to have a fairer system. Maybe it is always set so that the European and American teams get to the final. It would be more interesting if everyone was drawn equally, and would be fairer to the other continents. It is important, though, for the organisers to think of the money."." Harsh words.

Right then. There's just over an hour to kick-off this evening and, due to the fact that we apparently have internet connections at our desks inside the stadium this evening, I'm planning a live commentary from inside the bowels of the Nissan Stadium here in Yokohama. It would be lovely to see you there. Otherwise, my noodlings will be up here later on.

Okay. We're trying a slightly different approach this evening. It's so cold out here that I think I'm going to need to keep my fingers working to ward off frostbite. So, I'm going to report this match as it happens.

7.15: I'm still wondering where all these photographers and hacks have suddenly appeared from. There are dozens of them, swarming around the entrance as the teams come out. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have come out wearing puffa jackets. It's not that much colder here than it is in South Korea, is it?

7.17: The two teams line up while an "anthem" of sorts (trumpets with a rock beat) plays in the background. The big screen behind the goal pans along the line of players, as it would if this was an international. Some of the players look as if they think that they should be singing. A couple of the Jeonbuk players appear to be gamely mouthing some (presumably made up) words. The Club America players merely look stern. That's the word. Stern.

7.20: Kick-off, bang on time. 90% of the noise inside the ground is coming from about 100 very noisy America fans behind the goal to my right.

7.25: Jeonbuk Motors have had the best of the early exchanges. They had one corner (an unforced error by Davino), which resulted in Ochoa having to punch under pressure. Jeonbuk look hungry and well-organised. Club America look sloppy.

7.28: The first real chance falls to America, but it's from a hideous mistake by the JHM goalkeeper Kwoun, who fluffs a clearance. Lopez reacts quickly, but with his back to goal his shot dribbles wide.

7.32: Both teams seem nervy, but America are very quick going forward. Blanco shoots wide from a very narrow angle. It's already evident that 70% of their attacking play is going to come through him or Claudio Lopez.

7.35: There are serious gaps in the JHM defensive line. Blanco shoots well over from twenty-yards out, but he shouldn't be getting that amount of space. America seem to have overcome their early nerves and are starting to take control.

7.37: Another chance for America. Lopez tries to lob Kwoun from twenty yards, but the ball drops just over. It's starting to feel like it'll only be a matter of time before they score.

7.40: The referee looks EXACTLY the same as one of his linesmen. From this distance. they could be identical twin brothers. Uncanny. Or... have FIFA started cloning referees? As you may have guessed, there's not a lot going on at the moment. Even the America supporters fell silent for a minute or two.

7.43: Suddenly, excitement! Good approach play down the right hand side from Cabanas and a terrific pass puts Lopez in, and he lifts the ball over the oncoming goalkeeper, but also well over the crossbar as well. The boy should have done better and, from the look on his face on the big screen a couple of seconds afterwards, I suspect that he knows it too.

7.48: This has got the feel of last night's game, but it's much better. JHM are much better organised than Auckland City were, but if I was going to bet on someone to score, I'd go for America. A surprise early substitution from JHM, too. Wang off, Botti on. Make of that what you wish.

7.53: Half a chance for JHM! A lovely ball across the six yard area from Hyeung Bum Kin, but the forward can't get on the end of it. A couple of minutes later, the first yellow card goes to JHM's Young Sun Kim for a nasty looking tackle on Fabiano Pereira. As he's taken off on a stretcher (he looks alright to me), the JHM fans shout "BORING! BORING! BORING!"at him.

7.58: Another defensive crisis for JHM. A sliced defender's clearance fools the goalkeeper, and for a second it looks like it's going to trickle in to give America a hilarious lead - it rolls wide, though.

8.00: The best chance of the game falls to Lopez, who's suddenly and unexpectedly put through after an impromptu game of pinball on the edge of the JHM penalty area. From a slight angle, he shoots just wide - the replay makes it look as if Kwoun might have got a touch on it, though.

8.04: Another good chance for America, this time for Villa, who shoots wide after good approach play from Lopez. Lopez has looked like the only player of anything like world-class standard in this first half.

8.07: Half-time - JHM 0-0 Club America. I don't think it's a matter of "if rather than when" America score. JHM are a well-organised team, if prone to defensive lapses of concentration and looking lightweight up front. I'd still want to back America to win this, though.

8.30: Due to getting monstrously lost in the bowels of the stadium at half-time, your intrepid reporter has contrived to miss the first ten minutes of the second half. JHM appear to have started the stronger of the two sides, but as the ever-wise Suleiman said during the break, they are playing as if from a textbook. When they need to show any imagination, flair or individual skill, they are falling short.

8.37: Your intrepid reporter can report that four of the OleOle contingent (himself included) have been told off for trying to take photographs inside the ground. Impressive stuff. We're going to have to do this through the medium of subterfuge.

8.39: Suddenly, JHM have the best chance of the match so far. Botti (no sniggering, please) is put through from a pass from the right wing, but Ochoa makes an excellent save. Shortly afterwards, at the other end, Blanco tries one of his patented "bunny-hops", but gets it wrong hopelessly wrong, and doesn't even take the ball with him as he jumps. The fool.

8.45: The wheels have really started to come off this wagon over the last five minutes or so. There have been a few too many misplaced passes and some niggly fouls have started creeping in, too. It's all starting to look a little too much like last night for my liking. Mind you, I like America's away kit, though. More football shirts should have proper collars, if you ask me.

8.47: Another chance for JHM. Zecarlo carries the ball to six yards out, beating Castro on the way (Fideling while Rome burns, perhaps?), but the angle is too narrow and Ochoa blocks with his legs. Still, there are gaps starting to open up at the back if JHM show a little ambition. Lopez hasn't done anything since the break (well, he might have done in the first ten minutes, but I wouldn't know about that, for obvious reasons).

8.54: GOAL! JHM 0-1 Club America - Luckiest goal of the tournament, surely. A low ball across the edge of the six-yard area from the right is met by a stumbling Ricardo Rojas, who bundles the ball over the line with his back-side whilst in the sort of position that dogs get into when they're "cleaning themselves" on your living room carpet. The time of the goal - 79 minutes.

8.59: Substitute for JHM: Hyun Yeung replaced by Hoon Goo Geo. A couple of minutes later, In Ho Kim comes on for Chui Soon Choi. That's their lot, substitutes-wise. Club America must be confident of not conceding - Claudio Lopez, the best player on the pitch by a country mile, is replaced by Matias Vuoso. Five minutes plus stoppage time left to play.

9.04: Yet another terrible cross from JHM. Jung Kwan Chung is to blame this time. Their delivery has really let them down this evening.

9.06: A great chance for Salvador Cabanas to sew the game up when he's put through on goal by the impressive Fabiano Perreira, but he takes too long over it and allows Kwoun to block. A couple of minutes later he's put through again, but this time the ball rolls wide. There are huge, open gaps at the back for JHM now.

9.07: Three minutes added time. America seem to be trying to keep the ball in the corner for the whole of it. Unsurprisingly, it's cleared after about nine seconds. There's one final chance for JHM, but the cross is aimed at absolutely no-one whatsoever. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ochoa is in no rush to get on with things.

9.10 Dear me. Cabanas is through on goal again, but Kwoun blocks well. From the rebound, Rojas blazes the ball over. Not that it makes any difference, because the full-time whistle sounds a few seconds later.

9.11 Full Time - Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 0-1 Club America - and good value for it, on balance.

So, what to make of this? Club America, I rather feel, never got out of third gear this evening. Blanco played for half an hour before starting to fade, but Lopez is clearly still a class act and Fabiano Pereira also impressed up front. Their goalkeeper, Ochoa, put in a very solid display at the back. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors did have the chances to take match this match by the scruff of the neck at 0-0, but after they went a goal down they never really threatened an equalizer. I'd be highly surprised if they didn't see off Auckland City in the fifth/sixth place play-off, though.

And that's your lot. I've got a day off tomorrow, so I may go off on a search for Tokyo's football culture. Alternatively, I might just sleep in until lunchtime, and go shopping in the afternoon. Whatever happens, I will be posting my meaty thoughts on here at some point, so don't forget to stop by.