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.

The competition proper starts today. I'll kick off by apologising for the lack of activity on here yesterday, but the jet lag hit me like a tidal wave, and I was unable to function for most of the day. Today, however, I'm fully recovered and able to post. again, I'm at The Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, and later on I'll be posting up my thoughts on this evening's semi-final between Ahly SC and SC Internacional later on. It is, I have to say, the match that I've been looking forward to the most. Two open, attacking sides, each with plenty of flair players. It promises to be a most absorbing evening.

With two semi-finals coming up, you might be forgiven for thinking that we're approaching some sort of climax here in Japan, but the truth of the matter is that things are only just warming up. With the fifth/sixth and third/fourth place play-offs to follow, we're not even a third of the way through the entire schedule and, in saying this, I'm hitting at the key issue in problems that FIFA have had with the selling of this tournament. At the moment, the World Club Cup is suffering from an image problem. It's kind of understandable, given that none of our teams are taking place, but the silence over this competition from the English press is deafening. The fact of the matter is that the World Club Cup is currently neither fish nor fowl. The set up, with six teams - one from each of the FIFA confederations - taking part is unsatisfactory. But I'm not here to be cynical. As I know that Sepp Blatter religiously reads this blog (who else could all those hits from Geneva be coming from?), I'm going to offer some of my patented brilliant advice on how to make the World Club Cup work.

Now, I don't think that I have to argue that football needs a World Club Championship. It needs it because there is a lot of fantastic football in the world. Europe may think it's the best, and it's certainly (in terms of revenue, if nothing else) the biggest, but that's not really enough, is it? I couldn't give two damns for these lists which show what clubs bring in the most money each year, and how much their overall turnover is. If this is all that matters, they might as well dispense with the football altogether, open up department stores and we can replace the league tables with the FTSE 100 Share Index. Where it counts is on the pitch. Football is a global game, and it needs a global tournament. We have the World Cup, of course, but most of us put our allegiance to our club team before our allegiance to our national team. Our club team is the bread and butter of our existence. We should have a global club tournament so that we can say with a degree of authority who is the best. We don't have that at the moment, because the tournament in it's current format doesn't carry the required weight. If Barcelona lose against Ahly SC or in the final, it won't be the end of their world. They'll return to Catalunya and resume their battle to become the champions of Europe again. The big European clubs have had a fairly dismal record in this competition since it started, so it needs to be changed to bring them onside.

The ideal World Club Cup needs to be played in the summer. There are, it seems to me, tournaments every summer at the moment, but there are still spaces in the calendar which it can be played. If we take it as read that the three big international competitions are the World Cup, the European Championships and the Copa America, then there is a spare summer that can be used. The tournament needs to be bigger. Sixteen teams should be sufficient - five from Europe, four from South America, two from Central and North America, two from Africa, two from Asia and one from Oceania. The tournament should be rotated around the world, rather than kept in one country. Much as I like Japan (and they are doing an excellent job of hosting this tournament), it makes sense for it to be played at times that are convenient for European television audiences. FIFA may need to take a small loss on it for a while too, in order to ensure that the potential earnings from it for the competing teams is high enough for them to sit up and take an interest.

There is no reason why this can't be a success. The world's appetite for football is insatiable. To say that the introduction of a World Club Cup is over-saturation is, frankly, hogwash - the sort put forward by big European clubs who want the Champions League to be the be-all-and-end-all, because they're in prime place at the trough at that tournament. I don't care about them. I want these so-called "big" European clubs to stand up and be counted. I want them to come to tournaments like this one and perform. Being the best in the world should matter them, because it sure as hell matters to the Brazilians - something which is borne out by the previous results on this tournament.

For now, though, we have what we have, and it's great. Of course it is. Whether it's Internacional fans singing themselves hoarse at Schiphol Airport a full five days before their team was due to be involved at all, or Club America's Rojas using a part of his anatomy to score a goal which most coaches and players use merely to speak out of - and I can't help but think that the tournament will start to heat up now. The cynics are missing out.

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.