The FIFA Club World Cup rolls on Tuesday and Wednesday with two key semifinals, both live on Fox Soccer Channel.
Tuesday, TZ Mazembe Englebert of the Democratic Republic of Congo will attempt to make history over tournament favorites Internacional of Brazil as no African nation has ever made the finals of FIFA’s most important club competition.
The Congolese shocked Mexican club Pachuca on Friday behind a 21st minute goal from Mbenze Bedi to eliminate the CONCACAF champions 1-0, but they face a steep uphill climb. No Brazilian team has ever lost a match in the Club World Cup since its reformation in 2000.
Internacional is hoping to ride that history to become the first repeat winners of the Cup in the tournament’s short history, and enter on a tear. Over the past four seasons, Inter has been the team to beat in South America, collecting every major continental club trophy on offer.
In virtually every aspect, Internacional has the edge. While Mazembe boasts some speed and raw talent, it may lack the needed basic technical organization, and against Pachuca showed that it can be exploited by any team able to move the ball at speed.
Moreover, Internacional boasts some of the region’s top players, and is deadly on the counter-attack. American fans should be familiar with left back Kleber, a member of the 2009 Confederations Cup squad and Argentina’s Andres D’Allesandro. Fans should also keep an eye on emerging youth star Juan and striker Alecsandro.
Wendesday sees South Koreans Seongnam Ilhwa face off against European champions Inter Milan in a game that the Italians suddenly must take seriously. The Koreans are rank underdogs despite ripping hosts Al-Wahda 4-1 in the quarterfinals, but no Asian team has ever downed a European side in the competition.
That said, Seongnam is perhaps catching a tough opponent at the right time. Inter is wobbling after a series of high-profile reversals at home and in the Champions League. Manager Rafa Benitez has been explicitly told that a failure to win this competition will mean his job, and how much that affects his team’s performance remains to be seen.
The Koreans lack star power -- their best known name in the west is likely to be one time Colombian hopeful Maurico Molina. But, one to watch is 'keeper Jung Sung-Ryong, who backstopped the South Korean’s national team all through their South African run.
Inter Milan, of course, has talent to burn, but there’s real questions about how much confidence the side has leaked. Esteban Cambiasso was smoked badly in his last two forays and former key men like Maicon, Goran Pandev and Javier Zanetti have looked off-form.
However, this remains a side with Wesley Sneijder, Samuel Eto’o and Lucio -- hardly chopped liver.
The two Inters are expected to face each other in Saturday’s finale, which will be shown on delay in North America.
Jamie Trecker is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering the UEFA Champions League.
