Man United Win FIFA World Club Cup – Anyone Care?

There was not quite a full slate of English Premier League fixtures this past weekend as Fergie and the lads headed to the Land of the Rising Sun to participate in a wintertime festival known as the FIFA World Club Cup. Depending on your viewpoint this could be considered the football definition of a complete and utter waste of time.

I side with the “waste of time” argument on this debate. This tournament is a showpiece put on by FIFA to supposedly determine the club champions of the world each year. The qualifications to enter this tournament can be described elsewhere but basically each continental club champion is represented - usually. The European representative is the winner of the Champions League from the previous season, thus Man U headed on the long trek east as the rest of the EPL contenders stayed at home to continue the domestic battle.

A few of these games were covered in the US, including the final which was televised live at 2:30 am Pacific on Sunday December 21st. Just for the record, I actually caught some of this game by pure chance. I hadn’t exactly set the alarm but had been battling my asp hosting service as I tried to publish some web design work until the wee hours, and when I finally called it a night to settle down, the final had just started. The stadium may have been full but this game had about as much atmosphere as a Sunday afternoon kick-around in the park behind the pub; more of a pre-season exhibition feel to it than the boldly proclaimed World Club Cup Final right down to being able to hear the players on the field.

There is no doubt, there were some talented players and squads involved but for the most part, I had not heard of any of them. That does not necessarily detract from the tournament but I would challenge most fans to name the teams involved. OK, so go and Google or Wiki the thing and tell me I’m full of it but please, I could really care less if Man U show their prowess and flex their muscles against the likes of Gamba Osaka and LDU Quito. I would wager most Man U fans could care less either. How many Liverpool followers remember their one-nil defeat in 2005? Did you stay up to watch it? Did you go to the game? If you really care that much about being an expert on all football teams from all leagues, please share your experiences and thoughts.

For the record the following teams were included in the showcase this year.

1 Adelaide United - Australia
2 Al-Ahly - Egypt
3 Gamba Osaka - Japan
4 LDU Quito - Ecuador
5 Manchester United - England
6 Pachuca - Mexico
7 Waitakere United – New Zealand

So how many of this lot do you think would make it through the group stage of the Euro Champions League...or for that matter the group stage of the UEFA Cup.

Adelaide defeated Watakere 2-1 in a “play-in” type game because the Japanese host team had already qualified or something.

United won the final by defeating LDU Quito of Ecuador, 1-0 thanks to a Wayne Rooney strike and were crowned FIFA World Club Champions. Great, now can we get back to regular football programming please? By the way Vidic got sent off in this game so I'm not sure how they handle that suspension. Do you think the United squad will be riding an open-aired bus through the Manchester streets upon their return? I’m sure the pubs and bars were partying all day and night celebrating this win. The teams most pleased with this affair would be the clubs and fans of the other EPL contenders as Man U now have 2 more games to squeeze into their fixture list. Funny how United face Stoke on Boxing Day after returning from the Orient. Shame the schedule makers didn’t pair them with a trip to Anfield, the Bridge, or Villa Park for their Christmas fare.

Hands-up if you're all off to Stoke

About the only item I find interesting in this global affair was the lack of bleating by Sir Alex about the fixture pileup. Every time there is an International Tournament qualifier or a round of International Friendlies, Fergie is one of the loudest protesters of “meaningless matches.” This week, hardly a whimper. Also for both of their tournament games, United fielded a very strong team complete with Rooney, Ronaldo, Ferdinand, Vidic, Tevez et al. When the national teams come calling if those players have so much as a bad hair day then they are staying at home. You’ve got to believe the FIFA brass had to have some serious influence to persuade United to field their top players - along with a big pot of gold.

There is an issue with the amount of matches for top players on top clubs. If you throw in a full domestic season, continuous international qualifying games, continental cup tournaments, and a major international tournament every other summer; it is feasible that eventually player fatigue will become an issue, and the subsequent complaints from managers and players become justified. But the next time Fergie starts it up with his fixtures piling up bollocks I, for one, won't pay the slightest attention.

With that in mind, FIFA insist that this tournament has value and merit in the global football scheme. It is nothing but another attempt to make more money by fabricating a mid-winter tournament that is a total waste of time. Still congrats to the new World Champions...I suppose.

Do you think otherwise? Hit the comment button below…Cheers!