The final of the World Clubs Championship is where Ahli had hoped to be but the two places were reserved for the usual powerhouses of Europe and South America Sao Paulo were crowned champions of the FIFA World Clubs Championship after defeating Liverpool 1-0 at the Yokohama International Stadium in Japan on Sunday. Meanwhiile, African champions Ahli of Egypt came last as Sydney FC clinched fifth spot. A 27th-minute goal from midfielder Mineiro was enough to give Sao Paulo, the Copa Libertadores' holders, a famous win in the inaugural six-team FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA Cup Japan 2005. Coming into the match on the back of eight straight wins, European champions Liverpool missed a host of chances to equalise but there was no way past the inspired Rogerio Ceni, later named the winner of the Adidas Golden Ball and Toyota Award. Liverpool made five changes to the side that defeated Deportivo Saprissa 3-0 in the semi-final. And the English side had a great chance to take the lead from the very first attack. Steven Gerrard span on a quick throw in, drilled the ball cross for Fernando Morientes but the Spanish striker's powerful header from six yards flew wide. Both groups of supporters were making plenty of noise on a cold December evening in Japan but it was Sao Paulo who began to dominate possession. On 22 minutes, a nice interchange between Aloisio and Amoroso ended with the latter shooting straight at Reina. The Brazilians pressed and a speculatively Cicinho lob from the half- way line just cleared the bar as Paulo Autuori's team grew in confidence. The match slowly began to open up and at the other end as Junior made a last ditch saving tackle as Morientes bore down on goal. The European champions' back line had begun pushing up but they were caught out by a sweet move. Aloisio showed a fine touch and great vision to lob the ball into the path of Mineiro, running through the heart of Liverpool's defence, and the midfielder coolly side-footed home to send the Paulista fans delirious (1-0, '27). It was the first time the Reds and Pepe Reina had been breached in 11 matches, but no more than Sao Paulo deserved for a bright opening. Liverpool almost equalised seconds later. Gerrard swung in a corner from the left and Luis Garcia, outjumping his marker, flicked his header onto the top of the bar. The Spaniard's darting moves were proving threatening and he should have done better just after the half hour. A fine move from left to right ended with Xabi Alonso chipping through but Garcia couldn't direct his header and the ball trickled wide. It was Gerrard's turn to look up to the heavens seven minutes after the restart. Twenty-five yards out, his free kick was heading straight into the top corner but Ceni, flying to his left, pulled off a terrific save to keep his side ahead. The goalkeeper was at it again as Liverpool piled on the pressure, tipping Kewell's cross onto the bar. The Brazilians were being pinned inside their own half. Garcia finally found the net on 62 but his header was ruled offside. A minute on, Morientes' spectacular overhead kick landed a yard wide. Seconds later, Garcia, racing clear, forced Ceni into yet another acrobatic save. Somehow Sao Paulo had weathered the storm. Morientes and Garcia had more chances and in the last minute, substitute Florent Sinama Pongolle found the net but from an offside position. With seconds remaining, Gerrard fired a 25 yarder inches wide. There was still time for Garcia to squander another opening but, this time, it was not to be Liverpool's day as Sao Paulo jumped for joy at the final whistle. Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa won the third place match after a thrilling 3-2 win over Ittihad of Jeddah. Two goals in the final minutes from Alvaro Saborio and Ronald Gomez, the first a penalty and the second a majestic free kick, turned the game on its head when Ittihad looked to be home and dry. The Saudi Arabian side had Joseph- Desire Job back in the line-up but had to bring in Osama Al-Harbi for influential right back Ahmed Dukhi Al-Dosari, who was serving a one-match suspension. Hernen Medford made several changes to the team that lost to Liverpool. The coach justified his changes afterwards claiming they were necessary for the system of play he wanted to use against the Asian champions. The Costa Ricans launched a blistering counter attack down the right through Christian Bolaeos, who drifted a ball into the box for Ilvaro Saborio. Despite the attentions of his marker Al-Harbi, the young striker managed to steer his shot home (0-1, 13'). Drummond came close to grabbing the second on two occasions, keeper Mabrouk Zaid denying him the first time round before Al-Harbi repeated the trick. The Saudi champions continued to probe the Tico defence and it was star striker Mohamed Kallon who finally unlocked the door. Noor laid off a long ball to the ex-Inter Milan striker in the box and although Porras pulled off a smart save from his drive, Kallon stroked home the loose ball to level things up (1-1, 28'). The man from Sierra Leone almost put his side ahead moments later when he sent a superb free kick from the edge of the area crashing against the crossbar. The Costa Ricans nearly hit back with a carbon copy of their opener but the Ittihad defence was quick to block Saborio's effort on goal. From the resulting corner Parks sent his shot high and wide. Although the slow pace of the game remained unchanged in the second half, the Asian champions suddenly found themselves in the lead within eight minutes of the restart. Ronald Gonzalez upended Kallon in the box and Job shot the penalty just inside Porras' right-hand post, agonisingly out of reach of the keeper's despairing dive (2-1, 53'). Saborio came close to an equaliser from a corner but glanced his header just wide. Gonzalez then made amends for his penalty error when he cleared from under the bar after Porras had charged off his line in a vain attempt to deny Ittihad danger-men Noor and Kallon. As the clock ticked down, the Purple Monster breathed new life into the game when Saborio slotted home from the penalty spot after Al-Harbi had brought down Gomez (2-2, 85'). Striking partner Gomez then became the hero of the night, majestically slamming home a free kick from the edge of the box after Hamad Al-Montashari was shown the red card for a professional foul on Saborio (2- 3, 89'). "We're very satisfied as we've made history with this third place finish. I have to congratulate my boys, who have done a great job. We played a great game and are even more delighted to have beaten a great opponent like Ittihad," said a euphoric Medford. "That third goal was without a doubt the most important in the history of Costa Rican football, and our great victory in Japan shows just how competitive we really are," he added. African champions Ahli of Egypt came last as Sydney FC clinched fifth spot of the one-week event after a 2-1 win over Ahli at Tokyo's National Stadium on Friday. David Carney got the winner in the 66th minute after Emad Metab had cancelled out Dwight Yorke's opener. "Unfortunately one team has to lose," said Sydney coach Pierre Littbarski generously later. "Ahli played some beautiful football and we were a bit lucky to win. But I've been a long time in the game to know it's the result that counts." "This just wasn't our tournament," Ahli coach Manuel Jose told reporters. "The first game spoiled things for us but today we played the football we are known for. We made two mistakes; they scored." Jose sprang a surprise in the line-up, leaving out first choice goalkeeper and captain Essam El-Hadari and bringing in Nader El-Sayed who has been sidelined for months. Fired up following their disappointing performance against Ittihad in the quarter-finals, the Red Devils began the match at breakneck pace. Left-back Mohamed Abdel-Wahab had their first good chance on eight minutes, cutting in well from the left but then shooting wide with his right foot. Two minutes later Mohamed Barakat fed Osama Hosni, skipper for the night, but his shot was too close to Clint Bolton in the Sydney goal. Barakat had begun lively and a one- two sent him racing down the right. The Egyptian international fired across goal and Iain Fyfe, not knowing much about it, diverted the ball into the side netting. Two more minutes on and Metab, found by Barakat, had Bolton fingertipping over with a powerful header. Ten minutes later the same two combined with the Ahli striker sending his effort just over. Local boy Kazu Miura had hardly had a kick up until then but he brought probably the loudest cheer of the night on 27 minutes when he back flicked for Matt Bingley. The Australian centred well but Sasho Petrovski couldn't direct his header. The bulky striker had another chance but again he failed to get enough meat on the ball. A minute later though he was shown exactly how to do it. Steve Corica whipped in the free kick and Yorke, on the edge of the six-yard box, placed a textbook downward header into the corner (0-1, '35) Taking confidence from the goal, the Australians began to spray passes around with Yorke, shining in midfield, playing a focal role. But just a minute before the German could get his players back in the changing room, Sydney were caught out on the break. A fine pass from Hossam Ashour sent Metab racing through and the Egyptian striker rounded Bolton and slotted home for Ahli's first goal of the tournament (1- 1, '45). A minute after the restart, Metab almost repeated the action but took one touch too heavy and the chance was gone. On 54, Barakat, playing more centrally, again broke Sydney's back four but overran the ball. Ahli were well on top now and twice Mohamed Abou Treika came close. First, he crossed dangerously across the face of goal, then had a scrambled shot deflected wide. But just as Ahli had done in the first half, Sydney scored against the run of play. Petrovski played a fine pass and David Carney broke the offside trap before burying left-footed (1-2, '66). The African champions almost equalised immediately. Metab, again stretching, headed over after a fine flowing move. The Cairo club pressed and Mohamed Shawki should have got the goal with 12 minutes to go but blasted over from eight yards. Barakat then forced Bolton into a fine save with time ticking down. A disappointed Ahli return to Egypt empty handed, while the Sydney team, lifting king Kazu on their shoulders for a lap of honour at the end, go back as heroes. Ahli's Jose, who had led his team to a 55-match unbeaten streak before the two losses in Japan, praised his players. "We could have scored four or five but in the end we scored just one -- but that's football. I'm happy with my players. Now we have to concentrate on the Egyptian league and the cup. It's the one trophy I haven't won."
