Watching Milan midfielder Kaká virtually destroy his opponents at the FIFA Club World Cup was a privilege. The Brazilian ace was rightly awarded the Player Of The Tournament for his two outstanding performances against Urawa Reds and Boca Juniors respectively, and it got me thinking about the best players that I've seen play in the flesh.

I saw Ronaldinho play at the World Cup in 2006, but the buck-toothed wizard was no where near as effective as Kaká was for Milan at this Club World Cup. Granted, the calibre of opposition was slightly higher at the World Cup in 2006, not to mention the fact that Ronaldinho was playing in a squad jam-packed with stars - Kaká included. Yet the former Sao Paulo midfielder simply gave AC Milan an added dimension, and I struggle to think of another team for whom one player is so instrumental. Barcelona fans might point to Lionel Messi, but then he too is arguably surrounded by better players than Kaká is at Milan.

Anyway, I'm keen to hear your thoughts. Who do you think the best player in world football currently is? Personally I think it's Kaká, and I'm interested to see if anyone agrees.

AC Milan are the FIFA Club World Champions after they avenged a 2003 Toyota Cup defeat by beating Boca Juniors 4-2 in the final at Yokohama International Stadium. Pippo Inzaghi scored twice, but the star of the show was undoubtedly Kaká, who scored one and set up two in another virtuoso performance. He was named Player Of The Tournament, and received a spiffy new Toyota for good measure... just the kind of car a multi-millionaire needs, I'm sure.

Milan always looked the likely winners of the tournament, after they expended minimal energy in seeing off Urawa Reds in the semi-finals. Boca Juniors, on the other hand, struggled to overcome Etoile du Sahel, and the Rossoneri simply looked a step up in class compared to their Buenos Aires counterparts.

Pippo Inzaghi was always going to get on the scoresheet - he loves these kind of (kind of) big occasions, while Boca seemed to genuinely miss their scheming midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme. Doubts persist about Boca coach Miguel Russo's future at the club (I got his name right this time, emiyan!) but there was little Russo could do here but sit and admire Milan's tactical nous.

So AC Milan are the 2007 FIFA Club World Champions! The faux-Milan fans will be partying like it's 1999 (until fifteen minutes passed their bedtime - or the last trains stop running, whichever comes first) in Yokohama, but the Rossoneri don't have too long to celebrate. It's back to the grind for them, when they take on Reggina in the Coppa Italia four days before Christmas.

We're here at the Etoile du Sahel vs Urawa Reds 3rd/4th place playoff match, and the Urawa fans, although present in smaller numbers, are in good voice. It's 2-2 in an exciting game right now, but what we're all curious about is what the support will be like for the final.

As it is, there's large sections of empty seats for this game, because the Boca vs Milan final is the real attraction.

In the previous Urawa match, we asked the question about whether the "neutral" Japanese fans would support Urawa or go for the glamour of Milan, and as it turned out they were mostly there for the spectacle of the Italians. About 70% of the stadium were AC Milan "fans"/ neutrals, but not having any vested interests, they lacked the passion of the Urawa fans and made little or no noise (other than when Seedorf scored, and when somebody did a trick).

Tonight's equation is much more complicated, particularly because of two factors:
1. Boca have quite a following here for two reasons. Firstly, popular Japan striker Naohiro Takahara spent sometime there in the early noughties, and Boca have always been well regarded for that. Secondly, Boca are a team with a very successful Copa Libertadores history, and so they've made several visits to Tokyo already for the Club World Cup's predecessor, the Intercontintenal Cup, which they won in 2000 and 2003.

2. There is a combined ticket for both matches. So you have the small pocket of Etoile du Sahel fans, the few thousand well organised Urawa fans, the surprisingly sizeable contingent of travelling Bocense, the few Italians that could be bothered to make the trip/holiday, and of course the sea of unsure, easily impressed "neutral" Japanese fans that must still be furiously pondering whether to support Milan or Boca.

We know that Boca are equally as, if not more popular than Milan, so the neutrals here will be split on that (as opposed to last year, when the relatively unknown, starless Internacional played Barcelona and their midfield marketing maestro Ronaldinho).

We know that there aren't enough Etoile fans to make a difference to the overall support.

The Boca fans are a noisy, dancing bunch, who are concentrated into one section of the ground, right next to a bank of Urawa fans. They will be creating a lot of energy, but the eventual decision on what the atmosphere is like will come down to the Urawa fans, who could easily drown out the rest of the stadium.

They will be in good spirits (Urawa just beat Etoile on penalties), but it's unlikely that they'll keep singing Urawa songs. So the question is, will they just let the passion fade away and join the ranks of casual fans in polite applause and general silence? Or will they pick a side and really make this final feel like a football match of some worth?

It's difficult to predict. They seemed to be irritated during this match by the Boca fans, who just kept singing their Boca songs throughout the game, so they might go against Boca. But then again, football fans also just love to be football fans, and they just join the Bocense in their revelry.

Milan were also the ones who beat Urawa in that tight encounter, so they might just decide that's a good enough reason to ally with Boca. But as MikeTuckerman pointed out to me, they might even prefer to support a Milan victory, because they could then say "We lost to the eventual Champions".

Lots of different theories there, but that's football fan psychology for you.

Either way, we can't wait to find out what it's like for the second match, and any fan with a bit of sense will try and be as lively as possible outside, because it's f**king freezing here.

It's 1am on a typical Tokyo weekend. There are millions on the streets, enjoying the nightlife in Shinjuku and Ginza, watching live bands, dancing in clubs and spending time with friends in restaurants. And where am I? Like many a football tragic, I'm in front of the computer, listening to live coverage of the Bundesliga clash between Karslruher SC and Hamburger SV.

Since my boys Borussia Dortmund are currently on the wrong end of a thumping from Wolfsburg and I'm sour that Karlsuher's goal-scorer is an ex-BVB man, I thought I'd share with you my impressions of the two combatants in tomorrow's FIFA Club World Cup Final.

I'll start with Milan. My first memories of the club are from their all-conquering 1991-92 season when the Rossoneri didn't lose a single match on their way to lifting the Scudetto. Their backline included a certain Mauro Tassotti and Alessandro Costacurta, and both men work for the club in coaching capacities these days. Teammate Paolo Maldini still works for the club too - but he'll be hoping to take to the pitch tomorrow, as he nears his 40th birthday.

I thought Milan were particularly economical in their 1-0 win over Urawa in the semi-finals. Coach Carlo Ancelotti was purring in his praise of his team following that win, after Milan clearly played out Ancelotti's game plan to perfection. Still, it's hard not to get the feeling that Alberto Gilardino is out-of-his-depth at the Rossoneri. He never seems to present a genuine threat, although of course now that I say that, he'll probably go out and score a hat-trick tomorrow.

Everything for Milan naturally goes through their superstar Kaká. Ironically though, the key man tomorrow could be Dutch international Clarence Seedorf. Plenty point to Seedorf's incredible wealth of experience, but in doing so they overlook the fact that for two seasons Seedorf has been Milan's most in-form player, along with Kaká. The duo combined to score Milan's winner against Urawa, and with the Italian giants looking relatively toothless up front, they no doubt hold the key to the Rossoneri's chances tomorrow.

Boca Juniors are a club I know far less about. They were dealt a hammer-blow when scheming playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme was ruled out of the tournament by FIFA's petty bureaucracy, but they still have plenty of experience of their own to call upon, particularly in the likes of Hugo Ibarra and Martin Palermo. One thing in Boca's favour is their sheer will to win. For all the lip service paid by Milan about "restoring Europe's honour" by lifting the Cup, South American sides have so often been the teams for whom this tournament has meant the most.

The Buenos Aires giants will also be looking to exploit the shaky form of Milan shot-stopper Dida. Carlo Ancelotti admitted that Dida was once again far from perfect against Urawa - he dropped two efforts on goal that a quicker striker than Washington could have pounced upon, and with the pacy Rodrigo Palacio in the Boca line-up, the Argentine club would love nothing more than to show up Milan's fumbling Brazilian goalkeeper.

Yet Boca were far from perfect themselves in their 1-0 win over Etoile du Sahel in their semi-final, with defender Gabriel Palletta showing all and sundry just why Liverpool were so quick to discard him from their squad. Palletta was often caught facing the wrong way or out of position entirely against Etoile, and he will surely be punished if he continues his habit of knocking around wayward backpasses.

There'll probably be just the one goal in it, with matches of this magnitude rarely rising to the greatest of heights. I think that goal will be in favour of Milan, and I'm going to tip Filippo Inzaghi to sneak it. So there you have it. I've laid my cards on the table. What do you think?

The 3/4 playoff at the FIFA Club World Cup throws up an intriguing clash between Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel and local outfit Urawa Reds. The Reds will go into the match as heavy favourites, but a clash with Etoile could well and truly test the mettle of Urawa, who would no doubt like to sign off as the tournament's third best team.

Etoile qualified for the semi-finals after a surprise 1-0 win over Mexican side Pachuca. A 1-0 defeat at the hands of Buenos Aires club Boca Juniors followed, but the African champions will be keen for one last crack at glory before they head home.

Urawa had a slightly easier time in defeating Iranian side Sepahan 3-1 in their opening fixture at the tournament, before going down 1-0 to reigning European champions AC Milan in the semi-final. They'll have "home" advantage in this one, but Etoile fans will be quick to point out that all the pressure will be on the Reds at Yokohama International Stadium. Indeed, now is the time for Urawa to prove their international credentials, after they spent much of the season talking themselves up as Asia's "biggest club."

Another who'll be looking to prove himself in this match is Etoile striker Amine Chermiti. The slightly-built front man has looked Etoile's most dangerous player so far, but the Tunisians have scored only once through Ghanian midfielder Moussa Narry. Should Chermiti be dreaming of a career in Europe then he may well need to get on the scoresheet against Urawa to prove that he can mix it on the international stage.

One man who has proved his worth is Urawa striker Washington. He leaves the club bound for Brazilian outfit Fluminese after tomorrow's match, and how he must wish that Brazilian compatriot Robson Ponte was not ruled out of the FIFA Club World Cup with a serious knee injury. Ponte has arguably been Urawa's most effective player this season, but injuries that struck down he and combative captain Nobuhisa Yamada severely weakened the Reds for their Club World Cup campaign - although Yamada could return to the starting eleven tomorrow. Nevertheless Washington will be determined to end his career in Japan on a successful note, after scoring some 64 league goals in just 85 J-League appearances for both Tokyo Verdy and Urawa - not to mention plenty of goals in Urawa's various cup campaigns.

Thus a fascinating battle should ensure between two sides hell-bent on ending their FIFA Club World Cup campaign on a high. For the 100 or so Etoile fans that are still in Tokyo, a win over Urawa would cap a memorable tournament. For Urawa's army of fans, a win is almost a must against a team that few expected to make an appearance on the final day of the tournament. With Yokohama International Stadium likely to be packed for the encounter, the Reds might suddenly experience a sense of deja vu, and they'll hope that yet another day of reckoning does not end in tears.

*** the original audio in PORTUGUESE of this interview is also available in the videos section  CLICK HERE TO WATCH ***  

Washington has a calm, polite and nice way to talk, which might be the result of a battle that only some would be strong enough to win. In 2003 a heart problem forced him to end up earlier his european career playing for Fenerbahce. Back to Brazil, Atletico Paranaense believed in his capacity to recover and, "The Brave Heart" gave back the best way he could: 34 goals in the 2004 Brazilian Championship - an all-time record -  which helped his team to finish as runners-up. Now Washignton is an idol in Japan playing for Urawa Reds but he may soon be back to Brazil to bring joy to new fans.

Washington, did you already sign a contract with Fluminense?  Hahaha… Not yet. We are... They offered me a very good contract and we're talking. Of course I need to wait till the end of the Club World Cup to really sit and talk to them so we can, maybe, sign.

So that means you're totally foccused in winning this next game to give Urawa this 3rd place which can actually be considered almost a title of the 3rd best team on the planet? For sure. This sunday's game is a very important one to decide the 3rd place. We all gotta be very foccused. It would be an excellent way to finish the year. Of course we knew Milan were the favorites and they deserved the result but I believe we played well and left the pitch with our heads up which will boost our confidence to get fight for the 3rd position.

Both Milan and Boca had a very hard time beating teams that could be considered smaller in terms of world football. Why do you think that happened? Are the big teams lowering their level or the smaller ones are showing more efficiency?   Certainly football is not like in the past when a big team would sweep the smaller one all the time. It's not like that anymore. There are good teams outside Europe, Brazil... right? There are good teams with a strong roster and things are leveling up and we showed it out there. There also a team from Africa, our team from Asia and both represented their continents very well. I'm sure it will a great 3rd and 4th place decision on Sunday. 

Washington, now tell a little bit about you. I myself always saw you as a role model. You went through a very serious problem, and if I'm not wrong it was Atletico Paranaense the team who believed in you and helped you overcome that hard moment. Now you're, you're successful an idol in Japan, ALMOST going back to Brazil. How do you see your career, all this adventure that has been your profesional life? See, all of this that is happening to me now I always see as a present from God. After, as you said, the struggle I had to face to go back to the pitch I only had good things happening to me. So I think this a living proof that we should never give up on our life no matter how big the problem seems to be. One should fight and when he overcomes the plroblem he will be even stronger to achieve the siccess. So thank God after the problems all I had was joy, and happiness and wonderful moments and I'm sure it will be like this till the end of my career. 

Although the expected result materialised in this game, the manner of it was far from predictable. It was not a walkover for Milan. Urawa moved and passed sharply, defended tenaciously, and threatened repeatedly in a game that was eventually decided by the individual talents of Kaka and Seedorf.

In the 68th minute, the Urawa defence were sleeping as Pirlo took a quick free-kick from the centre circle, releasing Kaka down the left. The Brazilian, who had to work hard all night to be effective, was given an easy ride and acres of space by the defender and he powered towards the touchline before pulling a low cross back across the box.

Seedorf, having been thwarted repeatedly by the Urawa keeper Tsuzuki, finally put one it with a firm sidefoot and that more or less ended the game.

Urawa had threatened repeatedly throughout the game, with incisive, creative passing, and lots of movement off the ball. Unfortunately their 32-year old Brazilian striker Washington looked more like he was 45 years old, and was especially ineffective when up against Nesta & co. It didn't help that due to a combination of nervousness and excitment, several Urawa players opted to shoot from impossible angles and ridiculous distances for large parts of the game, when a little bit of composure and vision would have helped.

Still, Urawa were worth a goal. Yamada worked a sharp shooting chance when he came on, Nene wasted a header, Washington opted to try and curl a fancy shot with a clear sight of goal when power would have sufficed, and Nagai and Suzuki both fluffed good chances.

Once they conceded the goal however, Milan simply took control and killed off the game. Whilst Urawa managed to compete well with the Italian side on a technical level, they were always struggling on the physical side of things. At the back, they were good value. Nene is a tall athlete, Tsuboi is powerful, and led by the exuberant Tulio they were able to deal with the power and pace of the Milan attacks. However, the midfield was another story. Everytime Milan had the ball, Urawa had 2 or 3 players trying to win the ball back, because they couldn't cope with the physiques of the Milan players. At 0-0 there was no urgent need to win the ball in midfield, so they held their own with positioning and movement. However after going a goal down, Milan started to pass the ball around their midfield and defence, and Urawa had no answer. Pirlo , Ambrosini, Seedorf, Oddo and Jankulovski were all too strong and athletic for Urawa to win the ball back, and Ambrosini in particular seemed to outmuscle every Urawa player on the pitch.

Ultimately, it was the same old story, one of the age old failings of Japanese football, and sadly not something that can be easily rectified. The Japanese have been criticised over the years of not being physical and competitive enough. It seems that over the past 6 or 7 years, they have really worked on this aspect of the game, and players like Inamoto, Toda, Suzuki, Tusboi, and Tulio have a fantastic competitive streak. However, in terms of physique, there is not much that one can do when faced by Europeans or South Americans who are a good deal taller and bulkier than the Japanese. Japanese footballers on average are incredibly mobile, but this isn't too helpful in ball-winning situations, and when chasing a game. 

It's all over here in Yokohama, and as expected European champions AC Milan have progressed to the final of the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup, where they will meet Argentine giants Boca Juniors.

Clarence Seedorf scored the only goal of the match, after Kaká beat his Brazilian compatriot Fabio Nene for pace before cutting back a superb ball for Dutch international Seedorf to sidefoot beyond Ryota Tsuzuki in the Urawa goal.

The goal was no less than Milan deserved, although they were from overwhelming against a team that they were expected to dominate. Indeed, Urawa gave an excellent account of themselves and Japanese football on the night, with the Reds - and their band of vociferous fans, likely to have won many admirers.

The defeat brings a sad end to the Urawa career of ex-Brazil international Washington, who leaves the club to join Brazilian giants Fluminese. Washington was confined to half-chances throughout, and he was unable to deal with the pace at the back of Italian international Alessandro Nesta.

Milan have two rest days before they meet Boca Juniors in the final at Yokohama International Stadium, while Urawa fans have one last chance to see Washington in action when Urawa take on Etoile du Sahel in the 3/4 playoff.

It's a clear night here at Yokohama International Stadium, after the rain of this morning gave way to milder conditions in the evening.

I made my way to the ground following a typically harrowing journey on the Tokyo train system. Four changes and a possible fractured spine later and I made it just in the nick of time to catch Urawa's army of fans kick into overdrive. If ever there were any doubts that Japanese football fans are some of the most passionate and colourful in the world, they've been dispelled tonight, as Urawa's Red Army are churning out an extraordinary atmosphere here in Yokohama.

The game so far has been a cagey affair, with Urawa clearly wary of committing too many men forward. Several times they've had the chance to counter attack only to hold the ball up in midfield, with Holger Osieck's men no doubt concerned by the threat of Alberto Gilardino up front for Milan.

All of the Rossoneri's good play has come down the right hand side, with Carlo Ancelotti clearly instructing defender Massimo Oddo to run at Urawa's young Takahito Soma and keep him occupied in defence. Kaká has shown some silky touches so far, and his interplay with Clarence Seedorf has threatened to open the Urawa defence on occasion.

Nevertheless the Reds are holding their own, and with Keita Suzuki orchestrating proceedings in midfield and the dangerous Washington at the point of attack, the Saitama giants look capable of snatching a goal. Indeed, with giant striker Washington Fluminese-bound, the Reds will want to send their fiery target man out on a high, and with the second half still to play and the scores locked at 0-0, they're on course to do so.