By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
The FIFA Club World Cup kicks off Thursday (KST) in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
With FC Barcelona earning the favorite's tag and Estudiantes de La Plata seen as a good bet for the final, Pohang Steelers are set on ambushing them in the $16.5 million football extravaganza.
The 11-day showpiece event will pit the champion clubs of all six continents as well as the host country's team in two arenas ― Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium and Zayed Sport City Stadium ― and crown the best club team on the planet.
Alongside European winner Barcelona, South American champion Estudiantes of Argentina and Asia's Steelers, the field will also include home side Al Ahli, New Zealand's Auckland City FC from Oceania, North American Atlante FC of Mexico and Congolese outfit Tout Puissant Mazembe from Africa.
"It is the biggest tournament ever in which Pohang has taken part. Through the Club World Cup, my players will have good experience, which will help them to further evolve,'' Steelers manager Sergio Farias of Brazil said before leaving for the UAE, Monday.
"This is a big opportunity to let the world know my team and players. The players will give their all to show the world how well they can play.
"It is not easy to predict results, but we have trained hard with the aim of reaching the final.''
Farias's side will launch its campaign against Mazembe at 1 a.m. (KST), Friday.
"Mazembe's players have the power and technique that African footballers often do. Although they do not have solid team cohesion, the team is filled with talented players, so we should not underestimate them,'' he said.
The African side, which won the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League this year for the first time since 1968, is not expected to be among the contenders for the tournament title. However, they are hoping to do better than any African club ever has.
"We hope that we can do better than Al Ahly, who finished third at the competition,'' Mazembe's French coach Diego Garzitto said to local media.
"So we are preparing to meet Barcelona ― we want to take second place or, if it's possible, to win the cup.''
Al Ahly, an Egyptian outfit, finished third in the 2006 event.
Based on talent gaps between continents, Estudiantes and Barcelona have been given the top two seeds, which means they will start the tournament from the semifinals.
Should Steelers reach the second round, they will meet the Argentine side.
Estudiantes defeated Manchester United to win the 1968 Intercontinental Cup, the forerunner of the Club World Cup, which pitted the best teams from Europe and South America, and finished second in the two subsequent tournaments in 1969 and 1970. The club is participating for the first time since 1970.
"It's an enriching experience for all of us, for the older players, who will be leading the way, and the younger ones, who'll be taking up the baton in the future," said Argentine international Juan Sebastian Veron, 34, whose father scored in the 1968 title run. Veron also played for Manchester United and Chelsea in the English Premier League (EPL), and Lazio and Sampdoria in Italy's Serie A.
"You have to make them aware of what it means to be there, how fantastic it is. It's also important that nobody sits back and says, 'I've made it now.' With a tournament like this you have to want to come back and experience it again."
In the other draw, Pep Guardiola's men are determined to grab a final missing piece to complete its quadruple.
The Catalan giant won the La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League titles last season.
Barcelona had a chance to accomplish the feat in 2006, but fell to Brazilian Internacional 1-0. It also dropped the Intercontinental Cup final in 1992.
Ballon D'Or awardee Lionel Messi and company will get on the field and try to recover from the defeat.
"I think the most important lesson we've learned is not to be overconfident and to get to know our opponents in depth," said Messi.
"The last time we maybe thought that the other sides were a bit below us and that's something we can't afford to let happen again if we want to be champions.
"It's one title the club has never won and it's one title that's eluded most of the players at Barca."