AC Milan booked their place in Sunday’s World Club Cup final against Boca Juniors, with a solitary Clarence Seedorf strike enough to see off the challenge of the Urawa Red Diamonds, the AFC Champions League winners.

In an evenly-contested encounter, the decisive moment arrived in the 68th minute. Kaka, the newly crowned Ballon d’Or winner, escaped down the left and crossed from the byline, leaving Seedorf, the Holland international, to control the ball before finishing powerfully with his left foot.

It is perhaps no surprise that Seedorf scored the decisive goal, as he is a player used to the big occasion – he is the only player ever to win Europe’s top club competition with three different clubs (AC Milan, Real Madrid and Ajax Amsterdam).

Played in a fervent atmosphere in the stadium the 2002 World Cup final was played, the International Stadium in Yokohama, the game was perhaps closer than many observers would have expected. The Italians enjoyed the best of the first-half openings, with Andrea Pirlo having a free-kick well saved by Ryota Tsuzuki, the Urawa goalkeeper, and Massimo Ambrosini saw a header drift narrowly wide.

In a game of few chances, the Japanese team came more into it in the second period, with Alessandro Nesta, the Italian international, almost scoring an own goal and Dida had to be alert to save a smart effort from Washington, Urawa’s former Brazilian international striker. When the goal arrived it was not in keeping with the rest of the game, but it set up the customary Europe against South America showdown at the end of a tournament consisting of the winners of all Fifa’s confederations.

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