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12.22 Game, Set and Match! Barcelona win the Club World Cup 2011!
12.18 Biggest victory in a FIFA Club World Cup final if Santos don"t score. Biggest victory in equivalent game since 1951.
12.14 Dani Alves wins the ball back in midfield and then finds Messi, who flicks the ball delightfully past Rafael and sidefoots home
GOAL! Messi
12.11 Pedro finds Dani Alves and the ball comes back off the post! Offside!
12.10 Alan Kardec on for Borges; Pedro on for Thiago
12.09 Thiago Alcantara skips past a pathetic attempt at a tackle from Bruno Rodrigo. Finds Cesc, but the Spaniard is denied by Rafael.
12.06 The yellow-cards are flowing. Now, Edu Dracena for a crude tackle on Messi.
12.04 Ganso now booked for a foul on Busquets.
12.02 Mascherano booked for a lunge on Borges, after a poor pass from Busquets
12.00 The travelling Santos support looking distinctly unamused in the stands
11.58 Some tough, tough tackles from Santos at the edge of the area. Fabregas will have felt that one!
11.55 Santos having a much better second-half in terms of getting forward, but still the 3-men ahead of ball leaves holes in defence.
11.53 Santos counter well after winning the ball in midfield, but Elano slashes wildly over from outside the area. Corner comes to nothing.
11.49 He has to score! Ganso finds Neymar who gets away from Mascherano (on for Pique). Valdes closes him down and saves well
11.48 Now it is Iniesta"s turn to go close. Could be so much worse for Santos in these opening minutes of 2nd half
11.46 At the other end, Borges is denied by Valdes having been found by Elano
11.45 Close for Barcelona once more. Xavi finds Messi and only the excellent Rafael prevents a fourth.
11.42 Messi sets up a good attack for the Champions-elect, as Thiago breaks down the left, crossing for Dani Alves who should score. Instead, he heads horribly wide.
11.38 Borges destroys Abidal for pace, but Neymar cannot control his header from the cross
11.37 Second-half underway in Japan and Barca go close to scoring through Fabregas
11.27 Just a reminder of today"s big Neymar news: Barcelona have negotiated a ‘secret" first-option http://bit.ly/w33IvA
11.26 So, where do Santos go from here? The defence has been exposed, as many including @cynegeticus had feared
TWITTER – @Victors: “It"s a pity with Ganso. Not to be defeatist, but I don"t know what happened. I rate Oscar higher now.
TWITTER – @ScotM87: “Ganso has been non-existent so far."
HT in Yokohama: Santos 0-3 Barcelona
11.20 A scramble in the box, after good work from Messi and Dani Alves. The ball finds its way to Fabregas at the back-post to finish.
GOAL! Cesc
11.17 Santos sitting very, very deep. Barcelona now in second gear and still easing down. Not much happening.
TWITTER – @seeadarkness: “No. Scrapping a Ganso-less 0-0 in the trenches would have proved nothing. Better to lose playing your own game."
11.13 Pique booked for a foul on Neymar. Six games in a row for the ex-Man Utd player.
10.11 Santos pressing a bit better. But, there are three players in white permanently ahead of the ball. (Ganso, Neymar, Borges) Too many!
TWITTER – @rcammisola: “Of course @santapelota was right, he"s always right!"
11.08 Ganso feeling like a luxury right now. Was @santapelota right, should he have been omitted?
11.06 That is a shame. Danilo withdrawn with a slight knock, Elano on. Danilo"s final Santos appearance there.
11.04 More swift Barca attacking down the right wins them a corner as Dani Alves bombs forward.
11.01 Santos get a shot on goal! Borges gets behind Abidal, but his wide-angle shot is straight at Valdes.
11.00 Messi and Fabregas play a quick one-two and only a last-gasp Edu Dracena denies the Argentine.
10.59 Santos" tactics are bemusing so far. You simply cannot give Barcelona this much space in midfield.
10.58 Dani Alves allowed to run clear on the flanks and a superb cut back to the edge of the area allows Xavi to slot home.
GOAL! XAVI
10.56 Santos need to get much closer in midfield and there is always space on the flanks for Barca. Poor from the Brazilians so far
10.54 Barca almost unlock the defence again, but Messi"s chipped through ball finds Rafael rather than Fabregas.
10.51 A cheeky little dink from the Argentine over Rafael, but that was all about Xavi. The man is incredible. A delightful control and through ball.
GOAL! MESSI!
10.50 Santos counter but Neymar is tackled by Dani Alves. Looked like a possible foul, but he should have got rid of it.
10.49 Just the 74% possession for Barcelona. How can Santos get more into it?
10.47 Massive chance! Thiago should score there as Rafael saves from Messi, but rebound falls to an unmarked Thiago. Hits it straight at the keeper though
TWITTER – @Santapelota: “Ganso awfully quiet too. How are they supposed to find Neymar like this?"
TWITTER – @GlobalCalcio: “I fear he might try too hard to be the ‘hero". He could have put two players through, but instead went on his own."
10.43 Was that a penalty? Barca want a penalty for a foul on Thiago in the area. Let us know what you think!
10.42 Neymar tries to jink through into the area as Santos countered. There were better options though
10.40 Santos get into Barcelona"s half. But, ball goes out for a goal-kick. No sign of Neymar in first few minutes.
10.38 All Barcelona possession so far. Santos giving it away cheaply so far.
10.36 Two minutes on the clock and Santos finally touch the ball. (To tackle Messi)
10.34 Kick-off in Japan.
10.34 Here is that earlier report on Neymar to Barcelona http://bit.ly/w33IvA
10.33 Barcelona wearing shirts of support for Villa. Santos made up of entirely Brazilians.
10.30 The teams are on their way out. Let"s get ready to rumble in Yokohama!!!
TWITTER – @luxinho77: “The whole off brazil is awake for this… The firecrackers started at about 6 thus morning!! Vamos Santos!"
10.25 So, we do have a Santos change from mid-week. A switch to a 3-5-2 and Leo comes in for Elano, will start as a likely left wing-back
10.20 Team news below. Reminder: Santos unchanged. No Alexis or Pedro for Barcelona.
10.18 Opinion (fairly!) with Barcelona then. Can Santos do it for the whole of Brazil? Just twelve minutes until kick-off.
TWITTER – @GlobalCalcio: “If Santos defend the way they did against Kashiwa Reysol they will lose, particularly in the wide areas. Hope it will be close."
10.14 There is a brief summary of the Twitter feedback we have had in. Do you agree?
TWITTER – @ricosuavtb: “Would absolutely LOVE a Santos victory. Somebody has to cheer for the underdog."
TWITTER – @ScotM87: “I think Barca will be a bit too strong for Santos."
TWITTER – @NEPres: “‘m going with No. Even though barca isn"t going to have their heart in the game, they are a better rounded team."
TWITTER – @canadasoccerTV: “I don"t think so but i think it will be much closer from what Al-Sadd did. Maybe 3-1 Barcelona i would say."
10.07 Remember, you can tweet us at @sambafoot_en or email us to [email protected] and we will include your contributions.
10.03 Some breaking news on the future of Neymar today. More to follow asap.
10.01 So, Barcelona still reeling from Villa"s absence start without Alexis or Pedro. Santos are unchanged from Semi-Final
Team News:
Santos: Rafael; Edu Dracena, Bruno Rodrigo, Durval; Danilo, Leo; Henrique, Arouca, Ganso; Neymar, Borges.
Barcelona: Valdes; Alves, Pique, Puyol, Abidal; Xavi, Busquets, Thiago; Cesc, Iniesta; Messi
10.00 Hello! Welcome! Just half an hour till kick off in Yokohama and we have some interesting team news for you in a moment. Hope you enjoy the game and stick with us on Sambafoot!
