18:21Ok, this blog can rise beyond a title containing the quasi-word "luminarie-tastic" and the description of the Kobe Luminarie as "really, really shiny". But maybe not by that much.
Tonight sees Champions of Europe,
AC Milan take on Champions of Asia, the
Urawa Reds in the semi-finals of the
World Club Championships. Its a big deal in Japan, if not in England or much of the rest of the world. Anyway to mark the occasion, and to further promote "internationalisation", I suggested a sweepstake for the game on the lips of everyone in the teachers lounge today. Five of us picked scores (all involving Milan winning coincidentally), and agreed a bet of
1000 yen each (around 4/5 quid). It was also inexplicably decided that should the Reds win, Kawasaki T would get all our money despite not betting. Hmmm. The match kicks off in just over an hour, and there will be
live updates on this blog every 15 minutes or so...stay tuned!
The key winners to watch out for are Kawahara at 3-1, me at 2-0, Nishi T at 4-0 and the sports teacher who I still don't know the name of at 2-1. Someone else also bet but I can't remember their score.
18.42I've placed two bets on bet365.com- Milan to win 3-1 (10/1) so I win big even if Kawahara does, and ace
Kaka to score a cracker! :) at 5/1 as first scorer.
19.15Fifteen minutes to go and lets run through the key men-
Kaka (Milan)The newly-crowned Ballon d’Or winner should have too much for the Reds to handle. The brilliant Brazlian can scores crackers from distance, and was mobbed by adoring fans on arriving at Tokyo airport.
Marcos Tulio Tanaka (Urawa)The Brazilian-born defender is a giant at the back, good on the ball and great in the air. Watch out for him from set pieces.
19.24And the teams are in the tunnel! Kaka looks stern....will we get national anthems?
19.29Sadly not. The beer is well chilled, the sashimi soy-sauced, and the gyoza plated. Milan are in white and the Reds are in, well, red. Game on!
19.35Yellow card!! Nesta. Well deserved. Urawa are getting stuck in, but no clear chances so far.
19.42Excellant free kick by Pirlo is tipped over the bar. From the resulting corner, Milan have a great chance but the header goes just over. Urawa have been bright but just lack a bit of quality in the final third...
19.53Two great chances in succession! Seedorf should have done better one-on-one with the keeper. It's all Milan at the moment...
19.57End to end stuff!! Milan have a great chance to go ahead but some last ditch defending saves the day. Then Urawa go down the other end only for some poor passing to let them down. Urawa #17 , Makoto Hasebe has now been stretchered off, but it doesn't look serious...
20.15Toot toot! as Pete Doherty would say. Yes, the
first half is over. Milan have huffed, they've puffed, but so far they've failed to blow Urawa's house down. A committed performance from the Japanese, but you can't see past Milan eventually getting the goal they deserve.
20.30Yoshyaa! And we're off once more
20.38How did they not score!! First
Jankulovski, then the follow up by
Gilardino. Then another break and a fantastic one on one save from the Urawa keeper Tsuzuki!
20.50Milan Sub! Gilardino off, Pippo Inzaghi on! Is the old maestro gonna make the difference?
20.55Its all happening now! Best chance of the game for Urawa, with an excellent save from that part-time actor
Dida.20.56GOAL!!!!! AC MILAN SCORE!!! Ball in from the left, and Seedorf- virtually unmarked- with the strong strike into the bottom right corner of the net.
1-0 to MILAN!20.59Well, can the Reds get back into the game? I highly doubt it, and if Milan can add another then 5000 yen is mine, all mine...mwah ha ha ha!
21.08Milan sub! Jankulovski off, and the even older maestro is on-
Paulo Maldini! Urawa also make a sub- Soma for Hirakawa.
21.10And to think if I worked for the Guardian I'd actually get paid to do this. As it is my readership is somewhat smaller, but at least I don't have to come up with entertaining jokes. Milan have a free kick just outside the area.
21.19Three mins of stoppage time.
21.22Toot toot!! And it's finished 1-0 to AC Milan. I was within a very get-able goal of winning 25 quid from my fellow sensei, but as it is no money will be given or received. Milan's quality was enough to see them through in a match that could have had far more goals than it did. Urawa were committed, but apart from one good chance didn't really test Kaka.
