The one that got away

Real Madrid seeks to avenge Toyota Cup defeat

TOKYO (AP) -- When Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid lost the chance to take home a third world club soccer title two years ago, it left coach Vicente del Bosque with a bad taste in his mouth.

Next Tuesday, his side can remedy that.

Stacked with some of the game's biggest stars, the European champions are the clear favorites in this year's Toyota Cup clash at International Stadium Yokohama against top South American side Olimpia de Asuncion of Paraguay.

But del Bosque said his players aren't taking the match lightly.

"Winning the Cup is one our objectives this season," he told reporters at the team's Tokyo hotel hours after arriving Friday. "Our loss to Boca Juniors two years ago left me with a bad aftertaste. So we will do everything we can to take our third intercontinental title."

The match between the club champions from the continents with the longest soccer traditions will decide which is the world's No. 1 club.

In recent years, European clubs have been dominant, winning the four of the last five annual matches.

But Madrid knows that alone counts for little.

"We didn't win our last Toyota Cup match and we haven't been winning in recent games (in Spain)," French playmaker Zinedine Zidane said. "But this title is very important to us."

With stars Zidane, Luis Figo of Portugal, Spanish striker Raul and Brazilians Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, Madrid will want to prove that it can live up to its billing as the World's top team.

However, it will have to overcome injuries and a lackluster streak that has left it fourth in the Spanish league. Claude Makele, Raul Bravo and Jose Maria "Guti" Gutierrez are all recovering from injuries and defenders Francisco Pavon and Hierro have been sick, del Bosque said.

And Ronaldo's form since his 44 million euro (US$44 million) move from Inter Milan to Madrid at the end of August has been largely unconvincing.

Real Madrid, which qualified by defeating Bayer Leverkusen in last season's UEFA Champions League final, is in its fifth intercontinental club championship.

The Spanish club won the inaugural title in 1960 over Penarol of Uruguay and again in 1998 against Brazil's Vasco da Gama. But it has lost two other times, in 1966 and 2000, despite being the odds-on favorites.

"We want to forget about the past," said captain Fernando Ruiz Hierro. "We don't know that much about Olimpia. But the fact that they are here shows that they are strong and we will have to respect them."

Olimipia -- the only Paraguayan club to have made it this far -- will be after its second title in three tries.

The South American side won its only world club Cup in 1979, the year before Japanese automaker Toyota became the sponsor and the tournament the Toyota Cup. Eleven years later, Olimpia failed to repeat against Italy's AC Milan.

Although it can't match Real's worldwide brand-name status, Olimpia has its own rich pedigree. The club is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and will be keen to add the world title to last season's Libertadores Cup victory over Brazil's Sao Caetano.

Led by striker Richart Martin Baez and playmaker Miguel Angel Benitez, Olimpia practiced away from the glare of the media on Friday. They have had more time to recover from the fatigue of traveling halfway round the world, having arrived last Sunday.

 

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