Gamba finishes third at Club World Cup

December 22, 2008

Japan’s Gamba Osaka secured a third-place finish at the Club World Cup with a 1-0 win over Mexico’s Pachuca on Sunday.

Striker Masato Yamazaki scored the winner in the 30th minute when he volleyed a superb pass from fellow forward Ryuji Bando past goalkeeper Miguel Calero.

Manchester United takes on Ecuador’s Liga de Quito later Sunday in the final.

Gamba, 5-3 losers to United in the semifinals, kept Calero under constant pressure from the opening whistle. Set-piece specialist Yasuhito Endo had two free kicks denied before Calero pulled off the save of the match when Bando sprung free inside the area in the 32nd minute.

Bando thought he had the experienced Colombian goalkeeper beaten with a half volley, but Calero managed to get a leg to the shot at the last moment.

For the third match at the tournament, Pachuca saved its best football for the second half, but despite enjoying the bulk of possession and creating a number of chances, the CONCACAF champions rarely looked capable of tying the score.

Instead, it was Asian champions Gamba that appeared more likely to reply on the counterattack, and defender Akira Kaji almost doubled the lead when he curled a shot from the edge of the area just wide in the 73rd minute.

Midfielder Tomokazu Myojin spurned a glorious opportunity to put the game out of reach when he failed to head into an open net six minutes from time. Seconds later, Satoshi Yamaguchi’s header hit the post with Calero clearly beaten.

Gamba survived a few nervy moments and a red card to Takahiro Futagawa for a reckless challenge in added time to hold on for a well-deserved victory. In finishing third, Gamba matched the performance of compatriots the Urawa Reds in last year’s Club World Cup.