United jet off to Japan for Club World Cup

Manchester United jetted off to Japan on Sunday evening hoping to officially crown themselves the best football team on the planet. The Red Devils will spend the week taking part in Fifa’s Club World Cup competition – though the lack of media attention which the competition has enjoyed is startling. The Reds will play two matches on their short jaunt to Asia.

It's strange that the only World-based competition in club football attracts relatively little interest - and there's nothing to suggest that Sir Alex Ferguson would rather win the tournament than pick up three points at Stoke on Boxing Day.

However, United flew off to Japan from London on Sunday evening and have the chance to officially crown themselves world champions over the next week. The Red Devils go straight into the competition at the semi-final stage and will then play in either a third place play-off or, hopefully, the grand finale on the weekend.

United qualified for the competition after winning the European Cup last May. LDU Quito, winners of South America's Copa Libertadores, also receive a bye into the last four.

The quarter-final matches have already taken place. Japan's Gamba Osaka beat Adelaide United 1-0 and will now face United, whilst whilst Mexican club C.F Pachuca beat Al Ahly 4-2 after extra-time to set-up a clash with the South American champions.

Pachuca and LDU Quito face-off on Wednesday before United take on Osaka on Thursday at Yokahoma's International Stadium. That game will be preceded by a quite banal fifth-place play-off between Al-Ahly and Adelaide.

Many United fans are approaching this competition with caution following the farce of Fifa's World Club Championship in 2000. United's entry, following pressure from the British Government, resulted in a shock withdrawal from the F.A Cup which still provides ABUs with fodder to this day.

Sir Alex has named a 23-man squad for the tournament. A late change has seen young shot-stopper Ben Amos replace the injured Ben Foster. The full squad is as follows:

1 - Edwin van der Sar
2 - Gary Neville
3 - Patrice Evra
5 - Rio Ferdinand
7 - Cristiano Ronaldo
8 - Anderson
9 - Dimitar Berbatov
10 - Wayne Rooney
11 - Ryan Giggs
13 - Park Ji-Sung
15 - Nemanja Vidic
16 - Michael Carrick
17 - Nani
18 - Paul Scholes
19 - Danny Welbeck
21 - Rafael Da Silva
22 - John O'Shea
23 - Jonny Evans
24 - Darren Fletcher
28 - Darron Gibson
29 - Tomasz Kuszczak
32 - Carlos Tevez
40 - Ben Amos

United's semi-final and Sunday's final will be broadcast live on Channel Five.