FIFA Club World Cup 2011: Kashiwa Reysol Defeat Monterrey, Al-Sadd Beat Esperance

Following Sunday’s game in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, we now know which two teams have earned the right to be thoroughly embarrassed by Santos FC and FC Barcelona. J. League champions Kashiwa Reysol defeated CONCACAF champions Monterrey on penalty kicks to advance to play Santos. Earlier, on Saturday, AFC champions Al-Sadd defeated CAF champions Esperance 2-1 to advance to the semifinals, where they will meet Barcelona.

Even though Monterrey won the CONCACAF Champions League, they’ve had a poor domestic season and weren’t exactly riding a wave of momentum coming into this game. The first half ended scoreless, thanks to a couple of bad misses by the normally clinical Humberto Suazo. Leandro found the opener for Kashiwa in the 52nd minute, but Chupete finally scored in the 58th minute to tie up the match.

The two sides went to penalties, where Rayados captain Luis Ernesto Perez missed the first penalty kick. Goalkeeper Jonathan Orozco surprisingly stepped up to take a penalty, but hit it off the post. Kashiwa looked much more calm with their penalty takes and went through 4-3 on spot kicks, sending a Mexican side crashing out of the Club World Cup early yet again.

Al-Sadd scored the first two goals in the earlier game, with Khalfan Al Khalfan and Abdulla Koni netting for their side. Osama Darragi pulled one back, but Esperance couldn’t find an equalizer despite creating a number of chances. With experienced internationals like Abdoul Kader Keita, Nadir Belhadj and Mamadou Niang in the side, they shouldn’t be a complete pushover for Barcelona.