Beware the Purple Monster

In their first game at the Club World Championship in Japan next week, Oceania's representative Sydney FC will face Costa Rican CONCACAF champion Deportivo Saprissa (aka The Purple Monster), an accomplished team that features half-a-dozen World Cup bound national team players on their roster. Ronald Gomez, Walter Centeno, Alonso Solis and co. are likely to cause immense headaches for Sydney coach Pierre Littbarski and his team as they attempt to reach the semi-finals and a showdown with UEFA champions Liverpool.

If they happen to lose to the Purple Monster, Sydney will then face either CAF's Al Ahly from Egpyt or the AFC's Al Ittihad from Saudi Arabia in a game to decide 5th place. A match-up with the latter would be quite exciting since it would offer us a glimpse of what's to come when we finally enter the Asian Champions League in 2007.

There's really not much pressure on Sydney to perform at the CWC, given that they're a new club competing on a world stage with some of the giants of the game. Obviously it would be terrific to advance to the Liverpool showdown, but in reality the Costa Ricans are going to be very tough to beat. The recent Japanese language and culture lessons might help the boys accustom to local practices, but it's the fascinating systematics of Central American football that they will have to get used to in a timely fashion if they are to progress.

Here is the Sydney FC squad for the tournament.

Goalkeepers:

Clint Bolton - one of the best in the domestic game

Justin Pasfield - Bolton's backup

Mitchell Blowes - just for the experience

Defenders:

Iain Fyfe - on the verge of national squad selection

Alvin Ceccoli - industrious left fullback who likes to get forward

Mark Milligan - promising right fullback with the world at his feet

Jacob Timpano - young central defender with a cool head

Mark Rudan - experienced centre half and occasional striker

Matthew Bingley - utility defender/midfilder, been around forever

Wade Oostendorp - teenager last seen at the U-17 World Youth Cup

Midfielders:

David Carney - livewire switching flanker with all the skills

Steve Corica - creative attacking midfielder with J-League experience

Terry McFlynn - determined anchor man from Northern Ireland

Ufuk Talay - the kid returns (from the Turkish league)

Andrew Packer - right-sided player with excellent range

Robbie Middleby - left-sided roamer out of favour with Littbarski

Ruben Zadkovich - strapping U-20's athelete seeking longer contract

Dustin Wells - another attacking midfielder with plenty to prove

Forwards:

Dwight Yorke - don't be surprised if he starts in central midfield!

Kazuyoshi Miura - just as sharp on the field as off, not bad for 38

Sasho Petrovski - gifted and aggressive striker with a touch of flair

David Zdrilic - a star diminished by injuries and a lack of fitness

John Buonavoglia - dynamic spark off the bench for a tiring attack

Alejandro Salazar - returning to the US after the CWC