Into the channels: 17/12/2014

ES Setif 2-2 Western Sydney Wanderers (ES Setif win 5-4 on penalties)

Here are two teams that like some sado-masochism.

ES Setif enjoyed a 0-0 draw with Auckland City in their Club World Cup quarter final, then played extra-time, then lost on penalties.

Western Sydney Wanderers also went into extra-time in their quarter final match, played on a pitch so ridiculously wet that players' union FIFPro are making some kind of legal complaint about the game going ahead.

The Australian side are 10th in their domestic league, whilst Algerians Setif are 5th in theirs. So it would have made sense for this match, for 5th place, was sorted out in a timely fashion. Especially seeing as Western Sydney have an A-League game on Friday, which is quite far away from Marrakech. And also as San Lorenzo vs Auckland City was taking place in the same stadium, after this game was done. The organisers did their bit - in the event of a draw, there would be no extra time in this game, just penalties.

So, of course, Setif and Sydney contrived to make this game last as long as possible, wasting myriad opportunities and taking the game not only to penalty shootout, but to sudden death.

The Stade de Marrakech started off mostly empty; this shot shows Romeo Castelen preparing to strike...

Castelen gives Western Sydney the lead, after just 5 minutes: a great goal

Kheïreddine Madoui is not a manager you want to let down

Shortly afterwards, Haliti and Mullen hit the bar and post in quick succession

Wanderers' Castelen took the game by the scruff of the neck, something that may be surprising to Hamburg fans

Abdelmalik Ziaya had Setif's first good attempt with this overhead scissor kick - he at least was giving this a go

Goons

Nice, empty stadium

Most of the fans you can see in this shot were arriving to support Argentina's San Lorenzo

At half time, save for about three efforts from the strong and determined Algerian forward Ziaya, Wanderers were in the lead, and well in control. Which must have been nice for them, given that they were missing 4 of their key players: Australia defenders Topor-Stanley and Spiranovic suspended after being sent off against Cruz Azul; their fellow international Nikita Rukavytsya and club record scorer Mark Bridge out injured.

Madoui must have said something at half-time, though, because Setif came out with attacking verve, and turned the game into a contest. Which was nice, seeing that up until now, the Club World Cup 2014 had proven to be a bit of a damp squib - two very narrow surprise wins for Auckland City, that waterpolo game between Sydney and Cruz Azul, and the very predictable dismantling of the Mexican side by Real Madrid.

Mullen, unsighted, knees the ball past Dean Bouzanis, formerly of Oldham and Liverpool: 1-1

Djahnit really badly miscues a golden chance to make it 2-1

Ziaya is more clinical, lifting the ball over Bouzanis on 57 minutes to give the Algerians the lead

Castelen played in Baccus as WSW decided to attack too, but his cross didn't find any red and black-shirted players

Bouzanis parried a well-struck Ziaya free-kick - these two were arguably the game's best players

See those flags for Claypole and Quilmes?

Ziaya really should have finished the game with this chance, instead kicking the ball straight up in the air

Castelen's cross finds Tomi Juric... who decides to head the ball, tamely, to the keeper, to help wrap the game up

Vitor Saba does not believe in doing things quick and painlessly, though; the Brazilian sub equalised with this free kick in the last minute of normal time

 Penalties!

Bouzanis saves Djahnit's penalty! 1-0!

Bouzanis saves again!

The second Bouzanis save set things up nicely for an Australian hero. They'd won the first half, and they'd somehow come back into the game after laying down their arms for most of the second. They were now 3-2 up. If they scored, they'd win the game. And fifth place.

Who stepped up?

Goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis took his gloves off - but had his rather weak effort stopped by his opposite number

After Bouzanis had fluffed his lines, the shootout was tied at 3-3. Time for sudden death.

Despite a goal from 17 year old Fofanah, former Lazio defender Seyi Adeleke's miss, and Setif's former Falkirk midfielder Toufik Zerara's goal, mean that Western Sydney fly back to Western Sydney, having finished in 6th place at the Club World Cup, despite having endured two gruelling games against the Champions of South America and Africa. The Black Eagles of Setif make the slightly shorter traipse home with the relief of having at least won one of the 3 games played by the 2 North African sides in the competition. And I get to go the cinema, having finally watched a competitive game of actual football in the Club World Cup.