English club Liverpool's forward Peter Crouch (left) controls the ball as Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa's defender Jervis Drummond puts in a tackle during the FIFA Club World Championship semi-final match at Yokohama International Stadium yesterday. Liverpool defeated Deportivo Saprissa 3-0 to advance to Sunday's final. - REUTERS
YOKOHAMA, Japan, (Reuters):
LIVERPOOL EASED past Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa 3-0 in the FIFA Club World Championship semi-final yesterday, the European champions' club record 11th successive clean sheet.
Rafael Benitez's side will meet Brazil's Sao Paulo in Sunday's final with the South Americans looking for their third world title and Liverpool their first.
Peter Crouch scored twice and captain Steven Gerrard was also on target in a one-sided match in Yokohama.
"All the team works hard in defence. They deserve to have made history," Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez told reporters.
The Spaniard praised Crouch, who failed to score in his first 17 games for Liverpool before finding the net against Wigan Athletic this month.
"I am always happy with Crouch," said Benitez. "He is a player who can do different things, create chances ... and score goals. He gives us things other players can't do."
CROUCH SCORES
Liverpool took the lead after just two minutes when Crouch applied a clinical finish after Djibril Cisse had neatly touched a John Arne Riise cross into his path.
Gerrard added a second in the 32nd minute, volleying another Riise delivery superbly past Saprissa goalkeeper Jose Porras from 20 metres.
Crouch pounced on a defensive error to slide home his second of the game in the 58th minute to underline Liverpool's complete dominance in front of a 44,000 crowd.
"The early goal settled us down," Crouch said. "Once we got that goal we never looked in danger of losing. We're here to do a job. We haven't come this far to be second best."
Liverpool's shut-out of Saprissa surpassed the mark of 10 clean sheets set by Kenny Dalglish's title winners of 1987-88.
SHOCK DEFEAT
Liverpool have now played 1,015 minutes since last conceding a goal in a shock 2-1 defeat by Crystal Palace in the third round of the League Cup on October 15.
Goalkeeper Jose Reina, who did not play in that match, has been unbeaten now for 990 minutes.
"It's always nice to break records but the most important thing is to keep on winning," said Gerrard. "We want success. We don't play to break records, we want trophies."
Saprissa coach Hernan Medford was positive in defeat.
"No one would be happy to lose 3-0," he said. "But we were not embarrassed because we played against one of the best teams in the world."
Japan has proved a happy hunting ground for Sao Paulo, who won the World Club Cup - the tournament's forerunner, involving the champions of Europe and South America - in 1992 and 1993.
Liverpool were beaten 3-0 by Brazil's Flamengo in 1981 and 1-0 by Argentina's Independiente in 1984.
Saprissa play Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad in Sunday's third-place play-off while Egypt's Al Ahly meet Sydney FC in today's fifth-place match.
