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From the Desk

Dez Corkhill provides an insightful preview of the AFC Champions League final between Al Ittihad and Pohang Steelers.

Saturday sees an East Asia vs. West Asia tussle as Saudi Arabian Champions, Al Ittihad, meet K-League side Pohang Steelers, in the final of the AFC Champions league. It's a one-off final at the National stadium to decide which the best club side in Asia is.

Dez Corkhill will be in the commentary box for STAR Sports live coverage of the match, and looks at the Asian-born players likely to shine in the big East vs. West confrontation.

PRINCE vs PAUPER

The 2009 AFC Champions league Final is a final of immense contrasts. It's Prince versus pauper, chaos compared to consistency, Saudi knee-jerkism matched with Korean Conservatism.

It's Ittihad who will go into the contest at the national Stadium as firm favourites. But my suspicion is that Pohang will have too much for the free-scoring Saudi's, and are ready to spring an upset.

From the stripes worn by Al Ittihad, compared to the hoops of Pohang, there are precious few similarities between the clubs. A classic final is in store.

METHODOLOGY

Saudi Arabia Champions and current league leaders, Al Ittihad have cash to spare, and have stacked up a pile of trophies in the last decade including two AFC Champions League Crowns, an Asian Cup Winners' Cup, Arab Champions League plus five Saudi league titles is an impressive haul - and excludes several other Cup competitions.

That haul has been accrued despite - or possibly because - they're prone to hire and then sack high-profile coaches with regularity. Anghel Iordanescu, Bruno Metsu, Vahid Halilhodzic and Estevam Soares have all been in the hot-seat since the 2004 season. Current Coach is former Argentine International, Gabriel Calderon.

Pohang Steelers, on the other hand, are a steady club, aware of their resources, and careful in their approach. Their Coach has been in situ for the best part of four full seasons, and whilst they have won Asia's top title twice in the 90's, they had a really barren spell for silverware from the last of those two triumphs to 2007 before picking up silverware.

THE PLAYING STAFF

Al Ittihad change players with no regard for money. When star striker, Naif Hazazi, was injured earlier in the season, they went out to get high profile Tunisian International Armine Chermiti as his replacement. International defenders Hamed Al Montshari and Redha Tukar are only recently back in favour having been omitted from many of the games in the group stages of this season's AFC Champions League.

Pohang's playing staff boast barely a handful of International caps between them, and their foreign players tend to be high on clubs, and devoid of International pedigree. Of their three foreigners, only Macedonian Stevica Ristik has played on the International stage.

THE COACHES

Al Ittihad Coach, Gabriel Calderon, played on the biggest stage of all - the FIFA World Cup - for Argentina. His playing career saw ten clubs in South America and Argentina, and he has International management pedigree with Saudi Arabia and Oman. At 49, he's proven and tested and experienced.

Pohang Coach, Sergio Farias is a young Brazilian more at home with dealing with young players. His CV is littered with appointments looking after the junior teams of Brazil and Sao Paolo, whilst there is no playing career of any sort to speak of. He's young and - until he became Coach at Pohang, untested at a top level.

KEY PERSONNEL

The contrast between the likely key Asian personnel tells the same story.

From a galaxy of Internationals, Al Ittihad captain, Mohammed Noor, still manages to stand out. The 31-year old Mecca born winger is used to the big stage with 75 International caps, experience from appearing in the Finals at two World Cups, and two previous Champions league final victories - both against Korean opposition.

Pohang's Noh, Byung-Joon is the same age but is uncapped, untitled, and his one real claim to fame prior to this season was a short spell in Europe playing in the Austrian League for Sturm Graz. The contrast between the players selected as "Key men" tell us an awful lot about the respective clubs.

Mohammed Noor is moody and has been - in the past - a controversial figure having once missed 6-months of a season from suspension. No is the perfect always smiling, uncomplaining professional.

THE AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FORM

There was similarity in the Group stage form of the Final protagonists. Both were unbeaten; both had three wins and three draws; both scoring heavily.

The contrasts re-emerge when we hit the knock-out rounds. Pohang nearly lost in the Quarter Finals against Bunyodkor. It needed a remarkable second half performance against Bunyodkor to see them through after extra-time. That was when the spirit of Sergio Farias' side first really showed itself.

Al Ittihad have had no such problems and have, with the exception of the round-of-16 match with Al Shabaab, waltzed through the competition unbeaten scoring 29 goals.

THE K-LEAGUE KILLERS

Korean teams seem to bring the best out of the team from Jeddah. In six matches against three different Korean teams, their record is 4 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat. Each meeting was a two-legged affair, all won by Al Ittihad. Included in those was a comeback from a 3-1 loss in the home leg of the 2004 semi Final to win 5-0 IN Korea against Seongnam. The "K-League Killers" moniker is well-deserved.

ASSESSMENT

In any and every assessment, Al Ittihad look to be favourites. They have more trophies, more money, more experienced players, more Internationals, a more experienced Coach, and a wonderful head-to-head record with Korean teams.

Al Ittihad have just won their domestic league title and are a perfect 4 wins from 4 in the new season. The Saudi team are confident, and used to winning.

So, of course, expect Sergio Farias' team to win.