A Ronaldinho-inspired Barcelona booked their place in the Club World Cup final with a classic 4-0 demolition of Mexico's America on Thursday.
The European champions will face Brazil's Internacional in Sunday's final after cruising to a comfortable victory in front of 62,000 in rainswept Yokohama.
"The players were absolutely shattered after the match," Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard told reporters. "They're hurting still from the jetlag. They will play better in the final."
Iceland international Eidur Gudjohnsen gave Barcelona the lead in the 11th minute following a superb three-man move ignited by a sumptuous Ronaldinho back-heel.
Andres Iniesta cleverly released Gudjohnsen and the former Chelsea striker swept a crisp right-foot shot into the far corner past goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
Defender Rafael Marquez doubled Barca's lead on the half hour, outmuscling his marker to head in Deco's inswinging corner from the left.
Ronaldinho added a third in the 65th minute, pouncing on Ludovic Giuly's blocked shot to hook the ball past Ochoa from 12 metres.
The Brazilian then unselfishly set up Deco, who drilled a fierce right-foot shot into the top corner from 25 metres five minutes from time to underline Barca's dominance.
HOT FAVOURITES
The Catalans are hot favourites to go one better than Johan Cruyff's flamboyant side of the early 1990s by returning to Spain with an historic first world title.
"It was an important game for us," said Rijkaard. "There's still a bigger prize waiting for us on Sunday so hopefully this win will give the team a jump-start."
America beat South Korea's Chonbuk Motors 1-0 in their opening match of the revamped FIFA tournament involving the world's six continental champions.
But the closest they came to ruffling Barca was when goalkeeper Victor Valdes plunged low to his right to block a Salvador Cabanas free kick in the 23rd minute.
"There is no shame in losing to Barcelona," America coach Luis Fernando Tena said. "They are better than any team in Mexico and one of the best teams in the world. They were fantastic."
South American champions Inter scraped past Egypt's Al Ahli 2-1 in Wednesday's first semi-final. Brazil's Sao Paulo edged out Liverpool 1-0 in last year's final.
Cruyff's Barcelona were beaten 2-1 by Sao Paulo in 1992 in the Club World Cup's forerunner, a one-off encounter between the European and South American champions.
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