Liverpool reach World Club final

Liverpool 3 Deportivo Saprissa 0

Liverpool shrugged off jet-lag and doubts about their motivation to record a convincing win over Deportivo Saprissa and reach the final of Club World Championship.

They were in incisive, if not clinical, form against the Costa Ricans, who looked a long way out of their depth against the class of the European champions.

And the clean sheet meant the Reds set a new club record of 11 games without conceding a goal, breaking the previous best set by the last vintage Liverpool side of 1987-88.

Peter Crouch started the romp in the third minute, Steven Gerrard doubled the advantage just past the half hour with a thunderous volley and Crouch stole in for his second on 57 minutes to set up a mouthwatering meeting with Sao Paulo in Sunday's final.

The game was meant to pit the technique of the Central Americans against the power of the Reds but Liverpool's greater nous repeatedly exposed their opponents' weaknesses at the back.

In the first half in particular, they were vulnerable to the quick counter-attack and Rafael Benitez used the strength and pace of John Arne Riise down the left flank to great effect.

Riise had been moved further forward in a surprise rejig of a settled Reds rearguard, with Josemi and Djimi Traore coming in, and the dependable Steve Finnan dropping to the bench.

Despite fears that Liverpool would not have acclimatised to the nine-hour time difference having only arrived in Japan on Monday, they raced out of the blocks.

Crouch took Mohamed Sissoko's knockdown from a Riise cross with a sweetly struck volley into the corner after three minutes.

Crouch had a penalty appeal waved away after 18 minutes, tumbling under Ronald Gonzalez's challenge, and then a quick counter-attack saw Djibril Cisse, handed a rare start ahead of Fernando Morientes, find Riise unmarked but his header was palmed away by Jose Porras.

The first glimpse of goal for Saprissa was 27 minutes in coming when Alvaro Saborio was freed through the middle but faced with the on-rushing Jose Reina he dragged his shot past the post.

Almost immediately they were made to pay for the glaring miss when another quick breakaway saw Riise pick out Gerrard on the 18-yard box and he thundered the ball under Porras to double Liverpool's advantage 13 minutes before the interval.

A trademark Riise drive flew wide as Liverpool went in search of more goals with the rampaging Norwegian looking the man most likely to supply the ammunition.

Cisse headed a Gerrard free-kick from the right wide of Porras' goal two minutes into the second half and then drilled a cross behind three unmarked team-mates in the six-yard box, much to their exasperation.

But the richly deserved third goal was not long in coming as Crouch capitalised on uncertainty in the heart of the Saprissa defence to collect a loose ball and calmly finish on 57 minutes.

By this stage the visiting Kop choir was in good voice, a healthy number having made the lengthy journey from Merseyside to cheer their side on in the chill of a Japanese winter.

With one eye on the final, Gerrard made way for Florent Sinama Pongolle just after the hour, and the Frenchman's pace nearly brought him a goal straight away.

Taking a clever back-heel from Cisse, he raced into the area but only a despairing challenge from Gabriel Badilla prevented the fourth from flying in.

Crouch was unlucky not to get his third of the night after cleverly working his way into space in the box, before Benitez sent Luis Garcia on for Sami Hyypia in the 71st minute.

Cristian Bolanos, the only Saprissa player to worry the Liverpool defence all night, had two half-chances late on as Liverpool got a touch complacent, but the Reds saw out time with their lead and all-important clean sheet in tact.