As noted in the post yesterday, Europe and South America had dominated the Club World Cup. No team from any other continent had played for the championship. The Rest of the World was 0-10 against Europe’s and South America’s club champions.

Then came tonight’s stunning result.

TP Mazembe of Africa 2, Internacional of Brazil 0.

This was supposed to be little more than a walkover for Internacional. Mazembe had not been particularly impressive in defeating Pachuca 1-0 in the quarterfinal, and Internacional (seeded directly into the semis, as is Europe) … well, Internacional started 10 Brazilians! And had won the South American championship. They had to be really good, right?

Well, not necessarily. As noted in the game story I wrote for the Wednesday editions of The National, Internacional created lots of chances but whiffed on all of them. Some of that is their bad luck. But some of it is about the fine line between an athlete who can get in position to score … and a soccer star who does, in fact, score.

In retrospect, we can see a few warning signs that history might well be made when Mazembe and Internacional played.

–Internacional was not in good form coming up to Club World Cup. Going back to mid-October, the club had won only two of 10 matches in Brazil’s top division, with five draws and three defeats. In three matches, Internacional was shut out. Internacional was not the sharp team of last August, which is when the qualified for the Club World Cup.

–The Brazilians finished seventh in Seria A,  and they were not a prolific scoring team, with 48 goals in 38 matches. Seven clubs scored more goals than their 1.26 per game.

–A sign I should have put more stock in: One of Internacional’s starting forwards is Rafael Sobis. The rest of their squad, I didn’t know except from reputation. But one of their elite strikers was a guy I had seen play in the same stadium a year ago, for the UAE side Al Jazira, and I had been massively unimpressed. The club here was so frustrated with Sobis (he was hurt, apparently, but still) that it loaned him back to Internacional. Yes. Didn’t want him around even though he had a year left on a $17.7 million contract. And that guy was one of Internacional’s main scoring threats? The guy Jazira jettisoned?

–We underestimated Mazembe’s moxie. When you grow up in the Congo, perhaps the second-poorest nation in the world (behind only Zimbabwe), you probably have to be mentally tough just to get through the day. Any day. And you almost certainly are not going to waste a chance to make a name for yourself in a big arena. These guys were hungry, and they wanted it, and they certainly were not afraid.

Now, yes, goals aside, Internacional played better. They controlled the ball 54 percent of the game, and it seemed like more. (Their coach suggested 70 percent; it felt like it.) They out-shot Mazembe 23-12. But in a key stat, the shots-on-goal figure was actually 7-6 in Mazembe’s favor.

Mazembe is athletic. Mazembe can run. Mazembe had nothing to lose. Internacional had some soft spots in its lineup. At right back. In midfield. At a forward slot. It was assumed, expected they would win, always a dangerous frame of mind.

In retrospect,  it begins to make sense.

And when we factor in the “on any given day” aspect, when Internacional is not converting oppotunities and Mazembe hammers home two of theirs … well, that’s how you get 2-0 and a shocking upset and a date in the final for this team from nowhere against either Inter Milan or Seongnam of Korea.

A day ago, I would have just said “a date with Inter Milan” … but maybe the soccer giants ain’t what they used to be.  Inter has been struggling since it won the Champions League back in May. It isn’t the same club it was when Jose Mourinho was the coach instead of Rafa Benitez. Seongnam, meanwhile, won the Asians Champion League on November 13,  the same day Mazembe won the African championship. Recently, that is.

Inter and Seongnam play Wednesday night.