Brazil's Internacional ease into Club World Cup final

TOKYO, Dec 13 (Reuters) Teenagers Pato Alexandre and Luiz Adriano sparked Brazil's Internacional to a 2-1 win over Al Ahli of Egypt today in their Club World Cup semi-final.

The South American champions now face either Barcelona or Mexico's America in Sunday's final in Yokohama.

Inter gave prodigious 17-year-old Alexandre, fast gaining fame under his nickname Alex the Duck, only his second start for the club following an astonishing 57-minute debut last month.

Alexandre had scored with his first touch in a 4-1 win at Palmeiras and he had the ball in the back of the net after eight minutes in Tokyo only for his header to be ruled offside.

His next chance in the 23rd minute did count, however, Alexandre firing a clinical right-foot shot into the bottom corner after the ball broke kindly for him on the edge of the box.

Ahli, who beat New Zealand's Auckland City 2-0 in their opening game on Sunday, almost struck back when striker Mohamed Aboutrika fired against the post seven minutes before halftime.

However, the African champions stunned Internacional in the 54th minute when Angola striker Flavio produced a superb glancing header to score his second goal of the competition.

Alexandre's involvement ended prematurely when he was taken off on a stretcher clutching his ankle in the 64th minute.

His replacement, Adriano, made a dramatic impact just eight minutes after coming on, the 19-year-old bursting towards the near post to head Ceara's corner in off the woodwork.

The Club World Cup involves the world's six continental champions. Brazil's Sao Paulo edged out Liverpool 1-0 in last year's final to win the first edition of the revamped FIFA tournament.

REUTERS PDS RN1845