Manchester United hit three goals in a pulsating five-minute spell to overpower Japan's Gamba Osaka 5-3 in their Club World Cup semifinal on Thursday. Substitute Wayne Rooney scored twice moments after coming on after Masato Yamazaki had pulled the score back to 2-1 with a sharp finish in the 74th minute. Darren Fletcher also got on the scoresheet after being brought off the bench as the game exploded into life after Nemanja Vidic and Cristiano Ronaldo had scored with first-half headers. The European champion, favorite to become the first British team to win the seven-team FIFA tournament, will face Ecuador's LDU in Sunday's final in Yokohama. With 68,000 fans packed into the Yokohama International Stadium, the atmosphere was electric with as many cheering for United as the local hopes. Yasuhito Endo pulled a goal back from the penalty spot for J-League side Gamba before Hideo Hashimoto smashed his side's third, the sixth goal in 17 crazy second-half minutes. Ronaldo, resplendent in a pair of lime green boots, mesmerized the crowd of 67,000 with some dazzling stepovers but was overshadowed by Rooney. The England striker scored with his first touch after coming on in the 74th minute and tucked away a superb through ball from Ryan Giggs five minutes later. Adelaide beats Al-Ahly Adelaide United clung on for a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Al-Ahly to take fifth place at the Club World Cup on Thursday, leaving the African champions with the wooden spoon. The Australian side's Brazilian import Cristiano was the hero, scoring a 25-yard screamer in the seventh minute to ensure Adelaide banked a $1.5-million check, a huge sum for the ambitious A-League club. They started the livelier side and had the first shot when defender Alemao's effort was gathered by goalkeeper Amir Abdelhamid in the opening minutes. Adelaide didn't have to wait long for another sniff of goal, with Cristiano picking up the ball, cutting inside and unleashing a powerful drive that left Abdelhamid stranded to open the scoring. It was all Adelaide and it almost had a second three minutes later when Sasa Ognenovski climbed highest to meet Paul Reid's cross, only to see the goalkeeper pull off a class one-handed save. Cristiano had a glorious chance to bag his second soon after when he was put through by Robert Younis but he blasted wide with just the keeper to beat. Al-Ahly takes home $1 million for sixth place in the tournament of continental champions.
