Auckland's bright spark CLUB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

QUIZ question: which part-time Scottish footballer and jobbing electrician has it in his power to stop Ronaldinho and Barcelona being named the best football club side in the world? The answer is Bryan Little, a former Berwick Rangers player whose little-heralded Auckland City side have somehow gatecrashed Fifa's Club World Championship. OK, so the champions of New Zealand might not have qualified were it not for the decision of Soccer Australia and the affiliated A-league to move to the Asian confederation - and Sobou FC of Papua New Guinea, Marist FC of the Solomon Islands, Pirae of Tahiti, Youngheart Manawatu and Nokia Eagles of Fiji hardly represents the hardest run to the tournament - but Auckland City are officially entitled to regard themselves as one of the six best club sides in the world when the tournament kicks off in Japan on Saturday.

Little, for one, will be thinking big.

Auckland City have been rewarded with a tough opening tie against African Champions Al Ahly, and an even tougher prospective semifinal against Internacional of Brazil, but fortunately - even if they don't make it to the final - there is at least one regard in which they are sure to bump into Ronaldinho. "The Barcelona team will actually be staying in the same hotel as we are in, " explains Little. "To play against Ronaldinho would be unbelievable, but just to meet him and all the rest of the members of the Barcelona team will be unbelievable enough in itself."

Little only arrived in New Zealand for a working holiday but he has now been away for four-and-a-half years, and has no particular plans to return. The family name remains well known in the Berwick area in any case. Bryan joined the Borders side at the age of 18 and stayed for two years under the reign of Paul Smith, but one of his older brothers, Ian, is currently on the books at the club, and his other older brother Graham also played for a spell before he too moved out to New Zealand. Indeed only a reluctance to uproot his family from the Wellington area prevented Graham from taking part in this week's prestigious competition himself.

"I only came out here for a working holiday but after a year I knew that I definitely wanted to stay, and I have not regretted anything about coming out here, " Bryan Little says. "I have won the national league, won the Wellington League, won the [national cup competition] Chatham Cup, won the Oceania Club conference and now I am on my way to Japan. It is unbelievable. I have been giving the family a bit of stick about it, and they have been telling me we've got no chance anyway so it doesn't matter.

"A guy spoke to me and Graham and asked us if we would both like to move from Team Wellington to Auckland, " he added. "With Graham being a bit older, and with his wife and his job, and being all settled in Wellington, he couldn't come up, but for me I could come up here and get a job no problem and a flat. I find the lifestyle to work and live over here is just far easier. Electricians are required every bit as much as doctors and lawyers so it is pretty easy for me to stay in the country. I think Graham is a bit gutted he couldn't get the chance to play in the tournament. He's coming over to watch along with my dad and my brother from back home."

True to form, the Kiwis have even recruited a Japanese "legend" on a short-term basis to ingratiate themselves with the fanatical local support. This man is former Japanese international Teruo Iwamoto.

The only problem is that he plays in Little's position on the left side of midfield. "From what I've been hearing he is a fantastic player and he will be playing in my position so maybe just one of the two of us is going to get a game, " Little said. "No, apparently he is a fantastic player, and seemingly he is a bit of a superstar out in Japan so hopefully we will be able to get some of the crowd on our side." All the games are practically sold out in any case.

Auckland City only came into existence in 2004, and have upstaged the New Zealand Knights, the only New Zealand full-time team, who have languished at the bottom of the Australian A-league for the best part of two seasons. They are even starting to get a sliver of a look-in in the rugby-dominated world of sports media in the country. "There has been a little bit of press but the entire NZ community is so dominated by rugby that in Japan and even in Europe the interest will probably be much bigger." Auckland City have picked up the ball and are running with it.

THE TEAMS

AL-AHLY Qualified: Cairo side are African team of the century and Champions League winners. Star: Mohamed Aboutrika finished as the African Champions League's joint-top scorer with eight goals for the Egyptians.

AUCKLAND CITY FC Qualified: Only formed in 2004 but Oceania Confederation champions. Star: Keryn Jordan. South African striker is one of the finest players in New Zealand.

BARCELONA Qualified: Uefa Champions League winners. Star: Ronaldinho. Poor World Cup but deserves billing as best player in the world.