Club World Cup: Dortmund Draw, Inter Held, River Plate Wins
Table of Contents
Borussia Dortmund started their Club World Cup campaign with a draw, while
inter Milan were also held. River Plate secured a victory in their opening
match.
Fluminense – Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund began their Club World Cup journey in the USA with a 0-0
draw against Fluminense. Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel was crucial in
preventing a defeat for the German side. The match took place in East
Rutherford stadium, the venue for next summer’s World Cup final. Fluminense,
led by 40-year-old captain Thiago Silva, dominated the second half. Kobel
made two significant saves in the 70th minute against Everaldo and Nonato,
having previously received treatment after a collision with Everaldo.
Ulsan HD – Mamelodi
In the other Group F match, Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa defeated
Ulsan HD from South Korea 1-0. Despite having two goals disallowed,
Mamelodi were the stronger team. Ulsan had a late chance to equalize, but
Keanu Cupido made a last-second intervention.
Monterrey – Inter mailand
Inter Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by Monterrey in their first Club World
Cup match in Los Angeles. Despite dominating the game, Inter, with Yann
Sommer in goal, couldn’t convert their advantage into a win. The Rose Bowl
stadium was only half-filled,a stark contrast to the 80,000 spectators at
the PSG vs. Atlético Madrid game. Inter, under new coach Cristian Chivu,
aimed to bounce back from their Champions League final defeat against PSG.
However, they struggled against Monterrey, perhaps indicating lingering
trauma from the Champions League loss. Sergio Ramos, formerly of Real Madrid
and PSG, put Monterrey ahead in the 25th minute, beating Sommer. Lautaro
Martinez equalized for Inter in the 42nd minute, securing a draw. Inter
will need to improve their performance against Urawa Reds from Japan,who
lost 3-1 to River Plate.
River Plate – Urawa Red Diamonds
River Plate lived up to their favorite tag, defeating Urawa Red Diamonds 3-1.
Facundo Colidio opened the scoring after twelve minutes, and Sebastian
Driussi added a second after the break. Yusuke Matsuo gave Urawa hope with a
goal in the 58th minute, but Maximiliano Meza sealed the victory for River
Plate in the 73rd minute. (RIZ/SDA/AFP)
Roman Josi has been out of action as the end of Febuary due to a
concussion sustained after a hit by Florida’s Sam Bennett. He suffered from
headaches and exhaustion.
