Fluminense advances at Club World Cup after scoreless draw with the Mamelodi Sundowns
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Fluminense held the Mamelodi Sundowns to a scoreless draw on Wednesday, denying the South African club the win they needed to advance to the knockout round at the Club World Cup.
Fluminense finished second in Group F to Borussia Dortmund, which defeated Ulsan 1-0 in a simultaneous game in Cincinnati. Both Fluminense and Dortmund will await the results of other matches to learn their opponents in the round of 16.
The Sundowns needed a win to advance. They had never won a Club World Cup match before defeating Ulsan in their opener. They then put up a valiant fight in a 4-3 loss to Dortmund.
The Sundowns, the crowd favorite at Hard Rock Stadium, came out with energy, determined not to see their run in the tournament end. They dominated possession (68%) in the opening half and made three shots on goal.
Fluminense's best chance in the half came in the 40th minute on Nonato's attempt from the edge of the box.
Forty-year-old Thiago Silva was on the bench for Fluminense because of muscle soreness. Germán Cano started in his place.
Fluminense, which only needed the draw to advance, increased the pressure in the second half. Cano nearly scored in the 58th minute when he picked up a pass from Jhon Arias but his right-footed shot hit the right post.
Takeaways
Fluminense joins fellow Brazilian clubs Palmeiras, Botafogo and Flamengo in advancing to the round of 16 at the expanded Club World Cup. Fluminense played to a scoreless draw against Dortmond before defeating Ulsan 4-2 in their first two matches.
What They Said
'We showed the quality of the players, the technical ability of the players, and all the work from the past that has been done in the club, and also my work and my staff and assistant coaches. It has been a long journey for all of us, for the club itself and for the family that supports it. And today is not a happy result, but it is a very important day for us,' — Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso.
'It was a very hard match. Our opponent had possession of the ball most of the time, but we could block them. And now we are classified (for the next round) and that was our goal,' — Fluminense defender Ignacio, named the player of the match.
___
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
18 minutes ago
- USA Today
How to buy Dortmund vs. Monterrey FIFA Club World Cup tickets
Following Group Stage play, Dortmund and Monterrey have advanced to the Round of 16 for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Dortmund beat Ulsan 1-0 on Wednesday while Monterrey topped Urawa Reds 4-0. That will pin the two clubs against each other next Tuesday, July 1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at 9 p.m. ET. Fans of either team are able to snag tickets now ahead of the big matchup. Here's how to buy tickets to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 match in Atlanta: Dortmund vs. Monterrey FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 tickets Dortmund will take on Monterrey at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 9 p.m. ET. As of this writing, tickets are on sale for as low as $96 to witness the two teams face off. Full 2025 FIFA Club World Cup schedule Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations. If you purchase through our links, the USA Today Network may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Inter Milan, Monterrey join Dortmund in Club World Cup last 16
Daniel Svensson (L) celebrates after scoring the only goal in Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 win over Ulsan HD in Cincinnati (Paul ELLIS) Inter Milan kept their cool to beat nine-man River Plate 2-0 and reach the Club World Cup last 16 on Wednesday, while Mexican side Monterrey followed them through from Group E. Borussia Dortmund defeated Ulsan HD 1-0 to claim top spot in Group F and the Germans will face Sergio Ramos' Monterrey, who thrashed Urawa Red Diamonds 4-0. Advertisement Argentine powerhouses River Plate were eliminated after their defeat by Inter, who will take on more South American opposition on Monday in Charlotte, in the shape of Fluminense. The Brazilian side could only draw 0-0 against South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns but it was enough to claim second place behind Dortmund. Champions League runners-up Inter faced a battle in Seattle against an aggressive River Plate side who had Lucas Martinez and Gonzalo Montiel sent off in front of 45,000 fans at Lumen Field. Francesco Esposito scored his first Inter goal to put the Italians ahead and Alessandro Bastoni made the game safe late on for Christian Chivu's side. Advertisement "In the first half we were surprised by their intensity, aggression and pressure," said Chivu. "Then in the second half we raised our level of intensity... we're strong, confident and have players who can play such a game." With Monterrey ahead against Urawa, River needed a winner to progress but their job got harder when Martinez was sent off after 66 minutes for hacking down veteran Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Six minutes later teenage striker Esposito steered home the opener to leave River on the brink. Bastoni ensured Inter's progress as he drilled home, before River's Gonzalo Montiel picked up a second yellow and was dismissed. Advertisement There were ugly scenes at the end as River fans threw objects at Inter players leaving the pitch. Both Argentine teams at the tournament, River and their rivals Boca Juniors, have been eliminated despite their fans creating vibrant atmospheres. "It's a shame for all the people who came en masse to watch the team that we couldn't give them the chance to keep going," said disappointed River coach Marcelo Gallardo. Three goals in a nine-minute first half spell helped Monterrey defeat Urawa at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in front of a crowd of only 14,000. Nelson Deossa smashed home a spectacular long-distance effort to open the scoring and German Berterame rolled the second in at the far post. Advertisement Former Porto winger Jesus Corona walloped home the third with another fine effort from over 30 yards out, and Berterame struck again late on, as the Japanese side departed with three defeats. "This is what we were looking for, we gave everything -- from the first match until this one, they've all been tough," said Berterame. Monterrey face Dortmund in Atlanta on Tuesday. - Dortmund claim top spot - A solitary first-half goal by Daniel Svensson earned Dortmund top spot in Group F in sweltering Cincinnati heat. Dortmund's second straight victory by a one-goal margin, following their 4-3 defeat of Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday, was watched by only just over 8,000 spectators in Cincinnati, among them US Vice President JD Vance and FIFA chief Gianni Infantino. Advertisement "We can be satisfied. I think our performance was better than in the first two matches," said Dortmund coach Niko Kovac. He has spoken regularly at the tournament about the difficulties posed by the searing June heat in the United States. "What the boys are doing is incredible. Thirty-six degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit) and 43 degrees in the stadium," Kovac said. Ulsan go home with three defeats from three games, while Fluminense are through after their draw against Sundowns, meaning all four Brazilian teams in the competition have progressed to the knockout phase. Sundowns' exit means none of the four African clubs who came to the tournament will feature in the last 16, but their performances mean they can go home with their heads held high. Advertisement "We leave and go home with our heads up because we are much stronger than we were when we came here," said the South African champions' coach, Miguel Cardoso. On Thursday Manchester City face Juventus in a battle for top spot in Group G, while Spanish giants Real Madrid face RB Salzburg as they bid to progress from Group H. rbs-as/rcw
New York Times
23 minutes ago
- New York Times
Club World Cup daily rankings: Manchester City seeks to itghten grip at top
With all respect to the teams bravely taking the field in this American heat wave while the group stage concludes… we're all just gasping for the knockouts to kick off, aren't we? Welcome to the latest edition of The Athletic's Club World Cup daily power rankings — our look at who's hot, who's not, and how the struggle for global club supremacy is shaking out. Share your comments below and don't be shy to disagree. We'll run the rankings up to before the semifinals. Advertisement We will update these rankings at the end of each day's play. Unlike our pre-tournament rankings that focused on the historical might of each team, this series is designed to live very much in the present. Simply, we'll use the results of this competition alone to project who has the best chance to win the trophy — as well as teams who appear doomed to an early ticket home. In another relatively low-scoring day, Borussia Dortmund continued its meek march into the bracket with a 1-0 win over Ulsan HD. Mamelodi Sundowns concluded its scene-stealing showing with a scoreless draw against favored Fluminense. CF Monterrey clinched its spot in the Round of 16 with panache, putting three goals past Urawa Red Diamonds. Finally, Inter Milan notched another professional performance in a match overshadowed by two red cards and a final whistle meltdown from River Plate. Bayern Munich spends an unprecedented second day outside of the top spot; we'll see how Manchester City fares against Juventus. To the rankings! (Teams that played on Wednesday are italicized in the rankings.) 1. Manchester City (-): Juventus should keep them sharp ahead of the knockouts. 2. Bayern Munich (-): Fresh legs after Kompany rotated. Will need them to withstand Flamengo. 3. Flamengo (-): Lacked definitive edge for 80'+ against LAFC. Essentially a final next against Bayern. 4. Botafogo (-): No team a worthier physical foil than Atléti. Win over PSG showed their bona fides. 5. Paris Saint-Germain (-): Embraced being a pressing, possession-dominant side. Will Dembelé add punch? 6. Real Madrid (-): Looked better with 10 men than 11? Call it progress. 7. Inter Milan (up 2): Onto the knockout bracket, with its habitual big game swagger restored. 8. Juventus (down 1): Took care of business, but still conceding a worrying sum of shots. 9. Chelsea (down 1): A needed momentum boost – and a favorable matchup against Benfica. 10. Benfica (-): Can take confidence from clean sheet against Bayern. Advertisement 11. Palmeiras (up 2): Did well to regain 1st in A, but unconvincing finale. Botafogo await. 12. Inter Miami (up 2): Characteristic defensive lapses bring Messi face-to-face with PSG. Sorry, captain! 13. Monterrey (up 5): Weathered a tough group and got better with each game. Viable bogey team for Dortmund. 14. Borussia Dortmund (up 1): Is there another gear to hit? Or is this it? 15. Fluminense (down 3): Another team to limp into knockouts. Still, can't sleep on potential to surprise. 16. Al Hilal (-): Just 6 of 32 shots on target; leaving goals (and points) unclaimed. 17. Atlético Madrid (-): Roster retool too incomplete to contend. Just not at PSG's level as constructed. 18. Mamelodi Sundowns (up 1): Toe-to-toe with Dortmund and Fluminense. 19. RB Salzburg (up 1): Unlucky to face Tournament Bounou. Photo-finish in Group H. 20. Al Ahly (up 1): Fought to the end and made Group A far more interesting. 21. Boca Juniors (up 1): Incredible support. A shame the team itself couldn't meet their showing. 22. River Plate (down 11): Total meltdown against Inter. A showing to forget. 23. Espérance de Tunis (-): Made Group D very tense for the two favorites. 24. FC Porto (-): Too little, too late; two draws that will win few neutral hearts, if any. 25. Seattle Sounders (up 1): Never embarrassed in tournament's toughest group. No long and dour trip home, at least. 26. Los Angeles FC (up 1): 'Of our six halves, five were good, one was bad.' Well said, Steve Cherundolo. 27. Auckland City (up 1): Amateurs got a result against Boca. You'll never sing that. 28. Urawa Red Diamonds (down 3): 0-4 is a tough sendoff after playing Inter close. 29. Wydad Casablanca (-): Pressured Juventus throughout. Nordin Amrabat with an ageless, creative shift. 30. Ulsan HD (-): Kept Dortmund to a single goal. Far from a pushover showing in total. 31. Pachuca (-): Spent 83 minutes up a man, and still thoroughly outplayed. 32. Al-Ain (-): 180 minutes played: 0 goals for, 11 conceded. (Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Robbie Jay Barratt / Getty, Dylan Buell / Getty, Carl Recine / Getty, Angela Weiss / Getty)
