South American clubs show promise but European dominance continues

Straits Times

8 hours ago

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group C - Boca Juniors v Benfica - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. - June 16, 2025 Benfica's Nicolas Otamendi in action with Boca Juniors' Milton Gimenez REUTERS/Marco Bello/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Jun 15, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; FC Porto forward Pepe (11) controls the ball during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup against SE Palmeiras at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images/File Photo REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group F - Fluminense v Borussia Dortmund - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. - June 17, 2025 Borussia Dortmund's Ramy Bensebaini in action with Fluminense's Jhon Arias REUTERS/Susana Vera/File Photo
PHILADELPHIA - Fluminense, Palmeiras, and Boca Juniors gave spirited performances in the opening days of the new-look Club World Cup in the United States, but Europe's 13-year dominance over South American clubs remains intact after a series of draws.
Fluminense controlled proceedings against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday but were held to a goalless stalemate by the German side, thanks to a stellar display by Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
Similarly, Palmeiras dominated Porto but were also forced to settle for a 0-0 draw.
Argentinian giants Boca Juniors came closest to breaking the European run, racing into a two-goal lead against Benfica before the Portuguese club rallied to secure a 2-2 draw.
The results underscore the challenge South American teams face in ending Europe's unbeaten streak, which stretches back to Corinthians' victory over Chelsea in the 2012 Club World Cup final. Since then, European clubs have gone 33 matches without defeat against teams from other continents.
Historically, South American sides enjoyed success in the Intercontinental Cup, a competition that pitted the winners of the Copa Libertadores against the European Cup champions and was the precursor to the Club World Cup.
Memorable triumphs include Penarol's 4-0 aggregate two-leg victory over Real Madrid in 1966, Pele's Santos defeating AC Milan in 1963, Zico's Flamengo beating Liverpool 3-0 in 1981 and Sao Paulo's victories over stellar Barcelona and Milan sides in the early 1990s.
HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT
The rivalry sometimes led to ill-tempered clashes, such as Racing Club's games against Celtic in 1967 and both legs of Argentina's Estudiantes against Manchester United the following year.
Estudiantes' second leg against Milan in 1969 ended with three of their players being arrested in the hostile environment of La Bombonera stadium, leading to many European sides refusing to play the fixture during the 1970s.
Tempers calmed as the fixture became a one-off match in 1980 and the competitive level remained fierce and balanced.
However, the landscape shifted dramatically following the 1995 Bosman ruling, which allowed European clubs to field unlimited EU players and bolstered their financial and competitive strength.
South American clubs, meanwhile, have seen their top talent move to Europe at increasingly younger ages.
Before the ruling, South American teams led European sides 20-14 in wins. However, European teams have won 16 of the last 17 finals played, reflecting a widening gap.
The revamped Club World Cup, however, with 32 clubs from around the globe including 12 European and six South American, opened the door for fans to watch different levels of teams from each continent pitted against one another.
"Brazilian teams, Brazilian players are always very strong technically, it's always difficult to play against them, Manchester City forward Bernardo Silva told Reuters on Tuesday.
"Physically, I think the Brazilian teams will be a little better prepared than us, because they are in the middle of their season. The weather and conditions here are more similar to what they are used to. Small details could make the difference in this kind of tournament."
Five more intercontinental clashes remain in the group stage, including Thursday's showdown between Copa Libertadores holders Botafogo and Champions League winners Paris St Germain.
With Brazilian league leaders Flamengo preparing for Friday's clash against Chelsea with a 2-0 victory over Esperance de Tunis, South American clubs — buoyed by passionate travelling support — are hoping to reignite the intercontinental rivalry and challenge Europe's supremacy once more. REUTERS
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