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Soccer-Monterrey coach Torrent wary of Dortmund threat after sealing last 16 berth

Soccer-Monterrey coach Torrent wary of Dortmund threat after sealing last 16 berth

The Star5 hours ago

Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group E - Urawa Red Diamonds v CF Monterrey - Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California, U.S. - June 25, 2025 CF Monterrey coach Domenec Torrent Font celebrates after the match IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Kirby Lee
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Monterrey coach Domenec Torrent has warned his players that they face another huge challenge at the Club World Cup when they take on Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 in Atlanta on Monday.
The Mexican side advanced to the knockout rounds after their 4-0 thrashing of Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds on Wednesday, with the win securing second place in Group E behind Inter Milan.
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
Monterrey, who have won the CONCACAF Champions Cup five times since 2011, will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of the club's formation on Saturday.
They finished second in Group E after picking up their first win of the competition against Urawa having drawn with both Inter Milan and Argentina's River Plate.
KEY QUOTES
Monterrey coach Domenec Torrent: "Our next game, we know it's very hard. They're another European team that has won a lot of things, a lot of prizes and tournaments and championships in Germany and in Europe.
"We've seen them before and at least I have a reference of what we're facing.
"They are very sound. It's not exactly the same as Inter Milan, but it's very similar so we'll see what happens with our players, because some of them were on the bench - but we can make use of them - and another player had a cold.
"Each game, for me, is like a game of chess, just to see how the opponent is moving the players and how we can do it. Basically, step by step.
"We are going to have three or four days to prepare for this new game, which is excellent for us to showcase our football to the world, Mexican football and Monterrey football."
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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