Club World Cup exit as painful as Champions League elimination

Yahoo

11 hours ago

Bernardo Silva is refusing to look at Manchester City's shock exit from the Club World Cup as a blessing in disguise.
The Premier League outfit crashed out of the competition in the early hours of Tuesday morning as they were beaten 4-3 in extra time by Saudi outfit Al-Hilal after a pulsating last-16 clash in Orlando.
Advertisement
City had established themselves as one of the favourites to triumph in the United States after winning all three of their group games in convincing fashion.
A run to the final would have prolonged their campaign until July 13, however, just five weeks before the next Premier League season begins.
After much debate about the impact of the Club World Cup on player welfare, there is a feeling in some quarters that City – after an underwhelming 2024-25 season – need the rest, but Silva does not see it that way.
The City captain said: 'No-one wanted to lose. We are very used to not having holidays, unfortunately, because the schedule is crazy and when we are in a competition we take it very seriously.
Advertisement
'We had a lot of ambition for this Club World Cup and we wanted to win it.'
Asked if the defeat hurt as much as Champions League elimination, Silva said: 'Yes, a little bit. Yes.'
City had taken early control with a ninth-minute goal from Silva at the Camping World Stadium, but they were to rue missing a succession of chances to increase the lead before the break.
Al-Hilal turned the game around through Marcos Leonardo and Malcom and reclaimed the advantage again with a Kalidou Koulibaly header after Erling Haaland forced extra time.
Phil Foden made it 3-3, but City could not regain the initiative and Leonardo settled an eventful contest – and secured a statement victory for Saudi football – with 112 minutes on the clock.
Advertisement
Silva said: 'There was always a feeling of danger coming from them when they recovered the ball in transition and their counters. We allowed them to run way too many times.
'But apart from that we had chances. We scored three goals and we could have scored five or six.
'They punished us. They have a good team with a lot of individual quality and congratulations to them.'
Former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves impressed in the Al-Hilal midfield and fellow Portuguese Joao Cancelo was a threat against his old City team-mates.
Silva, also a Portugal international, said: 'I have friends there, I know most of their players and I know the quality they have.
Advertisement
'We were expecting another difficult game like Juventus and when you don't control transitions then good players, like Al-Hilal have, punish you. That's what happened.'
City begin the new Premier League season at Wolves on August 16.
Silva said: 'We will try to have as much rest as possible but also come back to prepare for the season properly.'