Club World Cup: European dominance tested, Inter Miami on verge of Round of 16

Miami Herald

4 hours ago

European teams entered the Club World Cup as heavy favorites, with good reason, as their leagues are the most prestigious, generally pay much higher salaries, and the best players in the rest of the world flock there or dream of playing there.
The assumption among most fans and pundits was that the European teams would coast through the group stage with many lopsided scorelines.
And yet, here is Inter Miami, a nascent MLS team, on the verge of advancing to the Round of 16 heading into Monday's game against Brazilian great Palmeiras on Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
Palmeiras and Miami lead Group A, while 30-time Portuguese champion Porto, which lost 2-1 to Miami, is in danger of elimination in third place. Inter Miami can advance with a win, a tie, and even a loss if Al Ahly fails to beat Porto.
Meanwhile, Brazil's Botafogo stunned Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 at the Rose Bowl to take the lead in Group B, Brazilian club Flamengo leads England's Chelsea in Group D, Argentina's River Plate sits atop Group E ahead of Champions League finalist Inter Milan of Italy, and Brazil's Fluminense leads Group F ahead of German giant Borussia Dortmund.
As of Sunday, through 17 matches between European teams and the rest of the world, European teams had won nine, tied five and lost three.
Among the surprising scorelines: Saudi team Al Hilal tied Real Madrid 1-1, Mexico's Monterrey tied Inter Milan 1-1, and Flamengo beat Chelsea 3-1.
The first-week results of this $1 billion tournament have sparked interesting questions and debates among soccer followers from Cairo to California, from Berlin to Buenos Aires, from Rio to Rome.
Does Europe still reign supreme over the rest of the world or is the gap closing? Did the timing of the tournament favor non-European clubs who are in mid-season form? Are South American clubs exceeding expectations because they have more to prove and, therefore, they and their fans care more about winning this trophy than their European counterparts?
Argentine clubs Boca Juniors and River Plate have drawn huge, passionate crowds that serenade their heroes before, during and after matches. Brazil's Palmeiras, Flamengo, Botafogo and Fluminense bring the same party spirit everywhere they go.
'In the newspapers they were saying this team is going to win easily, and it's not like that, the sport has changed a lot,' said Inter Miami defender Maxi Falcon, a native of Uruguay. 'Any team these days that is organized can physically fit can beat you. A lot of people are surprised by these results, but I'm not. I have seen the change for years.
'Here, you've seen the European teams hugging and celebrating when they score winning goals because they are being challenged. I was commenting to my friends and family that the Europeans have a different style of playing, and we have that passion for football that you can feel in the stands, too, from the fans. So, you put one style against the other in a highly competitive tournament, and people predict that a European team will win. And they might, but it won't be easy.'
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany and his players would agree after needing an 84th minute goal to overcome Boca Juniors and its legendary fans at a sold-out Hard Rock Stadium on Friday night.
'Whoever is saying European teams would roll over other teams is not at this tournament,' Kompany said. 'Anybody who has knowledge of the game knows how tough it is to play against South American teams. And nearly every game for the European teams is like an away game. The conditions are much closer to South American conditions than our conditions. And, they have good players. The European leagues have been filled with South American players, so I'm not surprised. Most importantly is to match their hunger to win these games and this tournament.'
England captain Harry Kane, who scored one of the goals in Bayern's 2-1 win over Boca, agreed.
'It felt like an away game out there for sure, their fans were really loud, it was a great experience to play in front of, to be honest,' said Kane. 'That's what makes the win even more special because it feels like a good away win. You've seen already the South American teams have caused big problems for the European teams...It was an incredible atmosphere, one of the best in my career, for sure.'
Inter Miami left back Jordi Alba, who played most his career at FC Barcelona, echoed Falcon's sentiments that this tournament has proven that teams such as Miami can pull off surprises.
'Anything can happen in football,' Alba said Sunday morning before training. 'There are always favorites and debates from people on the outside. But those of us who play know that until the final whistle, anything can happen, and that is showing in this Club World Cup.'
How to Watch Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras
The Inter Miami match against Palmeiras kicks off at 9 p.m. Monday at Hard Rock Stadium. Fans can watch on TBS, truTV and DAZN.com. Tickets are available at FIFA.com/tickets