Still goalless between Atletico and Botafogo

New York Times

4 hours ago

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi got the goals in a 2-0 win for PSG as they secured top spot in Group B Getty Images
Paris Saint-Germain have booked their place in the Club World Cup knockout stage after a comfortable 2-0 win against Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi got the goals for the European champions as they picked up their second victory of the tournament and secured top spot in Group B.
In the other game, Atletico Madrid were eliminated from the tournament despite beating Botafogo in Pasadena.
PSG will face the Group A runners-up in the last 16 — that team is currently Lionel Messi's Inter Miami.
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While PSG's place in the knockouts is almost certainly now secure, the same can probably be said of Botafogo.
The Brazilian side just need to avoid losing by three goals to Atletico and, with just over 15 minutes of normal time left at Rose Bowl, it is still goalless.
It will take an almighty effort for Diego Simeone's men to make it through from here. Getty Images
74' Seattle Sounders 0-2 PSG
Seattle Sounders are continuing to throw players forward in the hope of maintaining their record of scoring in every game they play at this Club World Cup.
The issue with that is that is leaves space for PSG to go the other way and that is how the European champions found it so easy to double their lead.
There are very few, if any, better counter-attacking teams in the world than Luis Enrique's men, so they might not have finished their scoring in this one.
70' Seattle Sounders 0-2 PSG
The French side is making it look easy, even when Seattle manage to threaten. The European champions can now coast for the rest of the half, as the knockout rounds await. Getty Images
68' Seattle Sounders 0-2 PSG
That is exactly what PSG have been doing to teams when they have been committing too many players forward.
Substitute Barcola was picked out on the left wing and drove towards the penalty area. He got into the box and, surrounded by defenders, picked out Hakimi who was free from any attention.
The Moroccan had time to take a touch, compose himself and then finish into the back of the net.
That will surely be enough for PSG to take all three points. Getty Images
67' Seattle Sounders 0-2 PSG
And PSG have now surely confirmed their place in the knockouts.
64' Seattle Sounders 0-1 PSG
For the first time today, Luis Enrique has gone to his bench, and he has so much quality on there.
Goalscorer Kvaratskhelia has been withdrawn, as has Neves who had been shown a yellow card. On in their places are Bradley Barcola and Warren Zaire-Emery.
60' Seattle Sounders 0-1 PSG
It was a pretty competitive game in the first half, but the half-time break seems to have killed the Sounders a little.
They have looked a bit deflated since returning to the pitch and PSG are in full control now. That dominance was nearly rubber stamped by a goal.
Hakimi aimed a brilliant curling delivery into the heart of the penalty area and Neves did very well to get to it, but he could only prod wide at full stretch.
57' Seattle Sounders 0-1 PSG
Brian Schmetzer clearly wanted to see how the first 10 minutes of the second half panned out before going to his bench.
With little going on for his side in the attacking third, he has made a couple of changes.
Ryan Kent and Ferreira didn't have much of an impact at all today, so they have been replaced by Danny Musovski and Kalani Rienzi. Getty Images
No surprise that, over at Rose Bowl, there was an Atletico change at half-time, and no surprise either that it's Conor Gallagher who is withdrawn, or that it's Antoine Griezmann who comes on.
Simeone does not often field all of Griezmann, Sorloth and Alvarez together in attack, but given they need three goals in 45 minutes or they are going home, he has little option but to go for it. Getty Images
49' Seattle Sounders 0-1 PSG
It's very clear what PSG are trying to do in this second half: they are trying to kill off this game as quickly as possible.
They have gone straight onto the front foot since half-time and are moving the ball with much more of a purpose than in the first half.
I suspect Luis Enrique wasn't particularly happy with what he saw in the first half, but this looks a lot more like one of his teams in the few minutes we have seen since the break. Getty Images
46' Seattle Sounders 0-1 PSG
That much-needed breather is over and the players are back out at Lumen Field.
It was an intriguing first half with the Sounders frustrating PSG for long periods before the European champions scored with a pretty fortuitous goal off the back of Kvaratskhelia.
Let's see if the MLS side can find a way back into this one, shall we? Getty Images
HT Seattle Sounders 0-1 PSG
With the World Cup in mind, I think I'm more than happy as a European viewer to accept less convenient kick-off times if it means better football and decreases the stress on players.
The big broadcasting money will be in European primetime viewing, making it unrealistic to expect any adaption, but there was a good reason why Qatar 2022 got moved and these games are a reminder.
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HT Seattle Sounders 0-1 PSG
Your half-time xG balances: Seattle has a narrow 0.45-0.4 edge over PSG despite being outshot 10-3. Volume has made an impact on the scoreline rather than selectivity.
Atléti with a 0.81-0.52 advantage over Botafogo, while also outshooting the Brazilian club 7-4. FIFA
HT Seattle Sounders 0-1 PSG
Here is how Group B looks at half-time.
As it stands, Botafogo and PSG are the teams heading through to the knockouts with Atletico Madrid and Seattle Sounders heading out.
Still plenty of time for that to change, of course, although the European champions seem pretty certain of a last-16 place. Getty Images
This tournament is really turning into a nightmare for Atletico — they finally appear to get a break, with a penalty claim that probably was one but then the officials also reckon a nudge by Sorloth in the build-up is enough to rule it out.
As the half-time whistle was blowing here at Lumen Field, Atletico Madrid thought they had the perfect chance to open the scoring against Botafogo, but it wasn't to be.
The referee went to the VAR monitor to review a potential penalty for the Spaniards but before the all-important foul on Julian Alvarez, Alexander Sorloth was adjudged to have made a foul himself.
No penalty for Atletico and it is still goalless at Rose Bowl. Getty Images
HT Seattle Sounders 0-1 PSG
And, despite an extra minute of stoppage time, that Neves booking was the last notable action of the first half.
An entertaining first half at Lumen Field and one that PSG lead thanks to Kvaratskhelia's unintentional opener.
44' Seattle Sounders 0-1 PSG
The yellow card is out for the first time today and Joao Neves is the recipient.
There was a brilliant turn from Obed Vargas to escape the grips of his opposite number in the middle of the pitch and the PSG midfielder could not pull out of fouling him.
As Vargas was in the process of springing a counter-attack, that's a yellow card for Neves and he had no complaints, in fairness.
42' Seattle Sounders 0-1 PSG
This has been an encouraging performance from the Sounders, particularly as they are facing the best team in Europe.
But the difference between the two teams is being made so clear in the penalty areas. Seattle just created another promising opening but poor decisions and a lack of penetrative runs saw the chance fall to the wayside.
Although, at the other end, PSG made a mess of a few passes around the box and the hosts were able to clear the danger, so maybe they aren't too dissimilar!