Soccer-Fluminense embrace underdog role as they prepare to face Chelsea
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Reuters) -Fluminense are relishing their role as the Club World Cup's underdogs ahead of Tuesday's semi-final against Chelsea, with manager Renato Gaucho embracing an "us against the world" mentality that has carried the Brazilian side to an improbable run.
The Rio de Janeiro club arrived in the United States given just a 0.05% chance of winning the title by Opta's supercomputer and were initially tipped to exit in the group stage.
Instead, they defied predictions by finishing second in Group F, holding Borussia Dortmund and Mamelodi Sundowns to draws and beating Ulsan Hyundai to advance.
The charismatic, 62-year-old Renato has transformed the club from relegation battlers to giant-killers in three months, helping them to knock out Champions League runners-up Inter Milan in the last 16 and Al-Hilal in the quarter-finals with his trademark extravagant guidance from the touchline.
"When I say we're the ugly duckling, with all due respect to all the other clubs, I'm talking about our financial situation," Renato said. "Fluminense is only 10% of the financial size of these big clubs. So these big clubs have all the resources to sign the best players."
Despite the financial disparity, Renato believes his side's attitude and concentration have been the key factors in their remarkable journey.
"What got Fluminense to the semi-finals was exactly the attitude my team had on the pitch, their concentration, their focus and the hard work of the whole team," he said.
The Brazilian showman is plotting carefully for Chelsea, describing the clash at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey as "a game of chess" that will be decided by tactical discipline.
"It will be a game of patience. We will be careful," Renato said. "Of course, possession will be very important, especially at 3pm, which is the kickoff time. The heat is unbearable! If you have to keep running after your opponent, if you don't have possession, you wear yourself out.
"We have the utmost respect for Chelsea but it's a game of chess. You can be sure that it will be a tight game, at least in my opinion, with few opportunities. And whoever takes advantage of all the data will certainly be the winner."
Renato said Fluminense would look to neutralise Chelsea's key players while trying to keep the ball and play their own game as they continue their fairy-tale run.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; editing by Clare Fallon)
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