Bellingham strikes as Dortmund sink Sundowns in Club World Cup thriller
Borussia Dortmund's Jobe Bellingham followed older brother Jude's footsteps by joining the Bundesliga club. (AP pic)
CINCINNATI : Jobe Bellingham netted his first Borussia Dortmund goal in a gripping 4-3 win over Mamelodi Sundowns at the Club World Cup on Saturday.
The English midfielder, who this month followed older brother Jude's footsteps in joining the German side, started for the first time for Dortmund.
Sundowns of South Africa took a surprise early lead but Dortmund hit back strongly to triumph in sweltering conditions in Cincinnati at the TQL stadium and move top of Group F.
'It's a really nice bonus (to score), I'm glad we won but there's a lot of things for me to improve on personally and for the team,' Bellingham told DAZN.
Dortmund coach Niko Kovac had claimed teams from the 'south' had an advantage because of the heat, and the Sundowns 11th minute opener appeared to confirm his fears.
Lucas Ribeiro's fine solo goal put the CAF Champions League runners-up ahead, with the Brazilian charging forward from his own half before beating Gregor Kobel.
However Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams handed Dortmund their equaliser on a plate, passing the ball straight to Felix Nmecha, who stroked home.
Both stoppers made good saves in an end-to-end clash before Dortmund claimed the lead through striker Serhou Guirassy.
Dortmund won the ball high up the pitch and Julian Brandt crossed for the Guinea international to score with a fine leap and header, continuing his fine form this season.
Bellingham, who joined earlier in June from Sunderland for €33 million (US$37 million), netted Dortmund's third just before the break.
Williams parried a cross into his path and after controlling on his chest, Bellingham drilled home.
'I've practised that so many times, arriving late on the edge of the box as a midfielder is something you have to be really good at,' said Bellingham.
'As a kid and at Sunderland I've practised that so many times, during training, after training, so I'm really proud of it.'
His brother Jude signed for Dortmund five years ago, before joining Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2023.
'Hey Jobe,' sang Dortmund fans, adapting the Beatles classic 'Hey Jude' which they used to sing to Jude Bellingham.
'I didn't hear that but it's really nice,' said the Dortmund midfielder.
Dortmund were toothless in their opening draw against Fluminense but grabbed their fourth when Kuliso Mudau turned into his own net as he tried to cut out a cross.
Three minutes later Iqraam Rayners pulled one back as the Sundowns, who have won the last eight South African league titles, refused to give up.
Rayners, who netted Sundowns' winner in the first match against Ulsan HD, hit the post with a header and reacted quickly to nod home the rebound.
Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso's side pulled back another through Lebo Mothiba in the 90th minute, forcing Dortmund to sweat through six minutes of stoppage time before they were able to celebrate their victory.
'The result is not what we wanted but we made a wonderful game,' Cardoso told DAZN.
'It's important people understand what was at stake in this match. (Considering) the level of team that we played against, we worked fantastically.
'The boys made a wonderful performance… it was a hell of a match. I'm not happy but very proud.'
Later Saturday in the other Group F clash Fluminense take on Ulsan at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Singapore could host Fifa youth competition, says Fifa chief Gianni Infantino
Fifa chief Gianni Infantino (right) and Football Association of Singapore president Forrest Li met after the second session of the Fifa executive football summit in 2025. - GIANNI INFANTINO/INSTAGRAM SINGAPORE: A Fifa youth tournament, potentially a festival for Under-15s, could be held in Singapore in the future, while the Lions could participate in the cross-confederation Fifa Series friendly tournament in 2026. The ideas emerged at a meeting between Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president Forrest Li during the June 19-21 Fifa executive football summit 2025 in Miami, one of the host cities of the ongoing Club World Cup in the United States. Infantino confirmed the discussions about the two competitions and told the Fifa website on June 21: 'FAS President Forrest Li and I had a constructive discussion in Miami on how we can continue collaborating to take football forward in his beautiful country. 'When I visited Singapore in 2021, I felt the great passion people in the country have for football, and it reflected in the work being done to grow the game. 'Fifa has an established, fruitful relationship with the FAS through Fifa Forward and Fifa Football for Schools, and I offered Fifa's full support to President Li and his team while congratulating him on his recent election.' As early as 2013, Singapore had expressed its desire to host the Youth World Cup. In 2023, the FAS signed a letter of intent to discuss and consider co-hosting with Indonesia the Under-20 World Cup in 2025 and the Under-17 World Cup between 2025 and 2029. Indonesia had won the hosting rights for the Under-20 World Cup, but lost them after it opposed Israel's participation in the tournament. They eventually held the Under-17 World Cup in the same year. Meanwhile, the Fifa Series is a biennial international tournament featuring friendlies between teams from various continents and held in different countries. Croatia emerged champions of the pilot edition in 2024, and the next edition is slated for the March international window in 2026. It remains to be seen if the Lions can accommodate for the Fifa Series as it will host Bangladesh in their final Asian Cup Group C qualifier on March 31. The Straits Times has contacted the FAS for more information, while Li told the Fifa website that he and Infantino had discussed the possibility of Singapore hosting an international event for U-15s. He said: 'We talked about the summer – new initiatives from Fifa about the Fifa Series and also the concept of a Fifa festival for Under-15s,' said Li. 'I think that's a great initiative to get more (Fifa member associations) involved and to help the players feel included and get the chance to experience the best of Fifa's football experience. So, I think that is very exciting.' Li, who is also chairman of Singapore Premier League and Singapore Cup champions Lion City Sailors, who made local football history by finishing as Asian Football Confederation Champions League Two runners-up last season, added that the ongoing Club World Cup, an expanded edition featuring 32 teams, is a 'great initiative'. He said: 'Finally we see a lot of excitement… and you see the best clubs from different continents finally playing together. So, this is great.' - The Straits Times/ANN
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Frimpong ready to fill Alexander-Arnold's 'big shoes' at Liverpool
TRENT Alexander-Arnold left 'big shoes' to fill after leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid last month but new signing Jeremie Frimpong has no doubt he has the ability to replace the England international in the Premier League champions' defence. Frimpong's arrival from Bayer Leverkusen was announced hours after Alexander-Arnold joined Real Madrid, with the Dutch international becoming Arne Slot's first signing since winning the English top flight. 'Liverpool. It's a big club, so it's big shoes regardless,' Frimpong told Sky Sports in an interview published on Sunday, when asked if he would compete with Conor Bradley to succeed Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool's first choice for right back. 'It's a winning team ... they win trophies for a reason. If you play for a team like Liverpool you have to fill in the shoes and perform. 'I've always believed in myself. I'm a winner. That's what I'm going to bring to the team.' Amsterdam-born Frimpong, who can also play as a winger, spent nine years at Manchester City as a youth player before making his senior debut in 2019 at Celtic, who won the Scottish Premiership in his first season. The 24-year-old joined Leverkusen in 2021 and made 34 appearances as they won the Bundesliga in 2023-24. 'The Premier League is the best league in the world. I grew up in Manchester so I always wanted to come back. It was always the plan,' Frimpong said. 'I know what being a champion is like at Bayer Leverkusen, so joining a champion team is a privilege ... to go from watching (Liverpool) to playing for them is crazy. 'The manager has told me how I can help the team and he really likes me as a player. It's given me extra motivation and belief.'
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Echeverri practised free-kicks, the others didn't: Man City's Guardiola
ATLANTA: Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola praised teenage attacking midfielder Claudio Echeverri's dedication on the training ground after he netted a fine free-kick in the Club World Cup win over Al Ain on Sunday. The 19-year-old scored City's second goal in a 6-0 rout of the UAE side in Atlanta which sent the Premier League club through to the last 16 of FIFA's expanded competition. On his first start for the club Echeverri notched his first goal, with the youngster taking charge of a dead-ball situation on the edge of the box and whipping his effort around the wall into the top corner. "I want to tell you something, so since he arrived (in January), the (last) three or four months with the lads, at the end of the training session, he was practising the free-kicks alone, with the 'keeper, with the wall," Guardiola told reporters. "The others, they didn't practise, he was practising and practising, and work pays off. "So at the end, he had the courage, the quality. When you practise, you know, it's like golf or like basketball, as much you practise free shots, the more chances you have." Echeverri, nicknamed the 'Little Devil', joined from Argentine giants River Plate and made his City debut in May, in the FA Cup final defeat by Crystal Palace. Guardiola took him off at half-time for Phil Foden, later explaining the playmaker had suffered a small knock. "It was a fantastic goal, he's an incredible player in the small spaces," continued the City coach. "Unfortunately, he could not continue to half-time (because of) a problem with the ankle, but yeah, he was truly good in the first minutes, and... he made a fantastic goal, the free kick was really, really, really good." With two late goals in the game from Oscar Bobb and Rayan Cherki, City came close to overtaking Juventus at the top of Group G. They are level on points with the Old Lady but trail them on goals scored, meaning if City are to finish top of the group and potentially avoid Real Madrid in the last 16, they must beat Juve on Thursday in Orlando. "With one more goal we'd have two options. Now we have just one, maybe it's better," said Guardiola. "(What's) important is that we are in the next phase... (we will face the) top, top teams sooner or later so it doesn't matter.
