Club World Cup Final Group Game Preview: E & F | OneFootball

Another good pair of fixtures coming in, as three teams from both groups can move onto the knockout stage. Don’t expect the eliminated teams to turn tail, though. They’ll be looking to spoil the opposition’s hopes.

Group F

Current standings (Source: Sofascore)

Fixtures

Ulsan’s race is run, but they’ll still want to get a win and the $3M prize that comes with it. Borussia showed in their last match against Mamelodi that they are vulnerable to a counter. So Ulsan’s task is simple: replicate the best parts of their last game, where they scored 2 unanswered and against the run of play, and don’t concede. Lucky for them, they have Jo Hyeon-Woo between the posts. The GD doesn’t show it, but he’s a top-notch keeper.

Borussia were fortunate to escape with all three points from their last fixture, but they’ve also not lost a game in over 10 weeks. Ulsan might shock them once or twice, but in the end, they should have the discipline and skill to take at least a point… which is all they need to move on.

The Miami fixture should have all the hallmarks of a classic. You’ve got a world-class Brazilian squad (Fluminense) facing up against a club whose entire identity is based on Brazil (Mamelodi – whose kit is nearly identical to Brazil’s national team colors). Mamelodi have etched themselves onto the soccer consciousness with their direct, quick-passing attacking style they call “piano and shoe shine.” If both teams are firing on all cylinders this will be a high-octane, 100 mph thriller.

The Hooligan Take

Group E

Current standings (Source: Sofascore)

Fixtures

Of all the sides in this tournament, none has disappointed me more than Inter Milan. I won’t waste words on that execrable affair with Monterrey, which resulted in a 1 – 1 draw. And they only came alive in the final minutes of the Urawa fixture. Without Carboni’s stoppage time heroics the club would be in serious jeopardy. They simply cannot seem to shake the specter of that Champions League loss, and new manager Cristian Chivu has yet to discover any magic formula to inspire them.

River Plate runs a close second in the disappointment department. Their victory over Urawa was effective if uninspiring, and the draw against Monterrey one of the worst tournament games so far. While not quite living up to the hype, Franco Mastantuono is a beam of light for the club, and I’ll be curious to see him perform against the stubborn Inter defenders.

Despite all that, I see this fixture as an opportunity for both sides to make amends.

Urawa’s supporters are fabulous. What a pity they won’t be in the knockout stages with their choreographed bouncing and boisterous chanting. Monterrey actually have a solid chance to grind their way into another round, but they’ll have to produce a game strategy more creative than their last two efforts. The Red Diamonds are porous in the back; Los Reyados must exploit that early and run up the scoreline.

The Hooligan Take