Seattle (special envoy) – The Club World Cup in Brazilian teams is already a success. The four exceeded the first round and they managed to transfer the most important scene the Domain that has been exercising for more than five years in Conmebol Libertadores. In addition, their triumphs are made even brighter against opaque performance of River Plate and Boca Juniors, the two other representatives of South America.
Brazil has won all liberators since 2019. There is no history of similar hegemony. Six consecutive editions with champions of the same country, which also He had 10 of the 12 finalists. Such data does not configure a coincidence, but an era. Today, the Brasileirao is by far the most competitive championship on the continent. And now we also know that he is one of the best in the world.
Palm trees, Botafogo, Flemish y Fluminense Not only did they qualify for the round of 16, but Everyone has competed great against European rivals. Only Botafogo lost a match, against Atlético Madrid, but after giving the biggest blow of the tournament by beating the Champions League champion, PSG. Other great surprise of the initial round was the Fruit 3-1 victory of Flamengo over Chelsea. Besides, Palmeiras was close to winning Porto and Fluminense tied against Borussia Dortmund.
Las Budget differences between Europeans and Brazilians did not see in the first phase of the World Cup. The five games they met were even And you can even say that it was seen a small superiority in favor of the South Americans, especially from intensity and physical strength. The clearest example of this is the duel that The America champion beat PSG. “No one has defended us better than Botafogo in the season,” said Luis Enrique After the defeat.
After the “surprise” of the initial phase, the time of direct elimination duels came now. Of the “Mata-Mata”, as in Brazil it is said. So good was the performance so far, that they will have a Paulista-Carioca shock, between Palmeiras and Botafogo. In other words, they have already secured a representative among the eight best in the world. The other two must be measured against two of the great favorites. Can they beat them?
The most concrete answer is: Of course they can. Flamengo and Fluminense are in a position to fight Bayern Munich and Inter respectively. Brazil already made it very clear that their teams do not shrink and go to compete. And in 90 (or 120 minutes) there is always room for illusion without being too much who has more or less hierarchy.
Bayern is the UEFA representative who has best prepared for this championship. He took it as an important challenge, not only as a commitment to close the season, and demonstrated it in the first round, beyond the defeat against Benfica that cost him first place. The Bundesliga champion arrives in good physical form and his figures are rested. It is, of course, a candidate to overcome this instance, but will face the most “European” South American, both for the quality of your squad and for the style.
Filipe Luis did a good part of his career in Europe and in his first experience as a coach seeks to move that learning. He directs a group of soccer players in which several stand out with the past in the majors. In front of Chelsea he played like any rival of the Premier League: intensity, precision and forcefulness. In addition to mental strength to turn the result.
Fluminenseon the other hand, He will collide with an Inter who showed his best facet against River in the last game of his group. The runner -up of the Champions League had left doubts against Monterrey and Urawa But he reacted and won the Argentine team with total authority. The second half of that game was one of the moments in which the technical difference between both continents was seen. The precision with the ball, the certainty in the passes and the mental speed were far superior to those of River and that is why in the end there were no equivalences.
The Carioca team was banned against Borussia Dortmund in its first game and then took out the necessary results against Ulsan and Mamelodi. Now, your demand will be total. You need to make a very intense game, press in all sectors and annul Lautaro Martínez, who shone when she left her area and create behind the central midfielder. If Inter continues its evolution, it will be very hard for Flu, but it has an opportunity.
In short, Brazil’s representatives have already responded to the greatness of their country, something that Argentines could not do. From now They have nothing to lose and the roof is the July 13 game in New Jersey. They have arguments to dream about being there.
