CHELSEA SHOWED CLASS AGAINST MLS LAFC, RIVER PLATE DOMINATE URAWA REDS

FIFA Club World Cup Report 

Chelsea Showed Class Against MLS LAFC

River Plate Dominate Urawa Reds 

BVB drew Fluminense goalless

Written by Sam Mbonu

Chelsea 2-0 LAFC 

Chelsea got their FIFA Club World Cup campaign off with a dominating 2-0 win over Major League Soccer’s LAFC in Group D action. 

The Blues dominance paid off in the 34th minute when Pedro Neto opened the scoring with a composed finish. 

Despite the low fans' turnout at the Mercedez Benz Stadium, the scanty stadium saw several; fans turned in blue color of their favorite team. 

Enzo Fernandez struck in the 79th minute to double Chelsea lead capping off a smooth team move and ensuring the three points. 

The result puts Chelsea in pole position in Group D, while LAFC will need to regroup quickly if they are to keep their knockout stage hopes alive. 

Goals: 

Chelsea: 

P. Neto – 34’ 

E. Fernandez – 79’ 

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Chelsea showed cohesion and sharpness both in defense and attack. 

LAFC struggled to break down Chelsea’s structure and were limited in chances. 

Enzo Fernandez stood out with a goal and midfield dominance. 

Fluminense 0-0 Borussia Dortmund  

Meanwhile, Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund played out a tense goalless draw in their opening FIFA Club World Cup Group F fixture, with both sides showing flashes of quality but ultimately unable to break the deadlock and share the spoils. 

Both teams have a balanced midfield as both teams tested each other’s defenses. Fluminense, backed by passionate support, came closest in the 27th minute when a curling effort from outside the box forced Dortmund’s goalkeeper into a fine save. Dortmund responded with sharp counterattacks, with Donyell Malen and Marco Reus probing the Brazilian side’s backline, but their final passes often fell short. 

Despite several late chances, including a Dortmund header that glanced just wide in stoppage time, neither team could find a breakthrough.  

The result leaves both clubs tied with one point each, keeping Group F wide open heading into the next round of fixtures. 

Key Takeaways: 

Solid defensive displays from both sides. 

Fluminense showed composure under pressure. 

Dortmund lacked a clinical edge in front of the goal. 

River Plate Thrash Urawa Reds 3-1 

River Plate thrashed Japanese side Urawa Reds 3-1 to kick start their club world cup campaign in Group E.  

The Argentine giants trademark attacking flair and tactical control was in full glare to claim all three points and take a strong step toward advancing from the group. 

Former Austin FC striker, Sebastain Drussi rattled Urawa Reds in the 8th minute only for his strike to hit the bottom end of the post. 

River Plate broke the deadlock in the 12th minute when Facundo Colidio headed a fine cross to give the Argentines a 1-0 lead. 

Urawa Reds struggled to match the intensity of River Plate, and after the break, River Plate doubled their lead with a finish from Drussi who appears to have been hurt from the headed challenge. 

Urawa seemed to have gotten back into the game when River Plate Acuna was penalized after he brought down Urawa Reds player and it was converted by Matsuo in the 58th minute but River Plate put the game beyond the Japanese when Meza scored the Argentine side goal in the 73rd minute. 

Key Takeaways: 

River Plate’s midfield dominance and quick transitions were too much for the Reds to handle. 

Urawa Reds showed fighting spirit, but their defense was vulnerable under sustained pressure. 

With this result, River Plate sits in a strong position in Group E, while Urawa will need a win in their next match to stay in contention. 

Stay tuned for more Club World Cup updates and full post-match analysis.