Fluminense shock Inter to reach Club World Cup quarter-finals

Qatar Tribune

2 days ago

PA Media/dpa
London
Fluminense pulled off a major shock as they scored early and late to secure a 2-0 win over Inter Milan and book a spot in the Club World Cup quarter-finals at a baking Charlotte.
German Cano put Fluminense ahead within three minutes, albeit fortuitously after the ball had kindly fallen to him from a deflected cross, but the Brazilian side went toe-to-toe with the Champions League finalists for much of the contest played in sweltering temperatures.
Lautaro Martinez hit a post for Inter but both goalkeepers were tested before Hercules, who was introduced on the hour mark, struck deep into stoppage time to secure victory for Fluminense.
After downing the Serie A giants, Fluminense's reward is a clash against either Premier League side Manchester City or Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal in Orlando on Friday.
Fluminense pressed from the off and Yann Sommer was almost caught out in the first few seconds by Stefan de Vrij's miscued back pass, with the Swiss just about whipping off the onrushing Cano's toes.
Inter failed to heed the warning and found themselves 1-0 down as Jhon Arias' cross ricocheted off Alessandro Bastoni and the ball ballooned to the unmarked Cano, who nutmegged Sommer with his header.
Federico Dimarco tested Fluminense's 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio to get down low to save with a first-time shot, while Matteo Darmian was fouled just outside the penalty box as Inter went up in gear.
But at the other end, Arias' curling effort was pushed away by Sommer before Samuel Xavier sprayed the rebound wide, while Cano headed into an empty net only to be flagged for offside before half-time.
It was Fluminense who first threatened upon the resumption, with another curling effort from distance from the busy Arias forcing an outstretched Sommer to fingertip round a post.
Despite the heat-sapping conditions, Inter started to show more urgency in the final half hour, with Martinez cushioning a header down for De Vrij, who skewed wide from inside the six-yard area.
Dimarco's free-kick whistled past the post with Fabio struggling to cover, but the Fluminense custodian denied Sebastiano Esposito's first-time effort with his feet before Martinez was then denied by a post.
Lima was off-target after a quick Fluminense break but Hercules' cool finish in the third minute of added-on time settled matters to send their supporters at the Bank of America Stadium into raptures.
A throw-in was only half cleared by Inter and fell into the path of Hercules, who ran on the diagonal before nervelessly slotting low across a helpless Sommer from just outside the area.
Inter were once again denied by the goalframe following Dimarco's shot from the edge of the box but it mattered little as Fluminense celebrated a historic win.