Fluminense stun Inter Milan to reach Club World Cup quarters
CHARLOTTE : Fluminense sent Inter Milan packing from the Club World Cup on Monday with a 2-0 win in Charlotte that took the Brazilian side through to the quarter-finals.
German Cano's header from close range gave Fluminense an early lead and they then withstood an onslaught from the Italian side in the second half before substitute Hercules sealed their victory late on.
The Rio de Janeiro outfit, who qualified for the Club World Cup thanks to their Copa Libertadores triumph in 2023, became the second Brazilian side to make the last eight after Palmeiras had already sealed their quarter-final spot.
Captained by 40-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea centre-back Thiago Silva, 'Flu' will now go to Orlando for a tie on Friday against either Manchester City or Al-Hilal.
It is the latest victory for a Brazilian team against prestigious European opposition at the tournament in the US, after Botafogo defeated PSG and Flamengo got the better of Chelsea in the group stage.
Inter came to the US off the back of their 5-0 defeat by PSG in the Uefa Champions League final at the end of May and with a new coach in Cristian Chivu.
They did not fully convince during the group stage despite topping their section and they found themselves trailing inside three minutes before only just over 20,000 fans at the Bank of America Stadium on another hot afternoon.
A cross from the Fluminense right by Jhon Arias took a deflection off Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni and the ball then bounced awkwardly before veteran Argentine striker Cano arrived to head it in through the legs of goalkeeper Yann Sommer from close range.
Ignacio thought he had made it 2-0 before the interval, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.
Sommer then tipped a fine curling strike by Arias around the post just after the hour mark, before Inter began to turn up the pressure in an attempt to avoid exiting the competition.
Stefan de Vrij prodded wide from close range after captain Lautaro Martinez had headed down a cross, and the latter then saw a fine shot on the turn from the edge of the box come back off an upright.
Martinez had also been denied by Fluminense goalkeeper Fabio moments earlier, and confirmation that it would not be Inter's day arrived in stoppage time.
On as a substitute, Hercules pounced on a falling ball and drove into the box before firing low into the corner.
Federico Dimarco then hit the woodwork at the other end as Fluminense held out for the victory to keep South American hopes of glory at the tournament firmly alive.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
Italy needs to upgrade ageing stadiums for club revenue boost, Euro 2032
MILAN 's San Siro is one of the most famous stadiums in world football, but the storied home of AC Milan and Inter Milan is showing its age and lags behind what other major European clubs offer their fans. Italy is trying to raise its game when it comes to stadiums, pressed by foreign investors who have acquired a number of clubs including the two Milan giants, and also needing arenas that are fit for purpose when it co-hosts the 2032 Euros, with Turkey. But teams like AC Milan and Inter, as well as Lazio and Roma further south, are struggling to rebuild or renovate, wrangling with public bodies who often own stadiums, and getting caught up in red tape. The result is that only six Italian stadiums were built or redeveloped in the 2007-2024 period, compared with 19 in Germany, 13 in England and 12 in France, according to consultancy firm PwC. 'At the San Siro stadium, we can't cook anything. The little food that we sell is all microwaved three minutes beforehand,' AC Milan Chairman Paolo Scaroni told a PwC Italy event in March. He contrasted it to the situation in Britain, where Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium even features an in-built microbrewery 'because the English like to drink beer, and we can't even cook a plate of spaghetti.' The Tottenham stadium, designed by specialist company Populous, opened in 2019 at a cost of around 1 billion pounds ($1.4 billion) and features a retractable pitch. It also hosts other events such as NFL games. GOVERNMENT HELP The Italian government is trying to help, with a plan in the works to appoint a special commissioner with power to fast-track projects worth 5 billion euros ($5.8 billion) across different agencies, and speed up preparations for Euro 2032, the first major tournament in Italy since the 1990 World Cup. The Italia 90 tournament, when matches were played at 12 venues across the country, marked the last time Italy embarked on a serious round of stadium upgrades. 'For Italian teams, sports facilities are the real gap with European peers,' said Luigi De Siervo, Chief Executive Officer of Italy's top flight soccer league Serie A. Although crowds have risen to levels not seen since the early 2000s, Serie A clubs generated just 440 million euros in matchday revenue in 2023-24 -- according to a report from Deloitte -- less than half of what England's Premier League earned. 'More modern arenas structurally generate higher match day revenues, they usually have a higher occupancy rate, more food outlets, with different price ranges, and pricier tickets,' said Cristian Celoria, partner at consultancy firm PwC. EURO 2032 CONCERNS Besides frustrating club owners, Italy's lack of progress in redeveloping its sporting infrastructure could harm its role as a co-host of the Euros. Italy must give European soccer's ruling body UEFA a list of five stadiums to host Euro 2032 games by October next year. At present, among the 10 arenas Italy named in its initial bid document, only the Juventus one in Turin -- one of the few club-owned grounds in Italy -- is fit for the tournament, according to a UEFA official. The 41,000-seater venue was completed only in 2011, replacing the Stadio delle Alpi which was built for the 1990 World Cup. Venues needing redevelopment or new builds can be included in the final Euro 2032 shortlist, but the projects need to be fully financed and approved by next year's deadline, said the UEFA official, who asked not to be named. 'The need for a special commissioner is becoming even more urgent, as next year we will undergo a series of checks that may even result in some matches being reallocated to Turkey,' said De Siervo, the Serie A chief. However, the Italian Football Association remains confident it can meet the deadline, with work underway in Bologna and Florence and scope to bring Rome's Olympic Stadium and the current San Siro venue in line with specifications. FATE OF SAN SIRO The San Siro, with its striking spiral staircases wrapped around the outside of the stadium, was one of the symbols of Serie A's golden age in the 1990s, but much like Italian soccer in general, it has seen better days. AC Milan and Inter - owned by U.S. investment firms RedBird and Oaktree respectively - have billed as unfeasible a full revamp of the arena, officially known as the Giuseppe Meazza after a forward who played for both clubs in the 1920s-1940s. AC Milan and Inter are in talks to jointly buy the stadium, built in 1926, and the surrounding area from the Milan municipality as part of a 1.2 billion euro redevelopment including a real estate project. The plan, first presented in 2019, envisages the clubs continuing to use the 76,000-seater stadium until a new one is built nearby. Once that is ready, the old ground would be demolished except for a heritage section comprising part of its second tier. The clubs, however, face opposition from those who would like to preserve one of the temples of Italian soccer. 'It is still a functional stadium. It can be modernised, and we have fought for that, but the problem is that no one is listening to our calls,' said Luigi Corbani, president of a citizens' committee opposing clubs' demolition plans. Even rock stars who love playing concerts in the huge San Siro have chimed in. 'It is the greatest stadium in the world, it has personality, heart and soul,' Bruce Springsteen's guitarist Steven Van Zandt, aka Little Steven, told Italy's Corriere della Sera daily, calling plans to knock it down 'criminal'.
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Italy needs to upgrade ageing stadiums for club revenue boost, Euro 2032
MILAN: Milan's San Siro is one of the most famous stadiums in world soccer, but the storied home of AC Milan and Inter Milan is showing its age and lags behind what other major European clubs offer their fans. Italy is trying to raise its game when it comes to stadiums, pressed by foreign investors who have acquired a number of clubs including the two Milan giants, and also needing arenas that are fit for purpose when it co-hosts the 2032 Euros, with Turkey. But teams like AC Milan and Inter, as well as Lazio and Roma further south, are struggling to rebuild or renovate, wrangling with public bodies who often own stadiums, and getting caught up in red tape. The result is that only six Italian stadiums were built or redeveloped in the 2007-2024 period, compared with 19 in Germany, 13 in England and 12 in France, according to consultancy firm PwC. "At the San Siro stadium, we can't cook anything. The little food that we sell is all microwaved three minutes beforehand," AC Milan Chairman Paolo Scaroni told a PwC Italy event in March. He contrasted it to the situation in Britain, where Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium even features an in-built microbrewery "because the English like to drink beer, and we can't even cook a plate of spaghetti." The Tottenham stadium, designed by specialist company Populous, opened in 2019 at a cost of around 1 billion pounds (RM5.7 billion) and features a retractable pitch. It also hosts other events such as NFL games. GOVERNMENT HELP The Italian government is trying to help, with a plan in the works to appoint a special commissioner with power to fast-track projects worth €5 billion (RM25 billion) across different agencies, and speed up preparations for Euro 2032, the first major tournament in Italy since the 1990 World Cup. The Italia 90 tournament, when matches were played at 12 venues across the country, marked the last time Italy embarked on a serious round of stadium upgrades. "For Italian teams, sports facilities are the real gap with European peers," said Luigi De Siervo, Chief Executive Officer of Italy's top flight soccer league Serie A. Although crowds have risen to levels not seen since the early 2000s, Serie A clubs generated just €440 million in matchday revenue in 2023-24 – according to a report from Deloitte – less than half of what England's Premier League earned. "More modern arenas structurally generate higher match day revenues, they usually have a higher occupancy rate, more food outlets, with different price ranges, and pricier tickets," said Cristian Celoria, partner at consultancy firm PwC. EURO 2032 CONCERNS Besides frustrating club owners, Italy's lack of progress in redeveloping its sporting infrastructure could harm its role as a co-host of the Euros. Italy must give European soccer's ruling body UEFA a list of five stadiums to host Euro 2032 games by October next year. At present, among the 10 arenas Italy named in its initial bid document, only the Juventus one in Turin – one of the few club-owned grounds in Italy – is fit for the tournament, according to a UEFA official. The 41,000-seater venue was completed only in 2011, replacing the Stadio delle Alpi which was built for the 1990 World Cup. Venues needing redevelopment or new builds can be included in the final Euro 2032 shortlist, but the projects need to be fully financed and approved by next year's deadline, said the UEFA official, who asked not to be named. "The need for a special commissioner is becoming even more urgent, as next year we will undergo a series of checks that may even result in some matches being reallocated to Turkey," said De Siervo, the Serie A chief. However, the Italian Football Association remains confident it can meet the deadline, with work underway in Bologna and Florence and scope to bring Rome's Olympic Stadium and the current San Siro venue in line with specifications. FATE OF SAN SIRO The San Siro, with its striking spiral staircases wrapped around the outside of the stadium, was one of the symbols of Serie A's golden age in the 1990s, but much like Italian soccer in general, it has seen better days. AC Milan and Inter - owned by U.S. investment firms RedBird and Oaktree respectively - have billed as unfeasible a full revamp of the arena, officially known as the Giuseppe Meazza after a forward who played for both clubs in the 1920s-1940s. AC Milan and Inter are in talks to jointly buy the stadium, built in 1926, and the surrounding area from the Milan municipality as part of a 1.2 billion euro redevelopment including a real estate project. The plan, first presented in 2019, envisages the clubs continuing to use the 76,000-seater stadium until a new one is built nearby. Once that is ready, the old ground would be demolished except for a heritage section comprising part of its second tier. The clubs, however, face opposition from those who would like to preserve one of the temples of Italian soccer. "It is still a functional stadium. It can be modernised, and we have fought for that, but the problem is that no one is listening to our calls," said Luigi Corbani, president of a citizens' committee opposing clubs' demolition plans. Even rock stars who love playing concerts in the huge San Siro have chimed in. "It is the greatest stadium in the world, it has personality, heart and soul," Bruce Springsteen's guitarist Steven Van Zandt, aka Little Steven, told Italy's Corriere della Sera daily, calling plans to knock it down "criminal." - REUTERS
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Joao Pedro arrival boosts Chelsea ahead of Palmeiras Club World Cup test
PHILADELPHIA: New signing Joao Pedro could make his debut for Chelsea when they renew acquaintances with Brazilian outfit Palmeiras in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup on Friday. The 23-year-old Brazilian forward completed a move to Chelsea from Brighton and Hove Albion for a reported £60 million ($79 million) on Wednesday and immediately began training with Enzo Maresca's squad in Miami. That is where they have been preparing for the last eight of the tournament in the United States, before travelling back to Philadelphia on Thursday ahead of the clash with Sao Paulo side Palmeiras. "I'm very excited to play for Chelsea, to fight for every title, every tournament and play in the Champions League. Hopefully, we win as many trophies as possible," Joao Pedro told the club's website after putting pen to paper on an eight-year contract. There is the tantalising possibility that a first trophy for the new signing could come in just 10 days' time, if Chelsea go all the way in FIFA's lucrative new competition. The London club beat Palmeiras in the final of the old Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi in early 2022, although none of the players involved for them that day are still there. New owners came in a few months after that success and Chelsea's squad has overgone major changes since, with Joao Pedro just the latest face of many to arrive. He comes from the state of Sao Paulo so is familiar with Palmeiras, Copa Libertadores winners in 2020 and 2021. Joao Pedro also began his career at Fluminense, who they could face in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup – the team from Rio de Janeiro take on Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia in their last-eight tie. Chelsea have already faced Brazilian opposition in Philadelphia at this Club World Cup and lost, but the 3-1 reverse at the hands of Flamengo did not prevent them from progressing beyond their group. Maresca's side then overcame a lengthy storm delay to beat Benfica 4-1 after extra time in Charlotte in the last 16 and make it to the quarter-finals. Joao Pedro will now hope to feature in an attack that has already been reinforced at the Club World Cup with the addition of Liam Delap, the former Ipswich Town striker who scored his first goal for his new team in the 3-0 win over Esperance of Tunisia. Another new attacker will join after the tournament, but teenage winger Estevao Willian will be in the opposition ranks on Friday for a game taking place on the American Fourth of July holiday, in the city where the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776. Eyebrows were raised when Estevao, who plays principally off the right flank, was substituted by coach Abel Ferreira early in the second half before Palmeiras went on to beat Botafogo in extra time in the last 16. It was his replacement Paulinho who went on to score the winner, but he is experiencing fitness issues and is not expected to start in the quarter-final. That means Estevao, seen as Brazil's most exciting young talent, should line up at kick-off for Palmeiras, who unlike Chelsea have been training in the city where Friday's match will take place. They have been using the facilities of Super Bowl winners the Philadelphia Eagles and will be hoping some of the NFL side's magic rubs off on them. "The coach has been talking about this since the start of the season," Palmeiras defender Bruno Fuchs said of his team's Club World Cup bid. "We have a dream and dreaming does not cost anything."
