GOAL US writers debate the state of the Club World Cup heading into the knockout rounds, and which team is poised for a run
Let's get rid of all of the hipster nonsense, and move on to the soccer. It was lovely to have some funky teams in the Club World Cup group stage. From Al-Ahly to Mamelodi Sundowns, River Plate to Boca Juniors, there were all sorts of sides that offered magic in their own kind of way.
But the heavyweights are ready to take over, and it's time for the proper stuff to begin.
The majority of the European sides- sorry, Atletico Madrid and RB Salzburg – are still alive, as are some of the biggest names, including Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Cole Palmer. Meanwhile, Brazil are up for the fight. And some of the round of 16 matchups are lovely.
It will be good to see Palmeiras and Botafogo clash. Bayern Munich are on upset alert against Flamengo. And there's the small matter, too, of Inter Miami playing European champions PSG. Can Leo Messi do Leo Messi things?
Either way, there's finally some footballing jeopardy, and the chance of being labeled "the best club in the world" is getting closer.
GOAL US writers reflect on the group stage and look to the knockouts in the latest edition of… The Rondo.
AFPHow do you rate the CWC group stage?
Tom Hindle: A strong 7/10. As football fans we want jeopardy, and there wasn't loads of it. Perhaps the closest we got was the final day of the Atletico/PSG/Botafogo pseudo-drama. But there were still lots of fun things going on. The teams we never, ever watch turned out to be quite good – or at least interesting – and the fans kept this whole thing chugging along (which they absolutely do to).
Jacob Schneider: Realistically, 4/10. The fans from South America, Africa and Asia were genuinely terrific – they made the Group Stage. In terms of what we saw on the pitch, though, there are a handful of games to genuinely recall and say, 'Hell yeah, that ruled.' Sure, the heat was a factor, as was travel and season exhaustion. But overall, it was largely uneventful.
Ryan Tolmich: We'll give it an 8/10. The group stage certainly had a little bit of everything: upsets, big scorelines, atmosphere and, perhaps most notably, attempted fist fights in the tunnel (seriously). Unfortunately, though, it's dinged a bit due to some outside factors, namely some disruptive weather and the incessant complaining about ticket sales. Soccer-wise, it was fantastic, and should lead into an even better knockout round now that the big boys are set to meet up.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWhich team impressed the most in the group stage?
TH: Begrudgingly Man City. Give Pep Guardiola loads of cash and it turns out that he can do good things with it. He likes actual fullbacks again, and he's got loads of fun creative players to do funky things. Wouldn't be a surprise at all if they win the thing.
JS: Manchester City still look like the winners. Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri both appear to be unbelievable additions to the club, while Rodri returning adds a whole new layer. Hard to see Pep's side dropping this one.
RT: They're long gone and deservedly so, but shoutout to Auckland City for going out there and getting a goal. Imagine getting 10 of your boys together, facing Boca Juniors and scoring to earn a draw? That's essentially what semi-pro Auckland City did, defying all of the odds to really create what was the coolest moment of the tournament.
Mamelodi SundownsWhich team were you most disappointed to see exit?
TH: Boca Juniors! They were never that good but their fans? My god, what a group. A word, too, for Mamelodi Sundowns, who gave Dortmund a real scare and played some good footy along the way.
JS: Really enjoyed watching the Sundowns. There was a genuine passion on the pitch from the South African side, and in all three group stage matches, they truly fought. They had no "bad" performance.
RT: It's a tie here for the two Argentinian teams – so long Boca and River Plate, we hardly knew ye. Both teams brought the passion and atmosphere, but didn't quite bring enough of the soccer, as Argentina's two giants were kicked out in the group stage. Even with Brazil's clubs taking the South America baton and running with it, the point of this tournament is to match up elites from different parts of the world. And the lack of both Boca and River in the knockouts makes this tournament a little less unique.
Getty Images SportWhat is the best round of 16 matchup?
TH: It's a shame, really, because all of the round of 16 games seem geared towards setting up strong quarterfinals. There isn't one matchup that screams "upset" here. Probably Flamengo-Bayern, if only because it will be a properly good barometer of the whole South America-Europe thing, especially in 10,000-degree heat in Miami.
JS: It is absolutely Palmeiras vs Botafogo. Classic Brazilian rivalry, heated tensions, Samba football on the pitch – inject it in my veins. In what could potentially be Estevao's final game for Palmerias, the Brazil starlet is surely to try and end things with a bang. Scintillating.
RT: Palmeiras vs Botafogo will be wild for different reasons but, again, this tournament is all about unique matchups. Because of that, it has to be Inter Miami vs PSG. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Miami will probably get their tails kicked, but the storylines and narratives make that one a must watch. Can Messi create a moment of magic against his former team? How will PSG's young guns handle facing the GOAT? Can Miami keep it respectable? All valid reasons to watch that particular matchup.
