Renato Portaluppi’s team qualifies to the round of 16 as a second force of group F behind Dortmund: Miami’s race closes without goals and without particular emotions, if you except the pole hit by a cano
June 25 is a date that brings luck to Renato Portaluppi. Thirty years ago, in 1995, he became one of the immortals in the history of Fluminense thanks to a goal scored in front of the 120 thousand of the Maracanà against Flamengo, who celebrated the centenary that year. An unforgettable goal, which gave the Carioca championship to the Tricolor. Now that the coach, on the same date, is the former Rome, will also be able to celebrate the entry into the round of 16 in the Club World Championship: at the Fluminense yesterday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami a gray 0-0 was enough against the South Africans of the Mamlodi Sunday to pass the round, confirming the trend of this tournament that sees the Brazilian teams go on. After Palmeiras, Botafogo and Flamengo here is the Fluminense: four out of four.
Balance
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The storm that sparked on Florida a couple of hours before the match made the worst fear. Then the sun came out and it was played regularly. The Fluminense, thanks to the advantage of being able to play for two results, began with a rather prudent attitude. The absence of Thiago Silva (on the bench) made himself heard in a defense that had some problems of settlement. Thus, after 8 minutes, the South Africans had a great chance to take the lead with Matthews who, however, made himself hypnotized from the almost 45 year old Fabio who a minute later walked long. Renato Portaluppi has placed Hercules in front of the defense to dictate the game rhythms, but the maneuver of the Brazilians has never been very fluid. Thus the “flon” put in difficulty the opposing defense only on the kicks placed. On a corner kick, for example, Canobbio missed the deviation from two heads. At the first cooling break, after half an hour, Renato tried to charge his players: “Let’s start playing or not?”. And a minimal shock the Fluminense had it but Arias, soaked by Martinelli, wasted diagonally. The Brazilians have risen in tone in the last part of the first half, without however being able to find the advantage.
That pole
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In the second half it was still Mamlodi who tried to play the game. South Africans circulated the ball well, at least until the trocar, even if the paw of an attacker capable of finalizing the maneuver was missing. So it was still the Fluminense who went close to the advantage: splendid action on the right of Arias, a cano cross whose detour ends in full on the pole to the left of Williams. Despite the great heat Renato made the first changes in the 68th minute. With the entrance of Keno and Bernal the Brazilians found a little more than physicality and coverage behind and in the end they checked the initiatives of a generous, brilliant but sterile Mamlodi without great problems. South Africans, however, despite the elimination, will still be remembered as one of the most beautiful realities of the club world championship.
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