Disappointing start into the club World Cup
BVB star criticizes teammates: “With the ball quite weak”
18.06.2025 – 8:52 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
With luck, Borussia Dortmund prevented a defeat at the start of the club World Cup. Afterwards, some BVB professionals found clear words about the mew performance.
A disappointing appearance at the start of the club World Cup: Borussia Dortmund did not get out of 0-0 against Fluminensee Rio de Janeiro. In the Metlife stage of East Rutherford, BVB had a long time – and in the end it was lucky that goalkeeper Gregor Kobel prevented worse with several parades.
After the game, Niklas Süle chose clear words. “I thought we were pretty weak with the ball too,” said the central defender. The performance was “far too little”. One had “made a lot more”. For him, excuses with a view to external circumstances were not appropriate: “The place was pretty shit, the ball didn’t even really jump.”
What Süle particularly didn’t like was “the free -range behavior of all players. Especially when you look at how fluminense did it, like everyone wanted the ball.” The Brazilian club was on in this area. “We have to help each other, especially in such conditions. We have to be there for each other,” said Süle. “But from a team as we are, I expect more willingness from each individual with ball.”
Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel was also self-critical in the DAZN interview: “They were almost better than we do. You have to be honest.” The Brazilians were fresher and more aggressive in the duels and had “the better chances”.
Kobel referred to the early kick -off time – at 12 noon local time – and spoke of a potentially noticeable jet lag, but did not want to accept it as an excuse: “We do not have to do all excuses because it was too little of us.”
The game was held in an almost half -empty stadium. Only around 35,000 spectators got lost to the Metlife Stadium on the day of the week, which offers space for over 80,000 visitors.
The next opponent of BVB are the Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa (Saturday, 6 p.m.), which defeated 1-0 in front of a minus backdrop of 3,412 spectators on Wednesday night. Kobel: “I was happy that I had a few safe. We have to win the next two games.”