Fluminense advances at Club World Cup after 0-0 draw with the Mamelodi Sundowns

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Fluminense held the Mamelodi Sundowns to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday, denying the South African club the win it needed to advance to the knockout rounds at the Club World Cup.

Fluminense finished second in Group F to Borussia Dortmund, which defeated Ulsan 1-0 in a simultaneous game in Cincinnati. Fluminense will play Inter Milan on Monday at Charlotte, North Carolina, in the round of 16.

The game drew 14,312 at 64,767-capacity Hard Rock Stadium.

The Sundowns needed a win to advance. They had never won a Club World Cup match before defeating Ulsan in their opener, then lost to Dortmund 4-3.

The Sundowns, the crowd favorite, had 68% dominated possession in the opening half and had three shots on target.

Fluminense’s best chance in the half came in the 40th minute on Nonato’s attempt from the edge of the box.

Forty-year-old Thiago Silva was on the bench for Fluminense because of muscle soreness. Germán Cano started in his place.

Temperatures in Miami were in the balmy mid-80s, but cooler than in recent days.

Key moment

Fluminense, which only needed the draw to advance, increased the pressure in the second half. Cano nearly scored in the 58th minute when he picked up a pass from Jhon Arias but his right-footed shot hit the right post.

Takeaways

Fluminense joined fellow Brazilian clubs Palmeiras, Botafogo and Flamengo in advancing to the round of 16 at the expanded Club World Cup. Fluminense played to a 0-0 against Dortmund before defeating Ulsan 4-2.

What They Said

“We showed the quality of the players, the technical ability of the players, and all the work from the past that has been done in the club, and also my work and my staff and assistant coaches. It has been a long journey for all of us, for the club itself and for the family that supports it. And today is not a happy result, but it is a very important day for us,” — Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso.

“It was a very hard match. Our opponent had possession of the ball most of the time, but we could block them. And now we are classified (for the next round) and that was our goal,” — Fluminense defender Ignacio, selected player of the match.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer