The gulf between South American and European teams may not be as wide as expected at the Club World Cup, but a clear gap still exists in their efficiency in front of goal, according to FIFA technical experts.

Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, and Juergen Klinsmann, former Germany and U.S. national team coach, were speaking at a round table on Saturday as the tournament enters its knockout phase.

“At the start of the competition, many opponents seemed to fear playing against the European teams,” Wenger said.

“But as things progressed – especially the Brazilians – they began to realise it might not be so different after all.”

Flamengo and Botafogo beat European teams during the group phase of the 32-team competition, with the latter’s 1-0 victory over European champions Paris St Germain standing out.

Wenger said growing belief, especially among Brazilian sides, has shifted the dynamic heading into the last 16.

“Maybe it’s also because they’ve gained the confidence to do it. That shift in mindset could mean we’ll see a different Brazil in the knockout stage than we saw in the group phase,” he added.

The Frenchman highlighted the influence of Filipe Luis, whose Flamengo side showed what Wenger called the most European tactical profile among South American sides at the tournament.

“Filipe has … played in Europe, and you can see that in the way his team approaches the game,” Wenger said.

GAP CLOSING

Wenger and Klinsmann said South American clubs were quickly closing the gap in infrastructure and preparation.

“When we visited the teams, we saw delegations of up to 100 people – support staff, analysts, advisors,” Wenger said. “With squads of 23 to 35 players, these clubs are now fully professional in every department. That level of preparation allows teams to learn quickly.”

The key difference, however, remains in execution.

“In the final third, European clubs are simply more clinical,” Wenger said.

Klinsmann agreed, saying the real divide lies in mentality.

“Experience is also a big part of quality,” he said. “When is a club like Pachuca or Monterrey (of Mexico) playing in a tournament like this?”

Drawing on his time as U.S. national coach, Klinsmann stressed the importance of testing players outside their comfort zones.

“That’s why I always said, ‘Get us into Copa America. Get us into Europe’. That’s the kind of competition that develops a winning mentality,” he said.

“If this tournament were held again next year, Pachuca would be a different team – more confident, more refined.

“But they have to be more clinical. When you’re in the box, it’s your head that makes the decision, not just your feet. And that’s the difference.”

With the round of 16 underway on Saturday, analysts said the knockout stages would offer a clearer picture of how much ground South American teams have made up, tactically and psychologically.

“We might see very different attitudes now,” Wenger said.

Flamengo face Bayern Munich on Sunday and Inter Milan meet Fluminense on Monday.

-Reuters

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Botafogo’s Club World Cup run unravelled in the cruellest way as fierce domestic rivals Palmeiras ended their campaign with a 1-0 extra-time victory on Saturday that ended the momentum building around the famous Rio de Janeiro club.

Days after stunning European champions Paris St Germain, Botafogo’s defensive shell cracked at precisely the wrong moment, leaving a team who had thrived as underdogs to taste bitter elimination at the hands of all-too-familiar foes.

A tense, compelling clash wrote another chapter in a captivating and intense rivalry that has gripped the South American nation in recent years.

Palmeiras overturned a three-goal deficit to beat Botafogo 4-3 in 2023 on the way to winning the title, and the Rio side responded by beating the Sao Paulo club twice en route to their Copa Libertadores and Brazilian league double the following year.

In Philadelphia on Saturday, Palmeiras fought back to end a five-match losing streak against their rivals and halted their remarkable journey through the tournament’s Group of Death, in which Atletico Madrid were knocked out.

While Palmeiras surged forward with intent throughout, Botafogo’s conservative approach backfired spectacularly. The team who had fearlessly taken down Champions League winners PSG suddenly looked bereft of ideas against opponents who know their every weakness.

“The idea was to play in a certain way at the beginning and then change to try to surprise Palmeiras,” Botafogo coach Renato Paiva said, his voice heavy with disappointment. “The match ended up being decided by an individual play.”

Paiva rued the chances they missed after Palmeiras, down to 10 men, sat back late in extra time, leaving their tournament journey to end in a whimper of domestic defeat.

For the thousands of Botafogo supporters who had dared to dream of further glory, the elimination came with a painful sting – not falling to European royalty but to neighbours from just down the Brazilian football block.

The bitter irony of conquering PSG only to stumble against Palmeiras will leave questions lingering over what might have been had Botafogo approached their countrymen with the same fearless spirit that toppled the European champions.

“The work Botafogo did in the U.S. should make anyone who is truly a Botafogo fan proud,” Paiva said. “In the dressing room, the players were silent and downcast, unable to accept the result.

“I will forbid them from looking at the ground. They have to lift their heads and look up. The world now knows Botafogo better, and that is largely due to the work they have done in this tournament.”

-Reuters

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Paulinho came off the bench to score a dramatic extra-time winner as Palmeiras edged out fellow Brazilians Botafogo 1-0 on Saturday to book their place in the Club World Cup quarter-finals.

The match, played in Philadelphia’s sweltering summer heat, remained goalless after 90 minutes of cagey and ill-tempered football.

In the 100th minute, Paulinho delivered the decisive moment, cutting in from the right, dribbling past two defenders and firing a low-angled shot into the bottom corner, beyond the reach of Botafogo keeper John.

Botafogo pushed for an equaliser but failed to capitalise, even after Palmeiras were reduced to 10 men when Gustavo Gomez received a second yellow card for a tactical foul.

Palmeiras held firm to secure their first win against bitter rivals Botafogo in nearly two years, and will next face Benfica or Chelsea on Friday in Philadelphia.

“We played an incredible game,” Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira told reporters. “We did very well in the 90 minutes and in extra time. We suffered together with one player less, but we deserved it.”

It was a tense, compelling clash between familiar foes who have met in several significant games in recent years. Palmeiras overturned a three-goal deficit to beat Botafogo 4-3 in 2023, a result that derailed the Rio club’s Brazilian league campaign.

Botafogo responded by eliminating Palmeiras en route to their 2024 Copa Libertadores triumph and had since gone unbeaten against them in five consecutive matches until Saturday.

The first half was a sluggish affair, with Palmeiras dominating possession but struggling to break down a deep-lying Botafogo defence.

Teenage winger Estevao, bound for Chelsea in a 60 million- euro deal after the tournament, provided Palmeiras’ only spark down the left flank. However, chances were few, and the first half saw just one shot on target, a fierce strike from Richard Rios that John superbly parried.

Botafogo looked far from the side who inflicted a shock defeat on Champions League winners Paris St Germain last week, and Palmeiras dominated possession against the South American champions.

Palmeiras returned with more urgency after the break, and Estevao tested John with a low shot from outside the box.

Botafogo responded through Artur, whose curling strike was comfortably saved by Palmeiras keeper Weverton, but they kept struggling to create clearcut chances.

Estevao had a goal ruled out for offside in the 50th minute before being substituted, a decision that proved pivotal as his replacement Paulinho came up with a deserved winner for Palmeiras.

-Reuters

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