News: 2025 FIFA Club World Cup: General [Multiple Rs]

Botafogo not interested in taking control of the ball, they let Seattle have it but they are bullying that Kim Hee hee guy in the air

 

2:0 at halftime.

Two headers. Not the most exciting of matches, Botafogo sleepwalking their way to success. Can the Sounders react?

 

and keep in mind this Botafogo team is totally different from the one who the Libertadores last year

they sold like half of their team and actually are about to sell 3 more guys to Nottingham Forest right now in this window

new manager too. They are literally just trying to build their team from scratch again.

They made some big signings just now like Joaquin Correa and Arthur Cabral that will probably come on in the 2nd half

 

El 0-0 entre Porto y Palmeiras le sabe de poco a ambos, pero creo que hay un mayor mérito en la lectura del juego por parte de Abel Ferreira.

Si Palmeiras ha ganado títulos con Abel es porque prioriza defenderse en bloque medio y luego contragolpear, sin embargo, hoy presionó…

— Pepe Del Bosque (@PepedelBosque) June 16, 2025

 

it was an excellent game, Palmeiras had Porto pinned down by the end of the game

 

Botafogo have been very underwhelming in this match.

And now Seattle with a goal!

 

yeah it was a dumb approach

to relinquish the ball and play on the counter... against Seattle, lol

despite this Seattle's best moments were isolated shots from distance. Their finishing is on par with Al Ahly

the deflection goal gave them the extra boost they needed

 

And it ends 2:1 Botafogo.

But they will have to show a lot more to even get a sniff at advancing in this group.

 

Yeah, they're not doing anything to PSG and Atlético will be angry.

 

That atletico botafogo game will be interesting

If botafogo are going to sit back and defend like today

 

In the old format, Libertadores winners often looked mediocre in the semis only to find another gear against the European champions in the final. For example, the 2012 Corinthians side who went on to beat Chelsea, was hanging by a thread against Al Ahly in the semis.

But this Botafogo? They didn’t even look good on the counter when Seattle threw everything forward. They lacked speed and precision passing. I just don’t see it.

 

I noticed they use sponsor stadium names (and that they didn't cover ads at Rose Bowl) and I don't remember FIFA did that before.

Swiss clown changes everything nowadays. I expect him to lift the trophy before he gives it to winning team captain, and for 2026 I expect commercial timeouts so we could see more of Aramco and PIF ads.

 

Yeah they're literally in rebuild mode right now.

I'm not joking when I say they lost most of their team and are going to continue losing players.

 

That's nothing new.

After both RUS and QAT bought WC hosting rights, they *invested* lots of commercial advertisement money on FIFA tournaments. That is how they paid for their WC hosting rights purchases.

Gazprom and Qatar Airways ads flooded FIFA tournaments before those countries hosted a WC. Even the CWC stadium's main local sponsor was allowed to run their ads.

Here is a 2017 CWC match hosted in UAE, with ads for entities bankrolling that CWC edition: Gazprom(RUS gov't owned), Qatar Airways(QAT gov't owned). The local Abu Dhabi Sports Council (UAE's PIF) ran ads as well:


Better get used to seeing ads for FIFA's new overlord. You will be seeing them until winter of 2034.

 

I think he is talking about stadium naming rights, like TQL Stadium, which I also noticed. Normally stadiums have to call themselves "FIFA Stadium Cincinnati" or something like that for a FIFA event and such sponsor naming is covered up.

 

Interesting fact heading into Chelsea-LAFC:

A UEFA club has never lost to a non-South American team in regulation.

Only on three occasions was the match a draw after 90 minutes, with the following outcomes.

2000 | Manchester United - Necaxa (Mexico) 1:1 / Group Stage
2000 | Real Madrid - Necaxa (Mexico) 1:1 AET; 3:4 PSO / Third Place
2016 | Real Madrid - Kashima Antlers (Japan) 4:2 AET / Final

No pressure RB Salzburg.

That was quite a Necaxa side. Then still based in Mexico City before moving to Aguascalientes.

 

Yeah, poor defending by Kim on both Botafogo goals.

Seattle did not renew Kim's contract at the end of 2019. Somehow, his agent got him back to Seattle under a 1-year contract (Jan 2025).

Kim was supposed to bring *experience and squad depth* into 2025 CWC. His agent should get a raise.

 

i am curious to know, if the daytime kick off times in hot climate are an issue again or not.

i like to predict, if this standard kick off times at CWC are the blueprint now

5pm-8pm-11pm-2am.

Will it be lome that at the world cup?

 

Another late arriving crowd in Atlanta?

Doesn’t look like a huge number of LAFC fans made the trip.

 

They had two weeks notice for a game across the country, and it's daytime on a Monday.

 

Fair enough.