Bayern Munich ready to face another South American power in Miami in Club World Cup
Bayern Munich doesn’t lose very often.
They don’t finish second very often either.
But one loss last week is all it took for Bayern Munich to go from Group winner to Group runner-up in this year’s FIFA Club World Cup.
Germany’s premier soccer club made it past the group stage, but knows it must regroup quickly as the consequence of its 1-0 loss to Benfica last week was a date with Brazil’s top club, Flamengo, in a Round of 16 contest Sunday afternoon at 4 at Hard Rock Stadium.
The tournament has continually drawn large, near-capacity crowds and figures to do so again as two of the club’s with the most supporters on the planet battle for a spot in the quarterfinals.
While Bayern Munich, a 34-time champion of the German Bundesliga, has the reputation for being one of the world’s strongest clubs, Flamengo has proven it can hold its own with the world’s best in terms of talent and fans.
Entering this decade, Flamengo’s YouTube channel surpassed over 5 million subscriptions and it is estimated to have had over 40 million fans, a number that has grown even more in recent years.
Flamengo has made those legions happy often as an eight-time champion of Brazil’s top league.
Flamengo has lived up to the hype in this year’s Club World Cup, winning Group D after impressive victories over Chelsea and Esperance Sportive de Tunis and a draw after the Brazilian side had already clinched advancement to the knockout stage.
Bayern Munich witnessed firsthand the potential atmosphere it could face Sunday on June 20 when it defeated Boca Juniors 2-1 in front of a sellout crowd of 63,587, many of which were supporting the Argentine powerhouse.
So, as recently-hired Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany faces some criticism for some of his lineup choices in the loss to Benfica, he is wary not to underestimate his club’s foe in an all-or-nothing matchup.
“Brazilian teams represent a great blend of individual and collective qualities,” Kompany recently told ESPN. “They may have some tactical gaps, but they are incredibly creative and can always find unconventional solutions on the pitch. We knew from the start that we would face a group with Flamengo and Chelsea in the playoffs. Frankly, I don’t see a significant difference in the level of these teams; for us, nothing changes – it doesn’t matter who we play against; what’s important is to play our usual football.”
The loss to Benfica was Bayern Munich’s first since April 8 when it lost the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals against Inter Milan. Bayern Munich has scored 12 goals so far in the Club World Cup, but 10 of those came in a 10-0 drubbing of Auckland City, a New Zealand club made up mostly of amateur players. Since that win, Bayern Munich has found the back of the net only twice in two games.
Kompany, who also recently praised the field quality at Hard Rock Stadium recently, subbed out seven starters from the prior game against Boca in the loss to Benfica. Stars like Harry Kane and Michael Olise entered the game in the second half and improved the side’s level of play, but not enough to squeak out a result and perhaps help them win the group.
On the flip side, Flamengo is also well-aware of the challenge and opportunity in front of it.
Flamengo delivered a memorable performance in its 3-1 win over Chelsea, which clinched its advancement to the Round of 16. Goals by Bruno Henrique, Danilo and Wallace Yan in a 21-minute span in the second half quickly turned a 1-0 deficit into one of Flamengo’s biggest wins in recent memory.
Flamengo coach Filipe Luis feels his team respects Bayern Munich, but is confident it can obtain another major victory against one of Europe’s best.
“Bayern is a colossus, a European giant,” Luis told reporters recently in Portuguese. “Absolutely dominant team in its games, in its national championship, and with an extraordinary squad.
“It’s just that in one game anything can happen. They will try to play their game and impose their rhythm and we will certainly have our chance to do the same thing, and in the end may the best one win.”
