Fluminense held Borussia Dortmund to a 0-0 draw in their Group F Club World Cup opener in New Jersey on Tuesday, as the Brazilian side were left to rue missed chances at MetLife Stadium.
Fluminense were firmly in control against Dortmund in the first half, but the Bundesliga side’s goalkeeper Gregor Kobel produced a handful of superb saves to frustrate the Brazilian team in front of a crowd mostly in their favour.
After Dortmund struggled to get a foothold in the match with no shots on goal in the first half, Kobel did his part with a remarkable double-save midway through the second half and frantic late efforts from both sides went unrewarded.
New Dortmund arrival Jobe Bellingham, the younger brother of Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, made his first appearance for the club as a 60th minute substitute.
Flag-waving Fluminense fans arrived early and cheered wildly as their team applied early pressure, with winger Jhon Arias’s shot towards the top corner saved by Kobel in the 17th minute.
Fluminense midfielder Martinelli missed by inches in the 34th minute and Kobel saved another fine attempt from Arias two minutes later.
Kobel kept out Fluminense striker Everaldo’s powerful shot from outside the box in the 69th minute and leapt to block a follow-up effort from midfielder Nonato moments later.
As scorching heat in the United States prompted concerns about welfare across the tournament, players were treated to overcast skies and mild temperatures in front of a modest crowd of 34,736 in the roughly 82,000 capacity NFL stadium.
The German club qualified for the Club World Cup with a top-four finish in the Bundesliga, while Fluminense qualified as the 2023 Copa Libertadores champion.
Fluminense played more aggressively, with a 14-7 advantage in shots. Dortmund held the possession advantage at 54.5%.
Dortmund will next play South African club Mamelodi Sundowns in Cincinnati, while Fluminense will return to MetLife to face Ulsan HD of South Korea on Saturday.
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this story.
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