By Sachit Subba • Football • Jun 26, 2025 02:07 AM • 62 views
A gritty and resilient Fluminense side sealed their place in the Club World Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday, grinding out a 0–0 draw against South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns in Miami to complete a clean sweep of Brazilian clubs, advancing to the knockout stages. Despite being second-best for long spells at the Hard Rock Stadium, where the South African champions pressed and probed with intent, Fernando Diniz's men did just enough to secure second place in Group F behind Borussia Dortmund, who earlier beat Ulsan HD 1–0 in Cincinnati.
With the point, Fluminense finishes on five points — two behind Dortmund and one ahead of Sundowns, who will rue a host of missed chances and leave the tournament wondering what might have been. "It wasn't pretty," Diniz admitted after the match. "But this team knows how to suffer, how to survive. That's what we did today." Indeed, Fluminense survived the early onslaught courtesy of veteran goalkeeper Fábio, whose ageless reflexes belied his 44 years. The former Cruzeiro man twice denied Lucas Ribeiro in the opening 20 minutes and later got down smartly to block Tashreeq Matthews' curling effort from the edge of the box.
Sundowns dominated the ball and dictated the rhythm — especially down the flanks where Khuliso Mudau and Aubrey Modiba consistently drove forward — but lacked the final punch in the box. Despite controlling possession, Rulani Mokwena's side couldn't find a way past the Brazilian wall.
"It's a cruel game sometimes," Mokwena said post-match. "We played to win, we created more, but we leave with nothing to show for it." Fluminense, slow to settle and passive in the opening half-hour, flicked into gear after the scheduled cooling break under the sweltering Florida heat. Germán Cano, their ever-reliable No. 9, nearly turned the tide in the 57th minute when his low drive rattled the far post — the closest either team came to breaking the deadlock.
While the match was played in front of just over 14,000 spectators — a modest turnout for a 65,000-seater venue — the stands reverberated with the rhythms of Brazil and the beats of South Africa. A cultural contest as much as a football one, with samba chants and vuvuzela-style drums blending in a vibrant fusion of passion and pride. The draw sees Fluminense book a last-16 clash in Charlotte next Monday, where they will meet the runner-up from Group E — a tantalizing tie against either River Plate, Inter Milan or Monterrey.
For Brazil, it's a show of strength. With Flamengo, Palmeiras, Botafogo, and now Fluminense all through to the knockouts, the country's club football depth continues to shine on the global stage. For Sundowns, it's heartbreak. But for neutrals, they leave as one of the most courageous, enterprising sides of the group stage — their exit a sobering reminder of how cruelly acceptable margins can shape footballing destiny.
