Fans, Tech, and Sundowns: Voices Rise Loud Internationally

After speculation, questions, skepticism, optimism and all, the Fifa Club World Cup kicked off and now a week old in the United States of America (USA).

A tournament Fifa hopes will become the pinnacle of global club football, the Club World Cup is the biggest ever in its 25-year history, with 32 teams.

By Thursday morning, each had kicked a ball across 11 American cities. The talking points have been many with the off-pitch details speaking more.

Fans, empty stands

Empty seats and low ticket sales have coated the story from the USA. Perhaps, an American culture that the natives pick what they want to watch or attend, from a concert, to a fashion show, a band parade or bikini festival.

The stadiums have hit near full capacity where top teams and stars have featured yet for lowly-ranked teams or some lunch-time fixtures, fans haven’t turned up.

The Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida holds a capacity of 65326 people and 60927 turned up for the tournament opener between Inter Miami with Lionel Messi and Egyptian side Al Ahly.

Still at Hard Rock, 62,415 fans turned up to watch record European champions Real Madrid take on Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal on Wednesday.

However, for the encounter between South African club Mamelodi Sundowns against South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai in Orlando, just 3412 fans turned up at the Inter&Co Stadium.

On Monday, concerns were glaring about the tournament’s popularity when Chelsea beat Los Angeles FC in front of 22,137 people at the 71000-seater Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

The tournament is a dress rehearsal for next year’s Fifa World Cup where 48 teams will compete across Canada and Mexico but mainly in the USA. Does that dampen the mood already for next summer?

Whereas some could argue along those lines, Fifa president Gianni Infantino has felt no pressure after the global body on Tuesday announced it had already sold nearly 1.5 million tickets.

Over 340000 fans had attended the opening eight fixtures with 80,619 fans packing up the iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Los Angeles as reigning European kings Paris Saint-Germain routed Atlético de Madrid 4-0 on Sunday.

European show?

The threats of lightning delayed the duel between Sundowns and Ulsan in Orlando and 90-minute delay due to a relentless thunderstorm that danced over TQL Stadium affected the Red Bull Salzburg tie against Pachuca in Cincinnati on Wednesday.

On the pitch however, football is doing its best to talk. Often, it speaks louder as the tournament grows older. From the opening 16 matches across eight groups, 45 goals had been scored.

And of that, 13 teams had not found the back of the net with only 10 winners emerging, seven of these being European clubs.

German bigwigs Bayern Munich have been the highest scorers with their memorable 10-0 thumping of Auckland City from New Zealand while Juventus wrapped up the opening round of matches with that 5-0 masterclass against UAE side Al-Ain. The gaps will definitely narrow down between opponents as games go by.

Sundowns has Africa counted

Africa is represented by several players but only four teams in the USA; Al Ahly, Sundowns, Espérance of Tunisia and Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca.

Sundowns saved Africa’s face with that 1-0 victory over Ulsan courtesy of Iqraam Rayners’ 36th-minute goal. Ugandan Denis Onyango was on the bench for Sundowns.

Yet, Al Ahly could have beaten Inter Miami had Mahmoud Trezeguet tucked away his penalty. Another African Yassine Bounou stood tall in Miami as the Moroccan goalkeeper kept out Federico Valverde’s penalty to hand Hilal a point against Real Madrid.

Sundowns has a chance of enhancing its reputation tonight when they face German side Borussia Dortmund at the TQL Stadium.

A point could come in handy to push Onyango and company to the last 16 stage of the tournament yet Dortmund, who played out a goalless draw against Brazilian side Fluminense in their opener, want more.

Dortmund coach Niko Kovač is hoping they can crack the goal code which means attackers Serhou Guirassy, Julian Brandt and Karim Adeyemi will hope to keep Ronwen Williams or, hopefully Onyango, busy in that Sundowns’ goal.

Referees’ spice

Officiating at the tournament is redefined too with referees being aided by new technology which includes artificial intelligence to bar goalkeepers from time wasting while holding the ball.

Most uniquely, Fifa has set small cameras placed in referees’ ears to capture live feed which is being fed into match broadcasts globally more so on non-controversial aspects of the game.

There have also been changes with how players walk out of the tunnel to the pitch. Each is introduced and they walk onto the field unlike before where the entire starting XI walks out.

This is common in individual sports like boxing and athletics as well as American showbiz. Football could still speak more over the next week in the USA.

FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP

SATURDAY, JUNE 21

Sundowns vs. Dortmund (7pm)

Inter vs. Urawa Reds (10pm)

SUNDAY

, JUNE 22

Fluminense vs. Ulsan (1am)

River Plate vs. Monterrey (4am)

Juventus vs. Wydad AC (7pm)

Real vs. Pachuca (10pm)