He Lion is ready to roar in the Club World Cup and surpass his first rival this Friday, so here We tell you the details of the meeting and where you can see it.
The emerald team qualified directly for the quarterfinals of the tournament, so they did not play in the first phase, in which Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad beat Auckland City, so this Friday he will seek to beat the Asian champion, the Urawa Reds of Japan to later face each other in the semifinal with the Manchester CityEuropean monarch.
Led by Argentine coach Nicolás Larcamón, the León defeated LAFC of the MLS to crown in the Concacaf Champions League and earn the right to play in the World Cup for the first time. The equipment will reappear after two weeks of inactivity and it remains to be seen if it maintains proper functioning.
With a balanced squad, Larcamón’s team will try to keep the defense organized, one of its pending issues in the Apertura tournament and, from that, will try to create danger with an attack line led by the Uruguayans Nicolás López and Federico Viñas.
It is worth remembering that León is the fifth most winning soccer team in Mexico with eight league titles and, this year, after winning its first Concacaf title, it hopes to show a good performance in the World Cup.
“We are going to play a very important match for the history of our clubso (we are) looking forward to it, with great enthusiasm; Now looking at the facilities, the quality of the playing field. Everything, very positive,” said the Argentine coach of the Liga MX club in an interview for ESPN prior to the match.
“I trust what the team is going to express on the field, I trust in the commitment and dedication of our players. So, with great enthusiasm, with great conviction of what is coming to us,” he added.
On the other half of the field will be Urawa, third in the World Cup in 2007, in which they lost the semifinal 1-0 with AC Milan; It has a good defense, which has players in the middle of the field and will try to do damage with an offense led by Guinean José Kanté Martínez.
Led by the Polish Maciej Skorza, the Asian team has a good mix of Japanese and foreigners; It is a fast, disciplined team and will be a demanding rival for the Mexicans.
In addition to Urawa’s third place, Japan has other outstanding performances in the World Cup. In 2016 the Kashima Antlers reached the final; In 2008, Gamba Osaka was third and in 2015, Sanfrecce Hiroshima repeated that place.
The meeting will be December 15 at 9:30 a.m. ET / 6:30 am PT and you will be able to see it through the FIFA+ platform.
If León wins, they will advance to the semi-finals, where they will face Manchester City, champion of the UEFA Champions League.
It is worth mentioning that Mexico achieved its best participation in the Club World Cup in 2020when the UANL Tigers they reached the final, where they fell by the slightest difference against Bayern Munich, then European champion.
The Mexican clubs that have also had outstanding performances are those that have finished in third place: Monterrey, which achieved it twice, in 2012 and 2019; Necaxa, in 2000, and Pachuca in 2017.
Keep reading:
· DT del León promises that they will show their determination and pride in the Club World Cup
· Karim Benzema scores in the Club World Cup, makes history and guides Al Ittihad to the quarterfinals
· Find out the records that can be broken in the Club World Cup