GOAL US looks at the main storylines from the quarters, and previews the semis in the latest edition of the Club World Cup XI
And then there were four. This has been a bit of a mixed Club World Cup, in truth. There have been some really exciting moments, memorable fixtures and breakout stars. There is also Thiago Silva, who is somehow still good at football.
Yet simultaneously, this 32-team expanded tournament has been awash with concerns. Heat, poor pitches, and underwhelming crowds have all been fairly criticized. But let's forget about all of that and enjoy some football, eh? The quarterfinals brought drama – good and bad – and set up some tasty semis.
Real Madrid-PSG seems like a massive clash, and hopefully will be played out like one. Fluminense-Chelsea may not be as evenly matched, but Chelsea will still believe they have an outside chance.
GOAL US presents theClub World Cup XI, with key observations heading into the semifinals.
Getty Images1Gonzalo Garcia can ball…
Here's a question you never thought you'd ask: is Kylian Mbappe a guaranteed starter for Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso? The answer is a resounding "probably." But it's not a definitive yes. And that's because of a slightly awkward 21-year-old from the Madrid academy. Gonzalo Garcia is a curious character off the pitch, nervous with the media, a stream of cliches in front of cameras. He's shy.
But on the grass in the quarterfinals at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, he ran around like he owned it. Garcia covered every blade of the attacking third for Madrid, scored the first goal, and made a crucial run to allow space for the second. He is certainly the No. 9 that Madrid didn't want to have to spend big in the transfer market to acquire. The question, now, becomes: should he be in the starting XI every week?
AdvertisementGetty2…but so can Kylian
That might be an easier call if Mbappe didn't insist on scoring a wonderful goal in second half stoppage time on Saturday. This is the thing with the Frenchman. He does a whole lot of nothing for his 30 minutes after coming on as a sub. And then he does, well, , an unreal bicycle kick to ice the game. How can you drop this guy?
AFP3Fluminense give themselves a chance
We're all Fluminense, aren't we lads? Who knows. But it felt vitally important to the integrity of the competition to have at least one South American team in the semis, especially for their raucous fanbase. And Fluminense are the chosen ones. In fairness, they have also probably had the easiest route, and will face a real step up in quality when they take on Chelsea. But it's wonderful that they're in the mix.
(C)Getty Images4Chelsea might be good?
A word on Fluminense's opponent, though, who have very quietly been quite good for a few weeks. Flamengo may have done a number on Enzo Maresca's side back in the group stages, but that seems like a world away now, and the Blues are humming just in time for the semis. They didn't ever look too threatened against Palmeiras – an Estevao moment of magic notwithstanding – and will go into the clash with another Brazilian side as clear favorites.