Thiago Silva's Fluminense dominate but can't find a winner as Borussia Dortmund escape with a point in scoreless Club World Cup clash

The Brazilian side were unlucky to not walk away with three points, while stout defending and goalkeeping from Dortmund saw them salvage a point

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• Fluminense draw BVB 0-0
• Brazilian side unlucky not to walk away with three points
• American trio of Reyna, Albert, and Campbell go unused for Dortmund
• Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream now

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  EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – European and South American giants Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund settled for a point apiece, playing to a 0-0 draw in their Club World Cup openers in the United States.

  Fluminense looked the better side, but wasteful finishing and standout goalkeeping left the match deadlocked at 0-0. Yet, former AC Milan, PSG, and Chelsea star Thiago Silva, who now captains the Fluzão, was proud overall of his team's performance over a strong defensive European team.

  "For myself, I think I played well. The team as well. It's very important to compete today against Dortmund because they play well and very strong in the back four or five. It's not easy to penetrate," Silva told DAZN after the match. "But I think I'm very happy for the team as well for the game today."

  Fluminense registered three great scoring chances in the second half, putting attempts on target in the 49th, 57th, and 69th minutes, with the latter being their best attempt of the evening. An initial shot on target from the edge of the box saw goalkeeper Gregor Kobel make a splendid diving save, parrying the ball away, but the ball immediately found the boot of another Brazilian attacker who attempted to launch home – only to see Kobel leap from the ground to make an impressive double-save in the moment.

  The Bundesliga side, meanwhile, struggled to create anything going forward across all 90 minutes of action. Serhou Guirassy was kept quiet, and while manager Niko Kovac attempted to make changes to propel them towards a result, nothing came about. Dortmund manager Niko Kovac stressed the conditions of the pitch at MetLife Stadium and the weather conditions affected his team's approach.

  "Overall, it was a lucky point for us," he explained to DAZN.
  "The pitch isn't so easy for us. The humidity was also not so easy for us. It's something the Brazilians are more used to. We were not so aggressive, as I expected, in the first half. It was hard for us, we were running a lot. But overall, OK, we can live with a point."

  Kovac said Dortmund have to now chase three points following the result.

  We needed to have a good result, and a draw against a Brazilian team is always a good start," he said. "Now the next two games we must win for sure."

  All three Americans on Dortmund – Gio Reyna, Cole Campbell, and Mathis Albert – went unused as substitutes.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  At the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup, Fluminense charged their way to the final of the competition, only to be hammered 4-0 by Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

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  THE MVP

  Gregor Kobel: The Dortmund goalkeeper's terrific double-save in the 69th minute of play proved to be the difference between a point and nothing for the Bundesliga side. He had a few nervy moments when playing out of the back, but that save itself was the defining moment of the game.

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  THE BIG LOSER

  The Dortmund attack: The Bundesliga side was stagnant all afternoon, lacking threat in and out of the box throughout the 90 minutes. In total, they registered just three shots on target, while no real notable moment came about.

  An evening to forget for the attacking contingent of the German club.