Mexican club Monterrey secured their place in the knockout stages of the FIFA Club World Cup with a commanding 4-0 victory over Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday.
The win, earned through a first-half blitz and a late goal from German Berterame, sees Monterrey finish second in Group E. They will now face German side Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16.
After a cagey opening, the match exploded to life with three goals in a devastating eight-minute spell for Monterrey. Nelson Deossa opened the scoring on the half-hour mark with a stunning, swerving shot from 35 yards out. Just four minutes later, German Berterame doubled the lead with a coolly placed low finish. Jesus “Tecatito” Corona then added a spectacular third goal in the 38th minute, smashing a powerful long-range strike past Urawa goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa.
Berterame sealed the emphatic victory in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time, stabbing home from close range for his second of the night.
“I’m really very happy we’re in the next stage,” said Monterrey coach Domenec Torrent. “On Saturday the club is celebrating 80 years so it’s a very special moment. We’re very happy because we have a clean sheet, it’s not easy in this group.”
Urawa Red Diamonds, who were already eliminated before the match, had an early opportunity to take the lead, but Yusuke Matsuo’s poor first touch allowed his goal-bound effort to be blocked.
The result, combined with Inter Milan’s 2-0 victory over River Plate in the group’s other fixture, confirmed Monterrey’s progression as runners-up. They will now travel to Atlanta to face Group F winners Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.
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