Liverpool win in Qatar
Klopp’s side claim first global title
“We don’t fly 3,000 miles, we don’t fly that distance, not to show up” Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp
Amid the glitz of the glass skyscrapers and rising World Cup venues of Qatar’s capital, European champions Liverpool won their first global crown with a 1-0 victory in Doha over Flamengo in a thrilling and dramatic Club World Cup Final.
Flamengo’s industry and quality led to extra time, but Liverpool’s Brazilian striker Roberto Firmino broke his compatriots’ hearts with a winning goal to hand Liverpool a title that had eluded them previously in 1981, 1984 and 2005.
The Final was a marvellous boxto-box game that delivered on its promise of a fascinating intercontinental encounter. Buttressed by the return of defender Virgil Van Dijk and his commanding presence, Liverpool had three chances inside the first six minutes, exploiting Flamengo’s high defensive line. However, Roberto Firmino after 30 seconds, Naby Keita and Trent Alexander-Arnold all failed to make the most of the opportunities they were given.
But Liverpool’s barnstorming opening did not bowl over Flamengo and the South American champions recovered their poise to seize possession and dominate the first half without creating any genuine opportunities. Out wide on the left, Bruno Henrique stymied Alexander-Arnold’s attacking runs.
In the second half, Roberto Firmino rattled the woodwork and Gabriel Barbosa repeatedly tested Liverpool keeper Alisson, but the Brazilians tired after the 70th minute – perhaps a consequence of a gruelling domestic calendar that required them to play 74 games in 2019. The introduction of Vitinho for Giorgian De Arrascaeta backfired and not even Diego, the veteran statesman and match-winning substitute against both River Plate in the Copa Libertadores Final and Al Hilal in the Club World Cup semi-finals, could exert much influence.
In a bizarre decision, Qatari referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim overturned his decision to award Liverpool an injurytime penalty for a foul by Rafinha on Sadio Mane just as the Senegalese shaped to shoot. VAR showed Mane had been clipped, but following a lengthy on-field review Al Jassim decided that the infringement had occurred outside the penalty box.
With Flamengo physically on their knees, the end was inevitable. Liverpool’s 99thminute winner dashed Flamengo’s dream of a global crown, even if substitute Lincoln should have
equalised in the dying seconds of extra time when he blasted his attempt over from close range.
A composed Liverpool merited their 1-0 victory, with stellar performances from captain Jordan Henderson and keeper Alisson to cap off a resplendent 2019, having won both the Champions League and the European Super Cup. Afterwards, Liverpool coach Klopp praised his team, calling the win “outstanding” and “sensational”.
His decision to bring a full-strength squad to Qatar for a tournament that
Europe traditionally doesn’t value was totally vindicated.
The Club World Cup clashed with Liverpool’s League Cup quarter-final at Aston Villa but Klopp prioritised the global finals. Liverpool split their squad to accommodate two matches, held in the space of 48 hours, on two different continents. At Villa, Liverpool fielded their youngest-ever team, with an average age of just over 19, and exited the maligned competition with a 5-0 capitulation.
“We had to make a decision like we did,” said Klopp on the eve of Liverpool’s
semi-final with Mexico’s Monterrey. “We knew first that we would be invited to the Club World Cup before we knew how far we would go in the League Cup, so that’s how it is. For us, we are here: we don’t fly 3,000 miles, we don’t fly that distance, not to show up.”
Against Monterrey of Mexico, Liverpool did struggle without defensive anchor Van Dijk, who had been ruled out of the semi-final due to illness.
In their fourth Club World Cup, Monterrey eliminated hosts Al Sadd 3-2 in the second round, the Qatari champions – coached by former Barcelona midfielder Xavi – having sent maiden finalists Hienghene Sport from New Caledonia home in the tournament’s curtain raiser, 3-1. A first-half equaliser from Antoine Roine was not enough to prevent Al Sadd from running out winners in the first round with extratime strikes from Abdelkarrim Hassan and Pedro.
In the semi-final, Keita opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 12th minute after a superb reverse through ball from Mohamed Salah, before Rogelio Funes Mori equalised within two minutes for Monterrey. The Mexicans exposed Liverpool’s makeshift defence, with Henderson dropping into central defence and James Milner deputising at rightback. Henderson didn’t provide Van Dijk’s thrust and security, and Monterrey’s Dorlan Pabon proved a scourge for the English rearguard. In the 27th minute, the Mexican captain forced a fine save from Alisson.
After the interval, Klopp switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation to reinforce his midfield. However, Liverpool still needed Alisson’s presence of mind to prevent Pabon and Funes Mori from giving the CONCACAF champions the lead. Monterrey’s pace and strength unsettled Liverpool. The Mexicans even demanded a red card for Joe Gomez when, already booked, the defender was penalised for handball.
On the touchline, Klopp berated his Monterrey counterpart Antonio Mohamed, who later commented: “For me, there was a red card, especially the first foul and the second. So, I talked to the referee. Maybe a Liverpool shirt has more weight, therefore the Liverpool player wasn’t sent off.”
Klopp introduced Mane, AlexanderArnold and Roberto Firmino, and the latter two combined to ensure passage to the Final when the Brazilian tapped in an injury-time cross.
On the other side of the draw, Flamengo played Asian champions Al Hilal in the last four. The Saudi club had eliminated African champions Esperance in the second round with a single goal from substitute Bafetimbi Gomis.
Esperance demonstrated robust organisation and marking, but they were underwhelmed in attack. However, they came good to win a fifth-place play-off against 10-man Al Sadd with winger Hamdou Elhouni’s hat-trick dismantling the hosts in a 6-2 win, a result that left coach Xavi fuming and under pressure.
“I’m very sad, very disappointed and very angry because we played the first two matches really well,” he said. “We are Al Sadd and we’re playing against African champions and our attitude during the first 20 minutes isn’t acceptable.”
For Flamengo, the Al Hilal semi-final represented a pitfall. Last year, the UAE’s Al Ain had knocked out River Plate at the same stage and past South American champions Internacional, Atletico Mineiro and Nacional had all suffered similar fates in recent Club World Cups.
In the 18th minute, Salem Al Dawsari handed the Saudi team the lead from close range, highlighting the fact that Al Hilal’s financial muscle under the patronage of Saudi prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, along with its efforts on talent development and storied history, were a potent mix to overcome.
A sloppy Flamengo were given a reality check by Al Hilal before the Brazilian club rediscovered their penchant for stirring comebacks in the second half. The vulnerable Willian Arao dropped deeper, and Barbosa and Bruno Henrique played closer to each other. In the 49th minute, De Arrascaeta was on the end of a slick move to equalise. The introduction of Diego swayed the game in Flamengo’s favour. First, Bruno Henrique and then Ali Al Buhaili’s own goal sealed Al Hilal’s fate.
In the Final, a repeat of Flamengo’s greatest moment in history – when the Rio club, led by Zico, breezed past the English club 3-0 in the 1981
The Club World Cup was the first major test run ahead of the global finals in 2022 and another opportunity for the organisers to overcome foreign scepticism.
The tournament was the second FIFA competition in Qatar after the country had stepped in to stage the 1995 Youth World Championship after an outbreak of meningitis thwarted the hosting plans of Nigeria.
The organisers were, however, forced into a last-minute venue change when Education City Stadium, a 2022 World Cup venue slated to host matches up to the quarter-finals stage, was deemed unfit. FIFA said that “the necessary certification process took longer than expected and therefore the stadium was unable to host the required test events”.
The rethink came after Doha’s Al Janoub Stadium struggled to cope with the influx of fans during the Gulf Cup semi-final between Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Organisers feared similar issues could have impeded operations at Education City Stadium, so both semi-finals and the Final moved to the Khalifa International Stadium – Qatar’s national stadium and the venue for the 2019 World Athletics Championships, which received criticism for extreme heat and sparse crowds.
While stories of corruption and humanrights abuses continue to taint the buildup to the 2022 World Cup, Tamin El Abed – project manager at the construction site of Lusail Stadium, where the World Cup Final will be staged – claimed that the 4,000 labourers working on site earn about $350 per month, get a day off every week and are entitled to a flight ticket home once a year. He added that the workers have access to sporting facilities and relaxation areas.
The rigid “kafala” system in use in Qatar, which ties workers to sponsorship by their employers, remains contentious, but the International Labour Organisation has been working with Qatar to reform labour laws.
The Lusail Stadium will seat 80,000 and the Club World Cup was the first time Qatar has had to deal with large volumes of foreign fans, with 21,580 Brazilians arriving to watch Flamengo. Mohamed Salah also drew crowds of Egyptian expats in the Qatari capital, selling out both Liverpool games with 45,416 fans at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Fans had the opportunity to test out the city’s newly inaugurated metro for free on match days and they could enjoy some reasonably priced beer at the fan zone. Katy Perry, Maroon 5 and Cheb Khaled provided entertainment at a festival
This was the first time that Qatar has had to deal with large volumes of foreign fans
building up to Qatar’s national day when FIFA president Gianni Infantino was the guest of honour.
Of course, the question of the Club World Cup’s importance is never far away and it will return to Qatar in December for a final time in its current format before morphing into a 24-team event in 2021.
“FIFA plans a team World Cup in the summer but it is the summer when the African competition is playing and others as well,” said Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp.
“We have a lot of fans in this part of the world and they watch us in the middle of the night, so it is nice we come closer.
“But from an organisation point of view they have to talk, because otherwise FIFA say we’ll have a tournament, and UEFA say so will we, and then South America too. And they all think their tournament is most important. You cannot just add on tournaments. It doesn’t work.”