Germán Berterame’s brace sends Monterrey on surprise trip to Club World Cup Round of 16 after 4-0 win over Urawa Reds

Monterrey wrapped up an impressive group stage performance at the Club World Cup by defeating Urawa Reds 3-0 in a do-or-die match for Domènec Torrent’s side. Inter’s 2-0 victory over River Plate kept Rayados from finishing top of Group E, meaning the Mexican side will now face Borussia Dortmund next Tuesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Fully aware of what was at stake, Torrent sent out an attack-minded lineup, which paid off after 30 minutes with a stunning long-range strike from Colombian midfielder Nelson Deossa to open the scoring. The momentum continued just four minutes later when Germán Berterame netted Monterrey’s second goal after a well-placed assist from Alfonso Alvarado.

The party had just begun for the Mexican club, and it was Jesús "Tecatito" Corona who capped off a dominant first half with a brilliant strike from distance in the 39th minute to make it 3-0.

Monterrey’s 10-minute blitz gave them a comfortable cushion heading into halftime. With the result effectively sealed, Torrent used the second half to manage the match and rest key players by making five substitutions. It’s worth noting that Torrent left Sergio Canales and Lucas Ocampos on the bench.

In the final minutes, Berterame capped off the party for La Pandilla by scoring his second goal in the 90+7th minute.

Six teams from the Americas have qualified for the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup: Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, Inter Miami, Monterrey, and Palmeiras. So far, the eliminated sides are: Boca Juniors, LAFC, Pachuca, River Plate, and the Seattle Sounders.

The MVP has to go to Domenec Torrent, who delivered an outstanding group stage performance at the Club World Cup in what were just his first three official matches as Monterrey’s head coach. Following the departure of Martín Demichelis, Torrent arrived under pressure to make a strong impression in the tournament, despite limited preparation time. Securing second place in Group E is undoubtedly a great result for both Monterrey and the club’s board, who put their trust in Torrent to lead the team after Demichelis’ disappointing stint.

The big loser is River Plate, as the Argentine team - one of the most popular in Latin America - failed in their Club World Cup campaign after starting with a win over Urawa Reds, a draw with Monterrey, and a loss in the final group stage match against Inter Milan, the Champions League runner-ups. Without a doubt, the elimination of Marcelo Gallardo and his team, along with Boca Juniors and Atlético de Madrid, will be among the most criticized of the tournament.

Rayados secured second place in Group E and will take on Borussia Dortmund next Tuesday in Atlanta.