Fluminense keeps its feet on the ground against Ulsan in the Club World Cup after crushing Borussia Dortmund

Fluminense will face Ulsan HD in the second round of the Club World Cup , this Saturday, at 7pm (Brasília time), at MetLife Stadium, in New Jersey. The draw against Borussia Dortmund in the opening match, considered the most difficult game in the group, raises expectations for the duel against the South Koreans.

A possible return to the starting lineup excites fans. Renato Gaúcho can count on Germán Cano, who came on for 20 minutes against the Germans.

The 37-year-old Argentine had not played since April 29, when he suffered a right knee injury. Even so, Cano remained Fluminense's top scorer for the year, with 14 goals, seven more than second-placed Kevin Serna.

For the striker, the idea is to overcome the chances missed by the team against Borussia Dortmund and focus on this Saturday's match. He also argues that the squad cannot get carried away by high expectations.

"All the teams we're going to play against will be very difficult. We see each game as unique and special and we know that, within our group, the opponents are very strong. Expectations are obviously very high. For us, this means a lot, and we're preparing very well to continue in the World Cup," he said in an interview with FIFA.

The speech was endorsed by Colombian Jhon Arias. "What we did put us in a global spotlight. Many people commented and praised us, and clearly our next opponent will come with the feeling that it is the game of their lives, a very important game. That is why we need to go into the match with the same seriousness, responsibility and courage with which we faced Borussia," said the player.

While Fluminense drew, still letting a victory slip away, Ulsan had a bigger disappointment. The team lost to Mamelodi Sundowns by 1-0. A defeat against the Brazilians practically eliminates them from the World Cup.

It is precisely a Brazilian-born player who is the team's hope for goals. Erick Farias made his debut for Ulsan in March and has since scored 11 times in 25 appearances in his three months at the club.

Another force in defense is experienced goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo. Now 33, he has played for South Korea's national team for a number of years. He was the starting goalkeeper for the 2018 team that beat champion Germany 2-0 in the World Cup in Russia. The match contributed to the Germans' elimination in the first round.

Ulsan visited Laranjeiras 31 years ago

Fluminense was preparing for the Campeonato Carioca in January 1994 and invited Ulsan to a friendly match at the Estádio das Laranjeiras. The game ended with a 1-0 victory for Fluminense.

The Rio de Janeiro team, coached at the time by Carlos Alberto Torres, presented, in the match, the full-back Branco and the new uniforms for the season.

Coincidentally or not, the vehicle manufacturer Hyundai, which belongs to the group that owns the South Korean club, began to print on Fluminense's shirt in 1995.

TECHNICAL SHEET

• FLUMINENSE - Fabio; Samuel Xavier, Freytes, Thiago Silva and Renê; Thiago Santos, Martinelli and Ganso (Nonato); Jhon Arias, Serna and Cano. Coach: Renato Portaluppi.
• ULSAN HD - Hyeon-woo Jo; Ludwigson, Young-Gwon Kim, Myeong-kwan Seo and Trojak; Jung, Bojanic, Hui-Gyun Lee, Seung-Beom Ko and Chung-Yong Lee; Eric Farias. Coach: Pan-Gon Kim.
• REFEREE - Michael Oliver (ENG).
• TIME - 7pm (Brasília time).
• LOCATION - MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, United States.
• WHERE TO WATCH - Globo (open TV), SporTV (closed TV), Cazé TV (YouTube), Amazon Prime Video (streaming) and DAZN (streaming).