Oscar Ustari saved a penalty and Lionel Messi was denied a late winner when Inter Miami was held into an entertaining draw by Al Ahly in the opening match of the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup in the Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday.
After a shimmering opening ceremony with a large number of football, royalties who are royalty from Sir David Beckham to Brazil -Spits Ronaldo -Suppress FIFA president Gianni Infantino will be relieved that their new 32 team tournament delivered everything they had hoped on the opening evening.
FlashScore looks at the three most important points of talk as it starts with a lot of malignant tournament.
The fears for empty stadium are illuminated with almost sold out
Tickets have fallen slowly for the tournament with prizes for the first game that slips from $ 350 in December to just $ 90 on the morning of the game.
This is in the midst of the fear that fans in stadiums can be directed with widespread government action against immigrants and ominous threats by American customs and border protection that claimed “suitable and started, ready to offer security for the first round of games.”
Yet it was Hard Rock Stadium, the home of NFL's Miami Dolphins, almost full when 60,927 supporters appeared, with all Ahly supporters who arrived in huge numbers to offer a colorful splash of red shirts and gold pharaohs everywhere Juichte.
“It was as if we played in Cairo and that was a surprise for me in my first official game,” Al-Ahly's Spanish manager Jose Riveiro told reporters.
Riveiro, who only takes over the club for this tournament, added: “To be here in the United States and to have it as if you were playing at home, is something that probably only happen in this club.”
There are still questions about competitions that have to attract a large expat – including a river plate against Monterrey in Los Angeles – and what will wait for spectators when they approach the tourniquets.
The FIFA will at least be relieved to avoid the chaotic scenes that have to do with Argentina and Colombia last summer in the Copa America -Final in Miami, when dozens of people were arrested to storm the stadium after long delays to come in.
This time there was an efficient filter system with a fence with outside and improved ticket and security controls in place.
Messi denied in the last minute but take in view
Lionel Messi has spent the past two seasons in the MLS in Inter Miami, but the Club World Cup again places him against some of the world's best opponents.
But against Al Ahly, the Argentinian forward cut a frustrated figure, in which the 45-way champions of Egypt use a solid defensive representation to keep it largely at bay.
The 37-year-old had bad luck not to score a free kick that cut the outside of the post as an interpot on the pressure, and a fairy-tale winner of the stop time was refused in the last moments when Mohamed El Shenawy tipped his target-bound shot on the bar.
Messi will be the oldest goal scorer in the club World Cup with his next strike and could be the leading goal scorer of the tournament – catching up Portugal's Ronaldo, who chose himself for this summer – with three goals in the US.
However, there are more difficult tests that lie in front of the Argentinian, with Porto and Palmeiras the following two games for a potential last -16 Showdown against his former club – and newly crowned European champions – Paris Saint -Germain or Laletyico Madrid.
Despite the opening of the opening day, Miami fans still have to remain positive that they can navigate the group from the group to set up a blockbuster Knock -Out Tie tournament organizers could only dream.
Miami turns on the heat
Away from the hot political climate in the US, the evening temperature in Miami covered more than 30 degrees at the kick -off with players who stop for refreshing spauses during the game.
Supporters were also seen while the humidity rose.
It has been a long and tough campaign for most clubs and there is a fear of fatigue from players and injuries with European cup holders PSG and Chelsea who have already played nearly 60 games this season.
Al Ahly's Moroccan defender Achraf Dari responds to Inter Miamipatricia de Melo Moreira / AFP
On the sidelines of a PSG training session at the University of California earlier in the day, the Portuguese midfielder Vitinha said reporters: “There are many competitions and traveling is non-stop, so it's not easy for us.”
And it took only 14 minutes before their fears came to pass in Miami with Al Ahly's Emam Asour that had to be replaced after a rough tackle, where Messi went down a little later.
There will be many nervous fans and managers for the next four weeks with the temperature that rises on both sides of the country.
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