MIAMI, Florida – Monterrey will seek a strong finish to their 2021 FIFA Club World Cup campaign when they meet Al Jazira of the United Arab Emirates in the Fifth Place Match on Wednesday night at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi in the UAE.
The 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League winners narrowly fell 1-0 to Egyptian side Al Ahly in Saturday’s quarterfinal, but a chance to rebound presents itself against the host club, who hail from the Asian Football Confederation.
While Rayados were unable to find the back of the net against Al Ahly, they did carve out various scoring chances throughout from the likes of FW Rogelio Funes Mori and MF Arturo Gonzalez.
Those two, along with MF Maximiliano Meza and others, will try to create and finish more chances in Wednesday’s encounter.
The five-time SCCL champions also do have history in their favor, with an all-time record of 2W-0D-0L in FCWC Fifth Place Matches. Rayados defeated Tunisia’s Esperance de Tunis, 3-2, in 2011 and Al Ahly, 5-1, in 2013.
It will be the first ever match for Monterrey against an opponent from the UAE at the FCWC. The only time a team from Concacaf have faced Al Jazira in a FCWC was the Third Place Match at the 2017 edition when Pachuca emerged with a 4-1 victory.
The other match-up between a team from Concacaf and a club from the UAE was at the 2010 FCWC when Pachuca edged Al-Wahda 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw in the Fifth Place Match.
