Sergio Ramos rolled back the years to score a brilliant header as Monterrey held Inter Milan to a 1-1 draw in their FIFA Club World Cup clash at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, United States.
The former Spain and Real Madrid defender towered above the Inter defenders to find the back of the net and give his Mexican club a lead in the 25th minute of their Group E fixture, much to the delight of the thousands of Monterrey fans gathered at the famous venue in Southern California on Tuesday.
European giants Inter levelled the scoreline in the 42nd minute, as Lautaro Martinez tapped in from close range from a Carlos Augusto pass in a superbly crafted team goal.
However, it was Ramos’s goal and ensuing celebrations – both by the player and the Monterrey fans – that stole the limelight on the fourth day of the club competition.
“There is always joy to contribute to the team by scoring, but if we can get points, that’s even better,” the Monterrey captain said after the match.
“We played very well as a team. Of course, football showcases the goal, but we’re here to share this experience.”
Both sides had plenty of opportunities to take the lead in the second half but missed their chances, with a Martinez strike being called offside in the 68th minute.
It was a hard-fought draw for Inter, who lost the UEFA Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on May 31 and welcomed new manager Cristian Chivu.
According to the 39-year-old Ramos, his team lacked the energy in the final moments of the game.
“For most of this match, we created quite a few chances, but at this moment, we don’t have much energy,” he said.
Monterrey and Inter have one point apiece in the group led by River Plate, who beat Urawa Red Diamonds 3-1 in the earlier game in Seattle.
Goals from Facundo Colidio (12 minutes), Sebastian Driussi (48 minutes) and Maximiliano Meza (73 minutes) helped the Argentinian club beat their Japanese opponents with ease, but they lost their forward to an ankle injury while scoring the second goal.
A successfully converted 58th-minute penalty from Yusuke Matsuo brought Urawa back into the game momentarily, but Meza’s goal 15 minutes later consolidated River Plate’s lead again.
On the second match day for the group on Saturday, Inter take on Urawa, and Monterrey face River Plate.
In the Group F fixtures on Tuesday, Brazilian Serie A side Fluminense held German club Borussia Dortmund to a goalless draw at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, while Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa beat South Korean side Ulsan HD 1-0 in Orlando, Florida.
Iqraam Rayners scored in the 36th minute for Mamelodi, who now lead Group F with three points. Dortmund and Fluminense have one point each.
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