With the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup taking the day off after the Group Stage games ended last night, we thought it was a good time to check in with Michael Battista and Matthew Mangam, the Hudson River Blue contributors who are covering the tournament's games at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Michael started the tournament by watching 229 scoreless minutes from the press box at MetLife before the Curse of the Battista ended and the floodgates opened: First there was Palmeiras' 2-0 win over Al Ahly, then there was the six-goal thriller between Fluminese and Ulsan HD, and finally the 4-4 draw between Al Ahly and Porto. That works out to 16 goals in 221 minutes, for a Major League Soccer-esque one goal scored every 13.8 minutes.
Matthew was also in the press box for Palmeiras' 2-0 win over Al Ahly and the eight-goal scorefest between Al Ahly and Porto: All he knows is goals. The two of them sat down for a mid-tournament roundtable with Oliver Strand, and shared their reflections on the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup that had the staff here at HRB skeptical going into the cash grab event, but that is now winning us over.
Oliver Strand: The group stage of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup came to a close last night. Let’s start with a gut check: How are you feeling about the tournament so far?
Michael Battista: As of now, I’m feeling fairly mixed but leaning happy with the Club World Cup.
There are plenty of negatives, sure — there’s the low attendance of some games, and the veneer of the “cash grab” can still be felt at times. Also, and this isn’t on the tournament, the lack of MLS games makes it hard to jump back into the league. But overall, what we’ve seen at MetLife and other venues is some really fun soccer and storylines.
Yes, I saw 229 minutes of scoreless soccer to start the tournament, but about half of that was a thriller — and then I saw 14 goals in two games, so it balances out.
Michael Mangam: At first, I felt the Club World Cup would be a dud and no one would care about it. Some games – like Ulsan HD FC vs Mamelodi Sundowns FC – had very low attendance and almost zero interest, but other games – like Botafogo defeating UCL champions PSG – have brought tons of attention to the tournament.
With the group stage finished, I’m actually loving the Club World Cup and am excited for the knockout stage. I feel like we could see some more upsets along the way.
OS: Does that come as a surprise?
MM: Yes, because let’s be honest, the tournament had hardly enough coverage before it started.
It’s in my own backyard, and not many people knew it was happening. Weird kickoff times on weekdays made it hard for people to attend, and the games streaming on DAZN, which nobody heard of, is unusual.
This tournament is for people who live and breathe soccer, not a casual fan who only wants to watch the best teams.
Oliver Strand
MB: Completely agree.
I went into the tournament with negative feelings. It felt as though the latest “summer of soccer” wasn’t going to land. Especially with two tournaments going on in the country at once with the Concacaf Gold Cup. I think my worst fears haven’t been realized, and while cracks are showing, especially when it comes to empty stadiums, I am feeling the Club World Cup fever a little.
OS: Michael, you covered all five group stage games played at MetLife. Which match stands out the most?
MB: I have to go with the match between Fluminense FC and Ulsan HD FC. That, to me, is the pinnacle of what tournament soccer can be.
A stadium nearly all supporting the Brazilian side, stunned into silence by a 2-1 deficit at halftime, followed by three unanswered to secure the win. A star-making performance for Um Won-sang — and it's a shame he left the game hurt.
It reminded me of something my family tells me about the 1994 World Cup when every game featuring Ireland or Italy was the hot ticket. My father can remember getting tickets to Saudi Arabia versus Morocco at Giants Stadium for a Group Stage match, a game he had no ties for either side, and he still remembers how good it was (a 2–1 win for Saudi). That's what this tournament can be for FIFA if they can find a way to get people to care, whether that’s giving more comps or working to fill seats with neutrals.
Michael Battista
OS: Which team was the most fun to watch out of the games you covered?
MM: I’m between Palmeiras and Al Ahly and Al Ahly and Porto, but I think I have to go with the latter. The 4-4 draw between Al Ahly and Porto was probably one of the most exciting games I’ve ever covered for Hudson River Blue. Wessam Abou Ali had a hat trick, and every time Al Ahly took the lead, Porto responded with a goal. Al Ahly showed an urgency and intensity the whole 90 minutes, much different than the previous game I covered, where they lost 2-0 to Palmeieras.
That game could be taken with a grain of salt, though, because Palmeiras took the lead on a weird own goal, followed by a 45-minute weather delay that really took the energy out of both teams.
Matthew Mangam
MB: I won’t repeat what Matthew says. He hits a lot of points I already have for FC Porto vs Al Ahly FC. A 4-4 game is just a fun one to watch, not to mention Wessam Abou Ali is now being linked to the New York Red Bulls in possible acquisition talks — gotta love it when a cameo character in my soccer coverage might become a full-fledged protagonist!
But overall I think what will stand out for me from that game was the high-energy Egyptian fans — from the tifos at the start of the match, to the singing, to the one dude who popped open a flair before security immediately made him regret that decision.
Michael Battista
OS: It looks like the crowds were excellent at MetLife in spite of the empty seats. Michael’s coverage had some vivid accounts of the energy the fans brought to the game. Can you tell me more?
MM: The Palmeiras fans impressed me a ton. They were on their feet the entire game, and the sea of green behind the goal closer to me looked amazing. I have to give credit to the Al Ahly fans too, though.
OS: Matthew, you covered two games, the Palmeiras win over Al Ahly and the crazy eight-goal scorefest that was the 4-4 draw between Al Ahly and Porto. This was your first time in the press box at MetLife. What’s your take on a venue that will see the Club World Cup final on July 13, and the FIFA World Cup final in 2026?
MM: The press box could easily fit hundreds of reporters and journalists who are eager to cover the FIFA World Cup in 2026. Will it get to that number for the rest of the Club World Cup? Probably not, but there’s no doubt the stadium is big enough for the biggest sporting event in the world.
The only thing I’m worried about is the travel, especially public transportation, but that’s a conversation for another time.
OS: Michael, your Press Scran posts are the stuff of legend. By custom, soccer venues in the US provide a free buffet for the press, but FIFA makes you pay for your food. Let’s hear more about the scran at MetLife.
MB: Press Scran is a bit I completely owe to my friend Bobby and a few members of the New York Red Bulls staff — very glad I can document the little things in soccer journalism.
Overall, MetLife has gotten worse every game I’ve gone to this tournament. It started with offering hot meals for the first two games, including three-course options and tons of alternatives, but it ended up with only pre-packaged sandwiches and hot soup on boiling hot days.
I think it's interesting that MetLife is almost always a place where the media pay for food. I’ll say the food is way cheaper than at Copa America last year. A three-part meal costs $10 at the FIFA Club World Cup while last year, chicken tenders and fries were $14 and two hot dogs with fries were $20 at the Copa. At least we are able to get free water, while the media in Nashville need to pay something like $12 for two bottles of water.
I also understand this is really something a lot of people don’t care about. But for me, and I’ve come to find out others, it's super interesting to know how the sausage gets made behind the scenes. But the asiago turkey sandwich though? Stay away.
OS: Let’s talk grass. What’s the condition of the field at MetLife?
MB: Nearly everyone who has been asked about the field at MetLife has said it feels slow. The ball doesn’t travel well and the surface can be dry.
Visually, it looked good. Five games in eight days and the field never looked as bad as the second group stage match from Copa America last year. I’m not sure how the speed of the grass can be fixed.
MM: We saw Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac complain that the ball didn’t travel as fast, and Palmeiras winger Estêvão also complained about the pitch. To me, it didn’t seem as bad in the two games I covered, maybe the MetLife staff made some improvements?
OS: How about the heat? European pundits are making much of the conditions. Yes, the heat dome was brutal, but here in the US we all know how tropical the summers can be in the Northeast — and the Midwest, and the South…
MM: Yeah, it was very hot outside. The hydration breaks are much needed, and you can tell the extreme temperatures take a toll on most players.
The second game I covered, Al Ahly’s 4-4 draw with Porto, kicked off at 9 pm ET. It was extremely hot outside that day, reaching more than 95 degrees, but with the sun down and the temperature slightly cooler, I think the heat didn’t affect the players as much, which is why we saw such an exciting back-and-forth game.
Wessam Abou Ali completes the hat trick | Courtesy DAZN Football
MB: Borussia Dortmund hid in the TQL Stadium locker room because it was 85 degrees outside. You know what I do when it's 85 degrees? That's about the time I switch from pants to shorts.
The European mind simply cannot comprehend what it's like to need central air conditioning. I don’t think the play on the field suffered in the games I watched live or online. I do think the biggest thing will come from the fact that games across the United States in the summer can range in temperature to weather conditions. Like I said, get ready to learn what a Weather Delay is, buddy.
OS: All four Brazilian teams advanced to the knockout round. Michael, you watched Palmeiras and Fluminese play — do you think either of those teams could win the tournament?
MB: Flamengo is playing Bayern Munich in the Round of 16, so let’s move on from them. Palmeiras didn’t really wow me this tournament aside from 18 year-old Estêvão, who is the best part of the team. I think they can beat rivals Botafogo in the Round of 16, setting up a juicy game between Chelsea, the team Estêvão just happens to be joining after this tournament. But bigger teams will overpower a side that couldn’t score against Porto and needed two goals in the last ten minutes to draw against Inter Miami.
OS: What do you think FIFA got right about this tournament? What did it get wrong?
MB: FIFA got a few things right. It knew Al Ahly should play at MetLife, and that worked out like crazy. There has been a lot of good scheduling of teams playing in “correct” venues to maximize attendance.
That being said, there have been plenty of mistakes. Off the field, FIFA shot itself in the foot with how it handles the media. Seeing long-time MLS press barred from applying for credentials for having a non-media full-time job continues to be ridiculous. Organizationally, noon kickoffs on weekdays and 9 pm kickoffs on weeknights are dumb, but sometimes those just happen.
MM: I don’t think there’s much, or anything, that FIFA got right. Maybe including some clubs that didn’t qualify the traditional way just because of the large crowds they’d bring?
Like I said earlier, the weird kickoff times during the week don’t work, and it doesn’t help that there were some group stage matches that not many people cared about. Take Auckland City, for example. Yes, it’s a great story, but how exciting is it to see Bayern Munich win 10-0 against semi-professional players?
Hudson River Blue Staff
OS: What’s the best thing that could come out of this tournament?
MM: Certain teams, players, and fanbases getting shown on an international level. I’m sure one unexpected team will go on a deep run and have some under-the-radar players impress against some top teams. I’ve already seen the Palmeiras and Al Ahly fanbase show out, and I want to see others who are just as passionate.
MB: I think, selfishly, the best thing that can come from this tournament is Major League Soccer scouting new talent. The other RBNY media I saw at games all said the same thing on multiple occasions: “How do we get X player in MLS?” We can’t just be the league of Lionel Messi, and getting more young international talent is always the goal.
Hopefully, this tournament will make next year run as smoothly as possible. For the fans, players, media, and everyone involved.
OS: There are no Round of 16 games at MetLife, which means you’ll be watching those on DAZN. Which ones are your must-see matches?
MB: Borussia Dortmund vs Monterrey in a battle of what does the American soccer fan hate more, Gio Reyna or Liga MX?
In all seriousness, I think it's always interesting when Concacaf teams take on European sides, especially Liga MX. For as much as MLS is behind the curve, I feel like Liga MX can be even worse at times considering it feels way more closed off. Dortmund should advance.
MM: Is it weird that I’m picking Inter Miami versus PSG? Lionel Messi against his former club is a big storyline, and I strangely feel Miami could make it an interesting game. That’s not to say PSG won’t win, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Messi opens the scoring early before PSG comes back to take the victory.
OS: You’ll be back in the press box at MetLife for the Quarterfinal match on July 5 that will feature the winners of Real Madrid vs Juventus and Dortmund vs Monterrey. Who do you hope to see play that afternoon?
MM: I want to see Madrid versus Dortmund. A rematch of the 2024 UCL final at MetLife sounds super exciting.
MB: If I’m back at MetLife for that game, I’m honestly hoping I can witness two European teams clash.
Not for any sort of bias or disrespect to Monterrey, but because every game thus far has either had a South American presence or an Egyptian sea of red — I want to see what two major Euro sides can pull when playing one another in a non-friendly at MetLife. Especially when I think that Leagues Cup doesn’t do well in this region because more fans care about Europe versus Mexico.
Though, as Andrew Leigh noted in the HRB Slack channel, the idea of Madrid taking on Domé Torrent’s Monterrey in the swamps of Jersey is kind of peak.
At the end of the day, this is when teams really start pushing for it, and the “weirdness” of the competition isn’t a factor anymore as you’re four wins from a world title.
OS: What one piece of MetLife advice would you give the HRB readers who will attend that game?
MM: Be prepared to sit in traffic leaving the stadium. Public transportation to MetLife isn’t great either, but maybe you prefer it to sitting in standstill traffic trying to leave the stadium’s parking lot.
