Two games. Sixteen goals conceded. Zero scored. Auckland City’s Club World Cup campaign is quickly turning into a footballing horror story. And Friday night’s demolition job by Benfica was the latest chapter in the saga.
FIFA Club World Cup Benfica Thrash Auckland City 6-0
The Portuguese giants rained down goals and we mean that literally, because a thunderstorm delayed the second half for two hours, before finishing off Auckland 6-0 in Miami Gardens.
Di María and Barreiro: Double Trouble
Ángel Di María showed why he’s still elite, bagging a brace from the penalty spot, one just before the halftime whistle and another deep into added time. The 2022 World Cup winner still has that cold-blooded calm from 12 yards.
Leandro Barreiro also decided to join the party with two well-taken goals that buried any faint hope Auckland had left. And the goals just didn’t stop coming, Vangelis Pavlidis and Renato Sanches got in on the act too, making it a six-pack of pain for the Kiwis.
Auckland’s Struggles Hit a Stormy Peak
Let’s just say Auckland City started off trying to counterattack, but that lasted about 10 minutes. By halftime, they were being outshot 18 to 1. And while the storm in the sky paused play for over two hours, the storm on the pitch only intensified after the restart.
Fun fact (or not, if you’re from New Zealand): Auckland have now gone two games in the tournament with:
- 0 goals scored
- 16 goals conceded
- 0 points earned
- 0 hope left
Chaos Before the Floodgates
Right before the break, Auckland midfielder Tong Zhou went down with a head injury, and Benfica defender Álvaro Carreras wasn’t too pleased with the delay. He got into it with the officials and earned himself a yellow card for his troubles. If only that energy had been channeled into creating goals instead of complaints.
Benfica now sit pretty with 4 points in Group C, while Auckland City are heading for the exit door. Bayern Munich, who already smacked Auckland 10-0, face Boca Juniors later in the day. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t get any easier from here for the New Zealanders.
From a thunderstorm to a goal storm, Auckland City got washed away again.
