Monterrey enter the final matchday of the Club World Cup group stage as the lone Liga MX team with a chance to qualify to the last 16 of the tournament.
Domènec Torrent's side has competed admirably against two massive clubs. They stood firm against Champions League finalists Inter Milan to salvage a point and showed their character in a grueling, hard-fought scoreless draw vs. Marcelo Gallardo's River Plate.
Monterrey carries the hopes of Liga MX on their shoulders in the Club World Cup, with Pachuca already eliminated from the tournament after back-to-back defeats,
Entering their final match of Group E against the already eliminated Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey sits third in the group with two points, two behind Inter and River Plate, who will face-off against each other at the same time.
Here, Sports Illustrated looks at what must happen for Monterrey to avoid elimination and advance to the Club World Cup round of 16.
What Monterrey Needs to Advance in the Club World Cup
Monterrey must handle business and defeat Urawa Red Diamonds if they're to have any chance of qualifying to the knockout rounds. Plain and simple.
If Rayados manage to win, the simplest way they can secure a spot in the round of 16 is if there's a winner in the Inter vs. River Plate match. Monterrey would advance as the second place finisher in the group and the loser of Inter vs. River would be eliminated from the competition.
However, if Monterrey wins and the clash between European and South American giants ends in a draw, then all three teams would end the group stage level on points.
Enter, the tiebreakers.
How Monterrey Can Qualify if There's a Three-Way Tie on Points
In the scenario of a Monterrey win and an Inter vs. River Plate draw, things get complicated.
Tiebreakers in the Club World Cup are different from the usual ones soccer fans have grown used to in past Cup competitions.
So, to make things easier, here's what must happen for Monterrey to advance depending on every possible Inter Milan vs. River result.
- Inter/River Plate wins; Monterrey win by any margin.
- Inter 0–0 River Plate; Monterrey win by any margin
- Inter 1–1 River Plate; Monterrey need to win by three or more goals, any Monterrey win by two goals starting from 4–2. If Monterrey win 3–1, the disciplinary points tiebreaker would come into play (River Plate are currently –10, Monterrey currently –6). If both teams end tied on disciplinary points, there's a random draw to decide who advances.
- Inter 2–2 River Plate; Monterrey is eliminated with this result and any other tie of two or more goals.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Club World Cup Group E Qualifying Scenarios: What Monterrey Needs to Advance.
