Rayners fires Sundowns to historic Club World Cup victory over Ulsan
Iqraam Rayners needed just one clear sight of goal to give Mamelodi Sundowns the perfect launch to their maiden FIFA Club World Cup adventure, sealing a 1-0 victory over Ulsan HD on a storm-soaked evening in Orlando.
A violent electrical storm pushed kick-off at Inter & Co Stadium back by more than an hour, but the South African champions emerged from the delay looking anything but sluggish.
Tuesday night's victroy was the first win for the African continent at the ongoing competition being held in the United States of America.
Their reward arrived on 36 minutes: Lucas Ribeiro slid a clever reverse pass behind the Korean back line and Rayners bent an outside-of-the-boot finish past goalkeeper Jo Su-hyeok.
It was third-time lucky for the striker. VAR had already chalked off one effort for handball following a corner and another for a marginal offside call in the build-up, yet Rayners’ persistence typified Sundowns’ authority throughout a first half they controlled almost exclusively.
Ulsan’s best moment before the break came when winger Erick fizzed a volley inches over the angle and, seconds later, Divine Lunga’s acrobatic goal-line clearance rescued his stranded goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
The South Korean champions returned with greater purpose after half-time, but Keanu Cupido’s aerial dominance and Williams’ sharp positioning restricted them largely to hopeful crosses.
Sundowns might have doubled their advantage when Ribeiro curled narrowly high from the edge of the area, while substitute Tashreeq Matthews injected fresh legs as Masandawana shut the game down.
Group F had earlier opened with Fluminense’s goalless draw against Borussia Dortmund, meaning Sundowns leave matchday one on top of the section and well-placed to reach the knockout rounds.
For coach Miguel Cardoso, the clean sheet, the preservation of captain Themba Zwane’s energy and an opening-day three points represent just about everything he could have asked for—weather dramas included.