FIFA Club World Cup: Nouhou Tolo’s Sounders faces tough Atletico test today.

The game will take place at Sounders’ home stadium, the Lumen Field located in Washington where the ongoing first edition of the expanded 32-team club world cup competition is holding. It will kick off at 11p.m.  

The Atletico Madrid fixture will see Sounders hoping to bounce back on track following the challenging start the team had when it lost 2-1 to 2024 South American champions, Brazil’s Botafogo football club during their opening game of the series.  

The Atletico Madrid fixture is equally expected to serve as a tough test for the Indomitable Lions defender and the Sounders team. 

This is because just like Sounders, the Spanish team will head to this evening’s fixture hoping to stage a comeback after posting a nightmarish performance in their first match.

Atletico suffered a humiliating 4nil defeat to reigning European champions, Paris Saint Germain during their day one fixture.

Nouhou Tolo and Sounders are making their second appearance at the FIFA Club World Cup competition, a record for a team from the United States. 

The club qualified for the 2025 event after winning the 2022 edition of North American, Central American and Caribbean Champions Cup, which sits as the region’s biggest continental club competition. 

Sounders is placed in Group B alongside Atletico Madrid, Botafogo and Paris Saint Germain. The outfit is hoping to end the group stage series as one of the top two teams to be able to qualify for the round of 16 stages.

Jeremy Ebobisse’s Los Angeles FC up against ES Tunis tomorrow

The second and final Cameroonian in the ongoing competition, Jeremy Ebobisse, will be in action with his Los Angeles Football Club tomorrow evening.

The forward and the United States side will entertain four-time African champion, Esperance Sportive of Tunisia at 11pm on Friday evening. The game will take place at the Geodis Park in Nashville in Tennessee.

Los Angeles FC suffered a 2nil defeat to two-time European Champions League winners, Chelsea Football Club during their first match of the tournament last Monday and will hope to come out victorious tomorrow to boost their chances of making it through to the second round.

Esperance Sportive went down with a similar 2-0 defeat on the hands of South American team, Flamengo football club of Brazil in its first game. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3478 of Thursday June 19, 2025