Bayern, First Executioner of South American Representatives

MIAMI, FRIDAY — A beautiful goal from striker Miguel Merentiel was not enough to save Boca Juniors. Bayern Munich, with a wealth of talent in the attacking line, proved too difficult to stop. Bayern successfully ended the perfect record of South American teams in the 2025 Club World Cup.

The anticlimactic results haunted Boca again at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, on Saturday (21/6/2025 WIB). Four days after being held to a draw by Benfica despite initially leading by two goals, the Argentine team was defeated by Bayern 1-2 in the continuation of Group C matches.

Other matches had sparse attendance, but not when Boca played. Hard Rock Stadium was filled with more than 60,000 spectators during the match. The stands, predominantly occupied by Boca supporters, erupted in cheers in the 66th minute after Merentiel scored the equalizing goal.

Merentiel showcased the distinctive style of South American play that relies on individual skills. He deceived two Bayern defenders before overpowering goalkeeper Manuel Neuer with a powerful shot. Boca's counterattack strategy was successfully executed.

The scent of revival is palpable in the stadium. A few hours earlier, South American representative Flamengo had just won 3-1 against European giant Chelsea after initially falling behind. Merentiel and his teammates seem to be replicating that story.

However, all of that was shattered six minutes before the end of normal time. Bayern winger Michael Olise restored the lead through a brilliant combination among players in the penalty area. Olise finally got his name on the scoreboard after his goal at the beginning of the match had been disallowed.

"We know this match will not be easy, coming to an unfriendly environment (with many opposing supporters) and hot weather. In the first half, we should have been able to take a bigger lead. They managed to put pressure on us in the second half, before we took control again," said Bayern striker Harry Kane.

Kane, the captain of the England national team, became the hero of the victory with one goal and one assist. He opened the scoring in the first half and created an opportunity for Olise at the end of the match. This contribution was enough to secure Bayern's advancement to the round of 16.

Boca's defeat also marks the end of the perfect record of South American teams. Prior to the match, they began the tournament with an unbeaten record of nine matches (6 wins and 3 draws). One of those records was contributed by Boca, who had previously drawn with Benfica.

Boca goalkeeper Marchesin stated that their resistance was at its peak. "We return home with much sadness and disappointment. On the other hand, we are pleased with what happened. This is how Boca should face matches. Hopefully, this will continue," he said.

The difference in the quality of the two teams' squads was clearly visible on the field. Bayern was able to dominate the match from the start. The team coached by Vincent Kompany had a commanding advantage in ball possession at 72.6 percent, as well as in the number of shots, with 11 to 6. Boca nearly only waited for counterattacks.

The central line of Bayern, led by Joshua Kimmich, made it difficult for the Boca squad to exit their own half. Boca's only goal was created during a transition situation. At that moment, Bayern had only two defenders left with a very high defensive line.

The difference in quality is already reflected in the market values of the players. Olise (100 million euros), a key player for the French national team, has a market value greater than that of the entire Boca squad (86.5 million euros). Meanwhile, the total value of the Bayern squad is 903.5 million euros.

Bayern (6 points) became the first team to advance from Group C. Boca (1) still has a chance to qualify, but must wait for the results of other matches. Benfica (4), after winning 6-0 against Auckland City, only needs a draw in the final match against Bayern to progress to the next round.

If they wish to advance, Boca must first win by more than six goals against Auckland. After that, they must hope that Benfica loses to Bayern in the final match. This scenario will be difficult to realize as Bayern has no urgency to win against Benfica.

Bayern only needs to draw in the final match to emerge as group champions. Nevertheless, Kane stated that they will continue to treat every match in the competition seriously in order to maintain consistency. They come with a great ambition to achieve the title of world champions for the third time.

"This is a very large tournament, we are playing against the best teams in the world. We always say that our opponent is ourselves and we need to compete at the highest level. We should be able to overcome that challenge," concluded Kane.