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Monterrey stars relishing River rumble
- Monterrey's players are in good spirits heading into their River Plate clash
- An opening-day draw with European giants Internazionale has heightened optimism
- Jorge Rodriguez discusses the "confident" feeling in the camp
Attending a CF Monterrey training session at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ is no ordinary affair.
On Friday, at Wallis Annenberg Stadium on the University of California, Los Angeles campus near Beverly Hills, the players’ arrival turned into an impromptu dance party – much to the delight of the crowd gathered outside. With maté in hand and boots on, Rayados made a lively entrance on to the pitch to Party Beach by Klima produciendo, blaring from a player’s portable speaker.
Festive tunes, lots of laughter and plenty of good-natured ribbing during ball drills – this Monterrey squad is the very picture of team spirit. “We’re very close,” said 22-year-old defensive midfielder Fidel Ambriz, who came off the bench in their 1-1 draw with FC Internazionale Milano last time out.
“We feel great and we’re really motivated,” added midfielder Jorge “Corcho” Rodriguez. “We’re feeling confident going into the game against River Plate because we already took the first step, and did so against none other than the UEFA Champions League finalists. Saturday will be another big test.”
“I’m looking forward to a great match [against River],” said striker German Berterame, who has a personal connection to the Argentinian giants. As a youngster, he had an unsuccessful trial with Los Millonarios – an experience he says helped him to “grow mentally” before coming into his own at San Lorenzo, another Buenos Aires-based club.
Rayados view their initial point against the Milan-based outfit as a triumph in its own right. Now they will need to build on it with a win over Marcelo Gallardo’s side, who opened their campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds. “We absolutely have to beat them,” said Rodríguez. “Just like against Inter, we’ll need to stay sharp, stay focused and give nothing away, because we know we’re up against a very good team. We’ll have to fight for every ball.”
If the Mexicans bare their teeth and take all three points against River, the doors to the Round of 16 will swing wide open. What better way to keep the party going – perhaps with Happy by Pharrell Williams providing the soundtrack at the next training session?
