Torrent Blames Fouls for Ugly Draw Against River at Club World Cup

Monterrey manager Domènec Torrent expressed frustration after his side’s 0-0 draw with River Plate in Saturday’s Club World Cup Group E clash, accusing the Argentine club of disrupting play through excessive fouling.

"River has many qualities, but one of them is winning duels and making a lot of fouls," the Spanish coach told DAZN. “They did it, and then it’s up to the referee’s interpretation, but it becomes a different type of game.”

The match, played in Pasadena, was physical and often disjointed. Five Monterrey players received yellow cards, along with four from River Plate. River’s Kevin Castaño was sent off in the second half after receiving two bookings.

"It was an ugly game for the spectator," Torrent said in the post-match press conference. Still, he remained optimistic: "The draw isn’t bad. If we beat Urawa [next Wednesday], we’ll have a strong chance of advancing."

Torrent acknowledged River’s intensity in the second half, saying, “They were more aggressive and won more individual duels. But Monterrey held their own.”