Preview of the F Group of TA Club World Cup: Dortmund is by no means a stable win. 40-year-old Thiago Silva leads the team to become a dark horse?

The new Club World Cup will kick off this Sunday, with 32 teams from six continents competing. To this end, The Athletic specifically analyzed the popularity and highlights of each group's qualifying. Author Anantaajith Raghuraman brings us an analysis of Group F. Although Group F has a slightly popular Dortmund in charge, there are also many upsets.

Dortmund experienced a disappointing Bundesliga season and did not recover until it was nearing its end. The opponents in the same group include Fruminense of Brazil, Mamelodi Sunset in South Africa, and Ulsan HD in South Korea.

As one of the most successful clubs in Brazil with 42 important trophies, Fruminense is widely regarded as a popular qualifying with Dortmund. They have secured a place in this Club World Cup with their status as the 2023 Liberators Cup.

And Mamelodi Sunset recently achieved eight consecutive championships in the South African top league, and qualified for the 2021-2024 African Football Federation rankings. Although Ulsan HD has achieved three consecutive league titles, it is currently 6 points behind Jeonbuk Hyundai in two more games, and there is little hope of winning the four championships.

The Athletic sorted out the group's first hot, interesting anecdotes and plot lines worthy of attention.

Schedule at a glance

June 18: Fruminense vs Dortmund (0:00)

June 18: Ulsan HD vs Mamerodi Sunset (6:00)

June 22: Mamerodi Sunset vs Dortmund (0:00)

June 22: Fruminense vs Ulsan HD (6:00)

June 26: Dortmund vs Ulsan HD (3:00)

June 26: Mamerodi Sunset vs Fruminense (3:00)

Popular team: Dortmund

As the second runner-up in the 2023-24 Champions League, Dortmund's performance in the 2024-25 season has been disappointing most of the time. The failure of the celebrity Shahin to continue the foundations built by Telzichi led to his dismissal in January this year. At that time, the team's league ranking was far outside the Champions League, and the second round of the German Cup was eliminated by Wolfsburg.

Successor Kovac was struggling in the early stage, but Dortmund ushered in a turning point in the final stage, winning 6 wins and 1 draw in the last seven rounds of the league. After defeating Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals 0-4, their 3-1 victory in the second leg was almost a miracle.

This team that has almost lost its entire season finally ended with fourth place in the Bundesliga, securing the qualification for the Champions League next season. The summer window may usher in changes, with the focus on Gittens's potential transfer. According to reports last week, Chelsea has contacted Dortmund for signing Gittens.

Dortmond's main challenger in Group F will be Frumenese, who has battlefield veterans such as Thiago Silva, Ganso, John Arias and German Cano. Mamerodi Sunset and Ulsan HD may cause some trouble, but Dortmund is strong enough to suppress three opponents to qualify.

Focus Battle: The opening match of Frumenense vs Dortmund Group F is about to stage a potential top spot, and the results will lay the foundation for the entire group pattern. This showdown is also very likely to become a goal feast.

Bortmond, under Kovac, scored 44 goals in 20 games: 6 goals swept Berlin United, and pierced the goals of Leverkusen, Freiburg and Wolfsburg four times. They have high-profit shooter Gilasi. Despite occasional wave shots, their scoring efficiency is still amazing. The club has contributed 15 goals in the last 15 games.

Kovac switches flexibly between four and three guard formations, which provides the team with a more stable defense, but what really brings qualitative changes is his enhanced game intensity. With the forward scheduling of technical midfielders such as Gross, Brandt and Enmecha, Dortmund is extremely threatening in offense and defense conversion with the speed advantage of the front line.

Frumenensee, in 17 matches of the Brazil League and South American Cup, this season, scored 26 goals. The club started a change of coaches in April this year, and for the sixth time, Renato Gojo is invited to take the helm. During his 15 games, he used a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation, winning 10 games.

Gaucho's tactics often require one side of the side to retract into the midfield, the other side keeps the width and the side inserts, and the winger swims towards the ribs. He prefers high-intensity human-to-person oppression, but he may adjust his tactics when facing Dortmund, who is more powerful.

The dazzling superstars in this group have outstanding lineup: in addition to the players mentioned above, they also include Jule, Anton, Sabitzer, Emre Jam, Adiemi, Byer and Duranville. The team's net worth of 455.9 million euros has formed a crushing advantage, far exceeding the 76.65 million euros of Sifrumenese. In addition to the players mentioned, former Liverpool U21 goalkeeper Pitaluga is also included in the team of Fruminen Subway led by Thiago Silva. Many new stars are also eager to prove themselves: midfielders Ruben Lescano and Elcles, winger Joaquin Lavega and Riquelme Felipe are all worth paying attention to.

Mamelodi Sunset, worth 35.25 million euros, has several South African internationals: 35-year-old midfielder Temba Zwane and 33-year-old goalkeeper Rowan Williams, and Namibia international forward Peter Shalulilai is also in the team.

Ulsan HD has the defensive core Kim Young-kwon who plays 112 times for the South Korean national team. The team, with a total value of 15.1 million euros, also includes former Hamabi two-star midfielder Dalyan Boyanic and winger Gustav Ludvison, as well as Matthias Lacava from Barcelona and Lazio youth training..

The most expected player to make a comeback: Arthur Sales

Arthur Sales showed his sharp edge in his debut season at Sunset in Mamelodi, contributing 16 goals (8 goals and 8 assists) in 19 league games. The Brazilian scorer, who is about to turn 23, has a balanced left and right foot, and his best goal was born on May 14 against Zipa United.

At that time, Sales dribbled the ball and broke through after getting the ball on the right wing, shook the defense and sent the ball from the far post into the net at a near-zero angle. This accidental goal added another highlight to his goal scores this season. His previous bent header, side volley, and near-post shots were all impressive.

Although Mamelodi Sunset's dominance in South Africa needs to be considered, Sales actually debuted with Brazil's Vascoda Gama team and has Europa League experience. He played for Belgium's Lomer team and scored 10 goals in the second half of the 2023-24 season. In addition, he also played for Portugal's Pacos Ferrera and then joined Mamelodi Sunset. If he can shine in the Club World Cup, it may become a springboard for him to return to the European arena.

Stories worth paying attention

Dortmond plans to include 16-year-old star Mathis Albert on the FFC World Cup roster. This forward genius, who was selected for the U17 National Youth Team for four times, scored in the 2024-25 Youth Champions League defeat to Graz Storm, and scored a total of 10 goals throughout the year.

Considering their age, training with a team may be the main goal at this stage. But Kovac is bound to face questions about Albert at the press conference, especially the American media. If Dortmund successfully wins the first two rounds, calls may emerge for the third game to make the young player appear.

Things you may not know...Fruminense's relationship with the Brazilian national team

Although Fruminense currently uses the Maracana Stadium as its home court, his team was actually playing in the Candido Arena in Rio de Janeiro in the early days of its establishment. In July 1914, it was this venue where the first historical match of the Brazilian men's football national team was born, a friendly match against the English club Exeter City.

Brazil won 2-0 and scored its first goal in history for the national team. It was Frumenese, who won the Rio State League championship eight times between 1906 and 1919.

Frumenense players also made another history in 1930: João Coelo Neto (known for his nickname "Preginho") became the creator of the first goal in Brazil's World Cup, and he scored in the match against Yugoslavia (Brazil lost 1-2, this game was the first victory of the Yugoslavia national team). In the end, Yugoslavia defeated his opponent Bolivia 4-0 and advanced to the semi-finals as the top spot in the group.

Brazil took Bolivia 4-0 in the final round of the group, and Preginho scored his first double in World Cup history in that game.