2018 Concacaf Champions League winners Chivas de Guadalajara were knocked out of the 2018 Club World Cup in United Arab Emirates on Saturday, after losing 3-2 to Japanese club Kashima Antlers.
Chivas beat the New York Red Bulls in the CCL semifinal and Toronto FC in the final, in a second-leg penalty shootout, leaving the MLS clubs to wonder what could have been for the Club World Cup.
Kashima, the 2018 AFC Champions League winners, came storming back with three unanswered goals after Chivas opened the scoring three minutes in through Angel Zaldivar. A late own goal from the J-League outfit brought the scoreline closer, but Chivas could not find an equalizer and their quest for Club World Cup glory ends. They will play one more game in the tournament, a consolation game for fifth place on Tuesday against the loser of the match between Esperance de Tunis and hosting club Al-Ain.
The track record in recent years of Concacaf teams in the Club World Cup has not been stellar, with a Concacaf team yet to reach the final of the tournament that brings together the regional champs from around the world. With Liga MX clubs winning the CCL since the tournament was overhauled in 2008, the best showing at the Club World Cup for a Concacaf team came in 2012 (Monterrey) and 2017 (Pachuca), when they finished third.
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