In the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, Borussia Dortmund is had to battle intense heat with temperatures reaching 31°C (88°F) during their thrilling 4–3 victory over South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns in Cincinnati on Saturday.
The Bundesliga team had to come up with some inventive solutions to keep themselves getting drained out. With no overhead shade on the benches, players and staff were left directly exposed to the punishing sun. Dortmund’s answer? A two-part strategy: air conditioning and umbrellas. The German shared images on their social media handle.
Borussia Dortmund Players face heat
For the first half, substitutes skipped the sidelines altogether, watching the action unfold from the cool confines of the locker room. When they did emerge after halftime, they came armed quite literally with umbrellas to fend off the relentless heat.
Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac said he was "sweating like I've just come out of a sauna" after his side beat Mamelodi Sundowns. Kovac had raised concerns about the conditions before the game, which kicked off at noon local time."It was tough going for both teams, but the opposition are used to it [in South Africa]," he added afterwards.
Dortmund edge out Sundown
Despite going behind early, Dortmund powered back through goals from Felix Nmecha, Serhou Guirassy, and Jobe Bellingham, plus an own goal from Sundowns. They held off a determined second-half rally from the South African champions, who cut the deficit from 4–1 to 4–3 with strikes from Iqraam Rayners and Lebo Mothiba after Lucas Ribeiro's early opener.
Mothiba struck in the 90th minute as Sundowns stole away possession, and the substitute scored from close range, but the side could not find an equaliser
With the win, Dortmund tops Group F with four points, edging closer to the knockout stages. Sundowns sits just behind with three, followed by Fluminense with one and Ulsan yet to register a point.
