FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group F - Fluminense v Borussia Dortmund - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. - June 17, 2025 Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac reacts REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo
CINCINNATI, Ohio (Reuters) -Borussia Dortmund plan to rotate their team to overcome the hot conditions they expect on Saturday at the Club World Cup, with coach Niko Kovac fearing the impact of the midday sun in Cincinnati.
The Bundesliga outfit take on Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in their second Group F game at the TQL Stadium, kicking off at 12pm local time, and Kovacs said he would be picking a team best suited to handle the heat.
Kovac said he expected the game to be played in 32-degree Celsius (90°F) heat, “but when you’re in the stadium it is three to five degrees hotter”.
“I need players who can handle the heat, players who can run for long periods and show less fatigue because we want to keep the quality of play high,” he told a Friday press conference.
“We’ll have to work hard to make sure we have the ball at all times because it is not feasible to be chasing after the ball and to run a lot in this heat.”
Dortmund drew their first game of the competition against Fluminense in New York on Tuesday, also kicking off at midday and looking lethargic in a goalless draw.
“In this tournament you see the clubs from the south have an advantage because they know the hot conditions better,” Kovac said.
The coach said victory was imperative for his side.
“We want to win our next two games but tomorrow we are up against a good team," he said. "They are a side who want to play football and that makes it a very interesting proposition.”
Sundowns, who were runners-up in the African Champions League earlier this month, won their opening game against Ulsan HD of South Korea on Tuesday in Orlando.
(Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
