Atlético - PSG: A high-profile debut

Los Angeles is a city that, despite its vastness, exudes sport. A stroll through downtown is enough to see messages of support for the Dodgers—the city's baseball team—on public transport before their game against the Rams and dozens of Lakers jerseys, the most legendary franchise in NBA history despite its disappointing end to the season. But what you don't notice when walking the streets of the second-largest city in the US is that Los Angeles is one of the venues for the Club World Cup and, to whet your appetite, hosts a stellar match between Atlético de Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain this Sunday (9:00 p.m., Telecinco).

It's true that this hasn't been the ideal week to make football a central issue, as the Atletico Madrid team has experienced firsthand. Since arriving in the United States last Tuesday, every night they've been met with the resounding protests in Los Angeles against Trump's immigration policy. Helicopter riots, the arrival of the army, and a curfew have marked the preparations for the World Cup debut, and even the pre-match press conferences, forcing changes to the time and location of Simeone and Luis Enrique's press conferences. The Atletico players deny any impact, as their focus is 100% on the Parisian team.

On the sporting front, Atlético faces their last chance to make amends for a season filled with excitement leading up to Christmas that turned into a nightmare in just a month. They were eliminated from La Liga too soon, eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid still reeling from Julián's double knock, and eliminated from the Copa del Rey by Barcelona on the cusp of the final. Therefore, the World Cup presents itself as the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that the Red and Whites are capable of competing against anyone, in addition to the lucrative financial incentive and prestige that comes with being crowned world champion.

To that end, Simeone isn't counting on any new faces. Much to the disappointment of the Atlético faithful, who were excited about the possibility of traveling to the United States with the likes of Baena, Cuti Romero, or Johnny Cardoso. None of the names linked to Atlético rumors arrived, and the only two signings made by the Metropolitano club for the World Cup were two players who had been on the squad for the entire season: Lenglet, who returns to Atlético on a free transfer after leaving Barcelona, ​​and Musso, transferred by Atalanta to remain Oblak's backup. In addition to the presence of Carlos Martín, who returns to the first-team dynamic after a season on loan at Alavés. With 30 players, including six from the reserve team, the red-and-white team begins its American campaign.

Their opening opponent was none other than the European champions. PSG arrives in the United States after a run contrary to that of the Spanish side. The poor results and doubts of the initial stretch were erased by Luis Enrique's team with great play and, above all, titles. In addition to their usual triumphs in France, they also secured the long-awaited Champions League title after years of failed projects and millions and millions of euros spent.

A first demonstration of how to prevail in the Old Continent makes the Parisians one of the greatest rivals in the World Cup, at the expense of their ability to maintain their ambition once they reach the top of the heap and the recovery of Dembélé, who will be out against Atlético but is expected to return after the second round. A Round of 16 also in Group B will be contested by the Seattle Sounders and, above all, Botafogo, the reigning Brazilian and Libertadores champions and a strong candidate to take advantage of any slip-up by the two big favorites.

Two teams, PSG and Atlético Madrid, whose last meeting took place seven months ago in the Champions League phase. A match in which the French siege was rewarded with an early goal from Zaire-Emery, but was met with a surreal, difficult-to-explain comeback by the Red and Whites, built on Nahuel Molina's equalizer, a stellar performance from Oblak, and Correa's agonizing goal in stoppage time. This is a good indication of what awaits tonight in the debut of two title contenders on July 13. However, the venue, instead of the Parc des Princes, will be the Rose Bowl, home of the Bruins, the team that represents UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) in the American college football league. An imposing stadium with a capacity of 90,000 spectators, although the lack of interest among American fans and the early start time of the match (12:00 p.m.) raise fears of the worst in terms of attendance. With or without a great atmosphere, Atlético begins its World Cup campaign this Sunday.