The "extra motivation" of Seattle's best player and the danger Atlético must not forget.

Atlético de Madrid have a crucial match in the early hours of this Friday to continue their aspirations in the Club World Cup . After the thrashing suffered at the hands of PSG , the Atlético Madrid team knows they must react against the Seattle Sounders , in a match that will be played from midnight this Thursday to Friday. Simeone 's team is facing the Cinderella of the group, but they can't afford to let their guard down if they don't want any scares.

Botafogo also had a very good time against the Americans, but they only won 2-1 and ended up waiting for the time , so the red-and-whites shouldn't trust too much against a lesser team, but one that is eager to prove itself. And within Seattle, there is a different kind of player: not only because he is 19 years old and is considered one of the team's best players, but above all because he is a well-known Atlético fan , a player who will live out his dream.

This is Obed Vargas , who, at 19 years old, already knows what it's like to be a Mexican international. The young midfielder is one of the team's most promising players and also feels strongly about the red-and-white team. In a statement to the team's website , he stated that the main reason he is an Atlético fan has to do with the team's values, which is why playing against them will be a dream come true.

"Playing against Atlético Madrid means everything to me . I don't know what lineup they're going to field, what players will be on the pitch, but just playing against them and seeing the shirt, the crest... Playing against them will give me extra motivation to give it my all ," Vargas explained. "One thing I can tell you: I won't be a fanatic when we play against them. I'm going to do everything I can to beat them ," the player stated.

The problem for Atlético is that they have no room for maneuver after the resounding opening defeat. In fact, they shouldn't just focus on a win, but also try to secure it with the largest possible goal difference in order to be able to rely on themselves in the final match. And, on that final matchday, Botafogo will be their opponent, which means Atlético can't afford to let their guard down in that second match... where there's a danger they can't forget.

And the match will be played, precisely, at Lumen Field, the Seattle Sounders' stadium . This will give the North American team extra motivation, as they will play Atlético in front of their fans: "The advantage we have is that we're playing at home, in our stadium. We must use that as our motivation . It's clear there's a difference in level, but we need to take advantage of this opportunity to prove people wrong," Vargas himself explained.

Atlético de Madrid can't afford to let their heads turn if they don't want to be eliminated from the Club World Cup early in the second half, in a match that's more difficult than it might initially appear . They need a win to be able to rely on their own strength against the Brazilian team, where a draw could be enough depending on the goal difference they could achieve in a hypothetical victory this morning. It's a very valuable 90 minutes. However, they're playing against a more dangerous opponent than they appear.