PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — River Plate and Monterrey played to a lively 0-0 draw on Saturday night in the second round of group play at the Club World Cup.
River Plate had 18 shot attempts, but the Argentine powerhouse got none of its six shots on goal past Monterrey goalkeeper Esteban Andrada, a native of Argentina.
Monterrey got two of its three shot attempts on net, but Franco Armani also kept a clean sheet for River Plate.
The teams traded 40 combined fouls and eight yellow cards throughout a chippy match at the Rose Bowl before a raucous crowd of 57,393, with both teams benefitting from large supporter sections on each end of the famed stadium.
River Plate had the first half’s best scoring chances.
Andrada stopped a free kick in the 27th minute by Franco Mastantuono, the 17-year-old midfielder headed to Real Madrid next season. Giuliano Galoppo’s unobstructed shot from the penalty area curled over Monterrey’s net shortly before halftime, and Lucas Martínez Quarta brutally shanked a point-blank volley moments later.
River Plate's Kevin Castaño was sent off in second-half injury time with his second yellow card, but Monterrey didn't capitalize.
Monterrey opened Club World Cup play four days earlier with an impressive draw against Champions League finalist Inter Milan.
River Plate also looked sharp in a 3-1 victory over Urawa Red Diamonds in its opener in Seattle.
In the 76th minute, Andrada smothered Miguel Borja's dangerous close-range shot after a run into the box.
Nothing is decided in Group E. Inter and River Plate are on top with four points each, but they must play each other on Wednesday in Seattle while Monterrey, which has two points, takes on winless Urawa in Pasadena.
“I think we were hurt a lot by the constant fouls when we came out with the ball. We had talked about it. River has many qualities. One of them is winning games, and another is committing a lot of fouls, which they did. It becomes a different kind of game.” —Monterrey coach Domenec Torrent
"I saw a clear superiority in many parts of the match. We just lacked the goal. Monterrey barely gave us any shots on goal in the second half, (but) I think we left a very good impression.” —River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
River Plate's Paulo Diaz heads the ball clear of Monterrey's Lucas Ocampos, left, during the Club World Cup Group E soccer match between River Plate and CF Monterrey in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)
River Plate's Franco Mastantuono takes a free kick during the Club World Cup Group E soccer match between River Plate and CF Monterrey in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — World Cup fans in a growing number of U.S. cities won't have an issue finding a well-poured pint to go with their late-night match.
State leaders across the U.S. are signing off on extending bar and restaurant hours during the world’s most-watched sporting event. They want to help businesses and improve fan experiences, particularly for those who may have been priced out of tickets. Others see the move as a last-ditch effort to boost sales as expectations for a World Cup economic boon have dampened.
So far, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington — states either hosting World Cup matches or adjacent to the activity — have all approved various measures to extend hours for alcohol sales during the tournament. Similar proposals are being considered in New York and Massachusetts.
The changes mean that closing time won’t come until 4 a.m. in Philadelphia during the World Cup and America 250 celebrations. In Kansas City, some bars can stay open as late as 5 a.m.
Many of these changes are dependent on municipality approval, and no business would be required to extend business hours. But for the hospitality industry, already struggling under waning sales and inflation, the option to stay open later is welcomed.
Mark Prinzinger, owner of Lion Sports Bar in Philadelphia, described watching soccer with fans from all over the world as a “magical experience." Now that he has the option to keep his bar open two hours longer, he’s hired extra staff, streamlined the menus and planned late-night programming.
“People want to have a beer with other soccer fans and the great thing about the World Cup is that it brings people together from all over the world into one place to watch a sport that everybody loves,” he said.
Prinzinger and other bar, restaurant and nightlife venues in Pennsylvania will be allowed to move their closing times from 2 a.m. until 4 a.m. during the World Cup and the America 250 anniversary celebrations, between June 11 and July 20. Gov. Josh Shapiro approved the legislation by releasing a video showing him cracking open a beer, signing off the social media post with a cheeky warning to the City of Brotherly Love's reputation for getting rowdy: “Celebrate responsibly, Philly.”
With more hours available to drink, some critics have raised concerns about public safety and potential strain on law enforcement even as the effort has received bipartisan support from lawmakers.
In Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas initially stated that his city “doesn't need bars operating 23 hours” during the World Cup and joked, “Worry not, if you want to drink a ton, bars can open quite early.”
Yet bar owners bristle under such opposition, saying that most businesses prioritize training staff to prevent patrons from being overserved.
“Just because people are hanging out at the bar watching a soccer game doesn’t mean they’re getting blitzed,” Prinzinger said. “In fact, I would say it’s completely the opposite. I think people want to watch the game. People want to be engaged.”
Rhode Island Rep. Teresa Tanzi agreed.
“Not everybody that’s going to walk into a place is going to be chugging drinks and getting loaded,” Tanzi, a Democrat, said earlier this month on the House floor. “There are going to be families who are going to want a cheeseburger, an American cheeseburger, and a Coca-Cola."
Rhode Island, which is closer than Boston is to World Cup matches host Gillette Stadium, is weighing whether to extend alcohol sales to 3 a.m. and closing times to 4 a.m. Currently, last call in the smallest U.S. state is 1 a.m., with some exceptions for its capital city of Providence.
Even Lucas relented, eventually submitting a plan allowing Kansas City restaurants and bars to remain open until 3 a.m., and certain establishments to remain open until 5 a.m. if they submit a security plan to the police department. Currently, alcohol sales can generally be made between 6 a.m. through 1:30 a.m.
The extended hours aren't entirely a U.S. trend. Pubs in England and Wales will be able to stay open as late as 2 a.m. if the English or Scottish teams are playing in the knockout stages after the U.K. government relaxed its licensing rules.
In Scotland, which has its own semiautonomous government, local authorities can allow pubs to stay open until 30 minutes after matches end.
According to the World Cup schedule, a majority of games will be held from early afternoon through early evening. But a handful start later, with four games starting at midnight and eight games starting at 10 p.m. for those watching in the Eastern time zone.
Just how big of a demand there will be for late-night bites and drinks is somewhat unknown. In the U.S., consumer habits have shifted drastically ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, with more people choosing to go out earlier in the day and spending less overall, said David Henkes, senior principal at Technomic, a firm that monitors restaurant and food industry trends.
“It’s so hard to stay open late night or overnight just because it’s hard to find labor,” Henkes said. “I applaud the effort to give restaurants an opportunity to earn more revenue, but I’m not sure that there’s going to be significant enough demand for it to make sense for a lot of operators to do so.”
Associated Press writer Brian Melley contributed from London.
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Lion Sports Bar owner Mark Prinzinger poses behind the bar as fans watch a Champion league soccer match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)
Fans arrive to watch a Champion league soccer match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain at the Lion Sports Bar, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)
Fans watch a Champion league soccer match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain at the Lion Sports Bar, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)
Fans watch a Champion league soccer match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain at the Lion Sports Bar, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)
Fans watch a Champion league soccer match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain at the Lion Sports Bar, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)
