Neto starts, Pedro on bench

New York Times

a day ago

Follow live reaction after a late own goal led Chelsea past Palmeiras and into the Club World Cup last four Getty Images Getty Images
Pedro Neto starts for Chelsea tonight after Enzo Maresca said yesterday that playing tonight would be his choice following the tragic death of his Portugal international team-mate Diogo Jota.
Joao Pedro is on the bench for the first time after joining from Brighton, while Romeo Lavia is not fit to play after dealing with a muscular issue last time out. Getty Images
Starting XI: Sanchez, Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella, James, Fernandez, Nkunku, Palmer, Neto, Delap
Subs: Jorgensen, Penders, Slonina, Acheampong, Tosin, Sarr, Anselmino, Essugo, Santos, Dewsbury-Hall, Madueke, George, Joao Pedro, Jackson, Guiu Getty Images
Palmeiras head coach Abel Ferreira jokingly called upon American fans to channel their patriotism by supporting his side in tonight's match against Chelsea.
With the game played in Philadelphia on the Fourth of July — a federal holiday in the United States that commemorates the nation's independence from Great Britain — Ferreira was keen to remind any neutral fans of where their allegiances should lie.
'Yes, we are the underdog,' Ferreira told reporters at Lincoln Financial Field Stadium yesterday.
'It can be a good opportunity for the local people to join up with us against the English. Because tomorrow — if I am not wrong — it is Independence Day, against? The English!'
'So join us, come with us because we need your support.' Getty Images
Enzo Maresca said yesterday that he will let Pedro Neto decide if he is in the right frame of mind to play in tonight's match, after the tragic death of his international teammate Diogo Jota.
'He's very sad,' manager Maresca said of Neto at his pre-match press conference. 'More than sad, but we are also close to Pedro to support him in this moment.
'It's completely Pedro's decision (if he wants to play). I had a chat this morning with Pedro and we support him. Whatever decision he will take, it is the correct one and we are going to support him in any case, so it doesn't matter if he will be on the pitch. We will see how he is feeling tomorrow.'
Liverpool's Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 25, were killed in a car accident in Spain when their vehicle veered off a road and burst into flames near the Spanish city of Zamora, according to police. Jota is succeeded by his wife, Rute Cardoso — the pair married just weeks ago — and three children.
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The heartbreaking death of Diogo Jota Getty Images
Fluminense beat Al Hilal 2-1 in Orlando earlier today as the Club World Cup quarter-finals got underway.
Martinelli scored the opening goal for the Brazilian side late in the first half with a fantastic solo effort. Marcos Leonardo equalised shortly after half-time but Hercules restored Fluminense's lead in the 70th minute, scoring off the bench for the second straight match.
The winner of tonight's match will meet Fluminense at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Tuesday for the right to advance to the final. What a match that would be if Palmeiras win tonight to set up an all-Brazilian affair. Getty Images
Chelsea beat 10-man Benfica 4-1 after extra time in a wild match in Charlotte, North Carolina to advance to tonight's quarter-final.
After Reece James had given Chelsea a 1-0 lead with a goal from a direct free kick, the match was suspended in the 86th minute for nearly two hours due to severe weather in the area. Once the match resumed, Benfica miraculously equalised deep in stoppage time thanks to Angel Di Maria's goal from the penalty spot after VAR spotted a handball by Malo Gusto.
The miracle ended there for Benfica, however, as Gianluca Prestianni was sent off for a second booking early in extra time. Chelsea retook the lead in the 108th minute as Christopher Nkunku finished off a scruffy rebound, before Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added late goals to wrap things up. Getty Images
Palmeiras edged fellow Brazilian side Botafogo 1-0 in the round of 16 to advance to the quarter-final.
Playing at the same venue as tonight's match, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, a tetchy contest looked certain to be heading for penalties until Palmeiras finally broke through in the 100th minute.
Second-half substitute Paulinho's strike into the bottom corner, which took a slight deflection on its way in, was the difference as Palmeiras sent their domestic rivals home. Getty Images
Chelsea reached the knockout stages after finishing second in Group D. They began their Club World Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC in Atlanta, with Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez scoring the goals.
Matchday 2 didn't go nearly as well for the English side, however, as they fell 3-1 to Flamengo. Neto again fired them into a 1-0 lead, but the Brazilian side turned things around with two goals in three minutes in the second half. And just a few minutes after that, Nicolas Jackson was sent off for a foolish and reckless foul.
The defeat left Chelsea needing a result in the finale, which they got via a 3-0 victory over Esperance de Tunis. Getty Images
Palmeiras advanced to the knockout stages after finishing in first place in Group A. They opened the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Porto in which they created the majority of chances but couldn't break through. The Brazilian side improved on Matchday 2, beating Al Ahly 2-0 thanks to an own goal and and a goal from Jose Manuel Lopez.
Palmeiras were not assured of progression heading into the finale, and Matchday 3 was anything but comfortable for them. They fell behind 2-0 to Inter Miami in Atlanta while a high-scoring match between Porto and Al Ahly meant that the permutations were constantly changing. They were set to finish second in the group before goals in the final 10 minutes of normal time from Paulinho and Mauricio secured a 2-2 draw and lifted them to first place. Getty Images
We want to hear from you throughout our coverage today!
Who will win tonight's match? Will tonight's winner beat Fluminense in the semi-final? And who are you backing to win the tournament?
Share your thoughts by emailing us at [e-mail] or by joining the discussion page for this match here.
We'll pick out some of our favorite comments and share them right here in this blog, so don't be shy! Getty Images
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia Capacity: 69,250
Teams: Philadelphia Eagles, Temple Owls
Philadelphia is a busy host with eight matches being held at Lincoln Financial Field, the home of the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
The stadium is located in South Philadelphia, and it's part of a bustling sports complex that includes Major League Baseball stadium Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies play, and Wells Fargo Center, home of the NBA's 76ers and the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers.
Of course, there are plenty of tourist attractions to visit, too, such as the Rocky Balboa statue, which Palmeiras fans made sure to see the last time they were in town. The Athletic
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From the UK, we've got you covered throughout this expanded Club World Cup and on into the build-up to next summer's World Cup, while Wimbledon started earlier this week. Elsewhere, the F1 season is well into its European swing and there is Open Championship golf just a couple of weeks away.
We have the lot covered and much more besides, so make sure you're fully informed with access to our full experience. And you're in luck — you can subscribe to The Athletic on an exclusive offer here. Getty Images
DAZN are the broadcast right holders for the Club World Cup, so every game is available on their platform wherever you can access it in the world. Getty Images
The Club World Cup quarter-final between Palmeiras and Chelsea kicks off at 9 p.m. ET in Philadelphia, which is 6 p.m. PT.
That's 10 p.m. in Sao Paulo and 2 a.m. in the UK. Getty Images
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of tonight's Club World Cup quarter-final between Palmeiras and Chelsea.
We've learned our first semi-finalist today after Fluminense's 2-1 win over Al Hilal in Orlando. Palmeiras and Chelsea are set to face off in Orlando to determine which of them will meet Fluminense in New Jersey on Tuesday.
Stay with us as we build up to the match!