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Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fluminense vs. Chelsea live tracker: Updates, lineups, how to watch Club World Cup semifinal
In the first of the three remaining matches of the 2025 Club World Cup, all at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Fluminense faces Chelsea in Tuesday's semifinal. The Brazilian side enter on an 11-match unbeaten run in all competitions, having eliminated Inter Milan and Al Hilal in the knockout rounds. Their most recent win came via a late goal from Hércules, following a second-half equalizer by Marcos Leonardo. Defensive discipline has defined Fluminense's run, with just one second-half goal conceded across their last nine matches. Chelsea arrives after narrow wins over Palmeiras and Benfica. Cole Palmer has emerged as a key figure, while Pedro Neto's creative output has stood out. This is Chelsea's third match against Brazilian opponents in this tournament. The winner will advance to Sunday's final, with a potential meeting against another European giant. Wednesday's semifinal between PSG and Real Madrid will determine the other finalist. Tuesday, July 8 Fluminense vs. Chelsea (3 p.m. ET, TNT/DAZN) Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more from the 2025 Club World Cup semifinal in New Jersey: The first semifinal pits Chelsea and Fluminense, and in a lot of ways, it will be representative of this Club World Cup as a whole. It's a Brazilian underdog vs. a European heavyweight. It's at 3 p.m. on a weekday, and the weather is brutal — 94 degrees, scorching-hot sun. There's excitement building, especially among Fluminense fans, but there were also desperate attempts by FIFA to slash prices, give away tickets and fill the stadium. We'll have live coverage from all angles right here. The first semifinal pits Chelsea and Fluminense, and in a lot of ways, it will be representative of this Club World Cup as a whole. It's a Brazilian underdog vs. a European heavyweight. It's at 3 p.m. on a weekday, and the weather is brutal — 94 degrees, scorching-hot sun. There's excitement building, especially among Fluminense fans, but there were also desperate attempts by FIFA to slash prices, give away tickets and fill the stadium. We'll have live coverage from all angles right here.
Kuwait Times
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Al Hilal bow out of Club WCup
Fluminense beat Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal to reach semis ORLANDO: Substitute Hercules struck a 70th-minute winner as Brazil's Fluminense defeated Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal 2-1 on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Club World Cup. A fine left-foot finish from Matheus Martinelli had put the Rio club ahead in the 40th minute but Al Hilal's Brazilian forward Marcos Leonardo levelled six minutes into the second half before Hercules stole the show to the delight of the vast majority of the 43,091 crowd. Al Hilal had pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament, beating Manchester City 4-3, to reach the last eight and Simone Inzaghi's side fought hard until the end to keep their adventure alive. They bow out of the tournament having been unbeaten through the group stage, including holding Real Madrid to a draw, and having truly made their mark on the world stage. There was a moment's silence before the kick-off in memory of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva, who died in the early hours of Thursday after their car veered off a motorway in Spain and burst into flames. Al Hilal's line-up featured two of Jota's Portugal team-mates in Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo. The first half was a tight and tactical affair with few chances until Martinelli opened the scoring when he picked the ball up from Gabriel Fuentes inside the box and span out to give himself space for a left-foot shot that rocketed past Yassine Bounou. Al Hilal went close to a quick response when Kalidou Koulibaly's header forced Fluminense's 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio into a fine save. The Saudi side were awarded a penalty when Samuel Xavier was ruled to have brought down Marcos Leonardo in the box but Dutch referee Danny Makkelie was eventually sent to the monitor where he overturned his own decision after seeing there had been no contact between the two players. After going in at the break trailing by a goal, Al Hilal came out strongly for the second half and drew level when Koulibaly headed a Neves corner down to Marcos Leonardo who poked home. — AFP Al Hilal's Brazilian full back Renan Lodi had a let off when his poor backpass fell straight at the feet of German Cano but the Fluminense striker's attempt to round Bounou was denied by the smart work of the Moroccan keeper. But the outcome was settled with 20 minutes remaining when half-time sub Hercules saw a shot from distance blocked but from the loose ball Samuel headed the ball back to the forward who raced into the box and fired past Bounou to make it 2-1. Al Hilal produced a flurry of corners and some intense pressure in the final minutes as they desperately sought a way to keep their dream alive but the Brazilians were good value for their victory. Work and commitment 'We didn't have many chances but we made the most of them, the entire group worked and were committed,' said Fluminense coach Renato Gaucho. 'Our fans here in the USA and those in Brazil, they can be proud and I ask them to wear a jersey, in the mall, street, beach, wherever, wear that shirt – they should all be proud to wear that jersey,' he said. The Fluminense coach was full of praise for the performance of his 40-year-old central defender Thiago Silva who ensured the Brazilians were able to withstand the second half pressure from Al Hilal. 'Thiago Silva is huge for us, I worked with him 15 years ago, he is a coach on the pitch, very helpful and conveys calm and experience to the others. He is our captain and a leader and in hard matches like these against big clubs, its important to have people like him. He is key and fundamental,' he said. Al Hilal coach Inzaghi said his side had been unfortunate to end on the losing side. 'It has been a good World Cup for us but clearly we leave with a little bit of a bitter taste in our mouth because after what happened in that second half, we deserved much more,' he said. 'It was a tight match, decided by episodes, as happens in football. Fluminense are very well organised team that are having an excellent tournament,' he added.- AFP
The National
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The National
Al Hilal's Club World Cup over as Chelsea advance to semi-finals
Al Hilal's bold run at the Fifa Club World Cup came to an end in Orlando on Friday as the Saudi Arabian club were edged 2-1 by Brazil's Fluminense in a pulsating quarter-final clash. Having shocked the tournament with their 4-3 extra-time victory over Manchester City earlier in the week, Al Hilal looked poised for another statement result when striker Marcos Leonardo, standing in for the injured Aleksandar Mitrovic, netted his fourth goal of the competition early in the second half to cancel out Martinelli's opener for Fluminense. But substitute Hercules, introduced after the hour mark, scored what proved to be the winner with 20 minutes remaining to propel the Rio de Janeiro side into Tuesday's semi-final against Chelsea in New Jersey. 'It's painful to go out, especially after what we did against City,' Al Hilal captain Ruben Neves said. 'But I'm proud of our fight, and of how far we came. We showed that teams from Asia can compete with anyone.' The defeat ends Asia's presence in the competition, leaving South America and Europe to contest the semi-finals. But for long spells under the Florida floodlights, Al Hilal matched Fluminense, in intensity and craft, only to fall short in the decisive moments. Martinelli had given the Copa Libertadores holders the lead five minutes before the break. The attacking midfielder took Gabriel Fuentes' ex[ertly, before rifling a left-footed shot beyond Yassine "Bono" Bounou into the top corner. Al Hilal responded strongly and nearly equalised on the stroke of half time, but veteran goalkeeper Fabio sprawled low to his left to deny Kalidou Koulibaly's thumping header. Leonardo made no mistake six minutes into the second half, however. When Koulibaly again rose highest from a corner, his header fell at the feet of the 21-year-old forward, who delicately scooped the ball past Fabio and two defenders on the line to make it 1-1. The game's defining moment came in the 70th minute. Hercules, who had scored in Fluminense's previous round, saw an initial long-range effort deflected into the air. Instead of stopping, the midfielder continued his run and was rewarded when the loose ball dropped kindly. His sublime first touch set up a right-footed drive that arrowed into the bottom corner, sparking wild celebrations among the largely pro-Brazilian crowd. Al Hilal pushed forward late on, but Fluminense's defence held firm. Despite their exit, the Saudi club leave with heads held high, their performance against Manchester City still the tournament's standout shock. There was also emotion before kick-off, with a moment of silence for Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva, who died on Thursday. Cameras showed Neves and compatriot Joao Cancelo, international teammates of Jota, visibly emotional during the tribute. For Al Hilal, their Club World Cup journey ends – but not without making a mark. Chelsea send Palmerias packing Enzo Maresca hailed the 'perfect night' after his Chelsea side reached the Club World Cup semi-final and witnessed a sparkling display by incoming signing Estevao Willian. A deflected late Malo Gusto cross saw the Londoners snatch a 2-1 victory in their quarter-final against Palmeiras in Philadelphia. That came after Cole Palmer's early opener had been cancelled out by a stunning strike from Estevao, the 18-year-old winger who is to join them after the tournament. Maresca said: 'We're very happy. It's a fantastic day. The semi-finals of the Club World Cup – the best clubs in the world – and we are there. 'Probably for us it has been the perfect night because we won and Estevao scored, so it was very good for all of us.' Estevao was given a tough time by Marc Cucurella in a first half Chelsea largely controlled but he shone in the second period as the Brazilians fought their way back into the game. He equalised when he took a pass from the right and smashed a shot past Robert Sanchez from a tight angle. 'You can see he is a huge talent, you can see is a fantastic player,' said Maresca. 'The only thing now is when you come from South America or another part of the world to Europe you need to adapt. 'We are going to help him to adapt and first of all to enjoy football. We don't have any doubt, as he is so good, that he is going to be an important player for Chelsea.' Chelsea, who gave a debut to new signing Joao Pedro off the bench in the second half, will now play another Brazilian side in Fluminense in New York on Tuesday for a place in the final.
NDTV
05-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Fluminense Beat Al Hilal 2-1 To Reach Club World Cup Semis
Substitute Hercules struck a 70th-minute winner as Brazil's Fluminense defeated Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal 2-1 on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Club World Cup. A fine left-foot finish from Matheus Martinelli had put the Rio club ahead in the 40th minute but Al Hilal's Brazilian forward Marcos Leonardo levelled six minutes into the second half before Hercules stole the show to the delight of the vast majority of the 43,091 crowd. Fluminense could yet face an all-Brazilian semi-final if their rivals from Sao Paulo, Palmeiras, are able to overcome Premier League outfit Chelsea in Friday's other quarter-final. Al Hilal had pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament, beating Manchester City 4-3, to reach the last eight and Simone Inzaghi's side fought hard until the end to keep their adventure alive. They bow out of the tournament having been unbeaten through the group stage, including holding Real Madrid to a draw, and having truly made their mark on the world stage. There was a moment's silence before the kick-off in memory of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva, who died in the early hours of Thursday after their car veered off a motorway in Spain and burst into flames. Al Hilal's line-up featured two of Jota's Portugal team-mates in Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo. The first half was a tight and tactical affair with few chances until Martinelli opened the scoring when he picked the ball up from Gabriel Fuentes inside the box and span out to give himself space for a left-foot shot that rocketed past Yassine Bounou. Al Hilal went close to a quick response when Kalidou Koulibaly's header forced Fluminense's 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio into a fine save. The Saudi side were awarded a penalty when Samuel Xavier was ruled to have brought down Marcos Leonardo in the box but Dutch referee Danny Makkelie was eventually sent to the monitor where he overturned his own decision after seeing there had been no contact between the two players. After going in at the break trailing by a goal, Al Hilal came out strongly for the second half and drew level when Koulibaly headed a Neves corner down to Marcos Leonardo who poked home. Al Hilal's Brazilian full back Renan Lodi had a let off when his poor backpass fell straight at the feet of German Cano but the Fluminense striker's attempt to round Bounou was denied by the smart work of the Moroccan keeper. But the outcome was settled with 20 minutes remaining when half-time sub Hercules saw a shot from distance blocked but from the loose ball Samuel headed the ball back to the forward who raced into the box and fired past Bounou to make it 2-1. Al Hilal produced a flurry of corners and some intense pressure in the final minutes as they desperately sought a way to keep their dream alive but the Brazilians were good value for their victory. - Work and commitment - "We didn't have many chances but we made the most of them, the entire group worked and were committed," said Fluminense coach Renato Gaucho. "Our fans here in the USA and those in Brazil, they can be proud and I ask them to wear a jersey, in the mall, street, beach, wherever, wear that shirt – they should all be proud to wear that jersey," he said. The Fluminense coach was full of praise for the performance of his 40-year-old central defender Thiago Silva who ensured the Brazilians were able to withstand the second half pressure from Al Hilal. "Thiago Silva is huge for us, I worked with him 15 years ago, he is a coach on the pitch, very helpful and conveys calm and experience to the others. He is our captain and a leader and in hard matches like these against big clubs, its important to have people like him. He is key and fundamental," he said. Al Hilal coach Inzaghi said his side had been unfortunate to end on the losing side. "It has been a good World Cup for us but clearly we leave with a little bit of a bitter taste in our mouth because after what happened in that second half, we deserved much more," he said. "It was a tight match, decided by episodes, as happens in football. Fluminense are very well organised team that are having an excellent tournament," he added. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Leaders
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Leaders
Al-Hilal Bid Club World Cup Farewell After Slim Loss to Fluminense
Saudi powerhouse Al-Hilal concluded their impressive journey in the FIFA Club World Cup after suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to Fluminense of Brazil in the competition's quarterfinals at Orlando's Camping World Stadium on Friday. Matheus Martinelli opened the scoring for the Rio club in the 40th minute, but Al-Hilal's Brazilian forward Marcos Leonardo levelled six minutes into the second half before Hercules stole the show to the delight of the vast majority of the 43,091 crowd, sealing the victory for the Brazilian side to reach the semi-finals of the Club World Cup. Al-Hilal's Journey Al-Hilal had pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament, beating Manchester City 4-3, to reach the last eight and Simone Inzaghi's side fought hard until the end to keep their adventure alive. Their journey has been remarkable and deserves recognition. They bow out of the tournament having been unbeaten through the group stage, including holding Real Madrid to a draw, and having truly made their mark on the world stage. This highlights their strong performance throughout the tournament. There was a moment's silence before the kick-off in memory of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva who died in the early hours of Thursday after their car veered off a motorway in Spain and burst into flames. This adds a somber note to the event. Al-Hilal's line-up featured two of Jota's Portugal team-mates in Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo. This connection adds a personal touch to the story. First Half Details The first half was a tight and tactical affair with few chances until Martinelli opened the scoring when he picked the ball up from Gabriel Fuentes inside the box and span out to give himself space for a left-foot shot that rocketed past Yassine Bono. This describes the initial cautious play and the breakthrough goal. Al-Hilal went close to a quick response when Kalidou Koulibaly's header forced Fluminense's 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio into a fine save. This shows Al-Hilal's immediate attempt to equalize. The Saudi side were awarded a penalty when Samuel Xavier was ruled to have brought down Marcos Leonardo in the box but Dutch referee Danny Makkelie was eventually sent to the monitor where he overturned his own decision after seeing there had been no contact between the two players. This adds drama and a bit of controversy to the match. Second Half Action After going in at the break trailing by a goal, Al-Hilal came out strongly for the second half and drew level when Koulibaly headed a Neves corner down to Marcos Leonardo who poked home. This shows their resilience and determination. Al-Hilal's Brazilian full back Renan Lodi had a let off when his poor backpass fell straight at the feet of German Cano but the Fluminense striker's attempt to round Bono was denied by the smart work of the Moroccan keeper. But the outcome settled with 20 minutes remaining when the defense blocked half-time substitute Hercules's shot from distance but from the loose ball Samuel headed the ball back to the forward who raced into the box and fired past Bono to make it 2-1. Final Minutes Al-Hilal produced a flurry of corners and some intense pressure in the final minutes as they desperately sought a way to keep their dream alive but the Brazilians were good value for their victory. This encapsulates the final efforts and the conclusion of the match. Fluminense could yet face an all-Brazilian semi-final if their rivals from Sao Paulo, Palmeiras, are able to overcome Premier League Chelsea in Saturday's other quarter-final. This adds an interesting subplot to the tournament. The Riyadh-based giants' journey in the Club World Cup ended in a narrow defeat, but their performance has left a lasting impression, as they fought valiantly and showcased their talent on the world stage. Short link : Post Views: 23
