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Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Chelsea overcome CWC weather delay
Pedro Neto celebrates scoring Chelsea's third goal as they beat Benfica 4-1 after extra time at the Club World Cup on Saturday. PHOTO: AFP Chelsea beat Benfica in a game which went on for close to five hours at the Club World Cup on Saturday to set up a quarter-final showdown with Brazilian side Palmeiras at the tournament in the United States. The London club were grateful to extra-time goals by Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to give them a 4-1 victory over Benfica. Their late burst of scoring settled a last-16 tie which took four hours, 39 minutes to complete at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina after a near two-hour weather delay. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was left satisfied with his team's victory but slammed the delay that turned the tie into a near five-hour marathon. "I think it's a joke, it's not football," Maresca said. "For 85 minutes we were in control of the game. We created enough chances to win the game. Then after the break, the game changed — for me personally, it's not football." Earlier, Chelsea had been seemingly poised for victory after Reece James' opportunistic second-half free-kick had left them 1-0 up with four minutes of regulation time remaining. But just as Chelsea began to think about their quarter-final assignment, the arrival of a storm over Charlotte triggered local safety protocols which required the game to be halted. It marked the sixth occasion during the Club World Cup that a game has been disrupted by a weather warning. When play resumed just under two hours later, a revitalised Benfica grabbed an injury-time equaliser after Chelsea substitute Malo Gusto was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area following an intervention by the Video Assistant Referee. Benfica's Argentine veteran Angel Di Maria stepped up to roll in an ice-cold penalty, sending the game into extra time. An end-to-end first half of extra time saw Benfica, reduced to 10 men following Gianluca Prestianni's second yellow card at the end of regulation, threaten to take the lead as they chased an improbable victory. But instead it was Nkunku who fired Chelsea back in front, the French international bundling in from close range after Moises Caicedo's low shot squirted underneath Benfica goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin. As the game opened up, Benfica were increasingly vulnerable on the counter-attack and Chelsea pounced. Neto made it 3-1 with a nerveless finish after going clean through on goal in the 114th minute, and three minutes later Dewsbury-Hall completed the rout to send Chelsea through to the last eight. They will now return to Philadelphia, where they played two games in the group stage, to play Palmeiras in the quarter-finals on Friday. The Brazilian club were grateful to an extra-time winner by substitute Paulinho as they edged domestic rivals Botafogo 1-0 in a battle of attrition earlier Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The winger came on at the same time in the second half as Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira withdrew teenage sensation Estevao Willian, a move that appeared baffling in the moment but ultimately proved inspired. The tie had reached the 100th minute without a goal when Paulinho collected a pass by Richard Rios on the right flank and was afforded the time and space to come inside into the box before slotting a low shot into the far corner. That sparked wild celebrations among the Palmeiras fans who made up the vast majority of the 33,657 crowd, and the side from Sao Paulo held on to win the tie despite having captain Gustavo Gomez sent off late on. "That is why he came, so he could play for long enough to decide a game. He is going to have to stop again after the tournament," Ferreira said of Paulinho, who has struggled with injury since signing for Palmeiras at the start of the year. Winners of the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021, Palmeiras will now hope to match the feat of their Brazilian rivals Flamengo, who defeated Chelsea during the group stage. The last-16 action continues on Sunday when European champions Paris Saint-Germain take on Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in Atlanta. Later on Bayern Munich face Flamengo in Miami.
Observer
3 days ago
- Sport
- Observer
Chelsea, Palmeiras book CWC quarterfinal spot
PHILADELPHIA: Chelsea beat Benfica in a game which went on for close to five hours at the Club World Cup on Saturday to set up a quarterfinal showdown with Brazilian side Palmeiras at the tournament in the United States. The London club were grateful to extra-time goals by Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to give them a 4-1 victory over Benfica. Their late burst of scoring settled a last-16 tie which took four hours, 39 minutes to complete at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina after a near two-hour weather delay. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was left satisfied with his team's victory but slammed the delay that turned the tie into a near five-hour marathon. "I think it's a joke, it's not football," Maresca said. "For 85 minutes we were in control of the game. We created enough chances to win the game. Then after the break, the game changed — for me personally, it's not football." Earlier, Chelsea had been seemingly poised for victory after Reece James' opportunistic second-half free-kick had left them 1-0 up with four minutes of regulation time remaining. But just as Chelsea began to think about their quarterfinal assignment, the arrival of a storm over Charlotte triggered local safety protocols which required the game to be halted. It marked the sixth occasion during the Club World Cup that a game has been disrupted by a weather warning. When play resumed just under two hours later, a revitalised Benfica grabbed an injury-time equaliser after Chelsea substitute Malo Gusto was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area following an intervention by the Video Assistant Referee. Benfica's Argentine veteran Angel Di Maria stepped up to roll in an ice-cold penalty, sending the game into extra time. An end-to-end first half of extra time saw Benfica, reduced to 10 men following Gianluca Prestianni's second yellow card at the end of regulation, threaten to take the lead as they chased an improbable victory. But instead it was Nkunku who fired Chelsea back in front, the French international bundling in from close range after Moises Caicedo's low shot squirted underneath Benfica goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin. As the game opened up, Benfica were increasingly vulnerable on the counter-attack and Chelsea pounced. Neto made it 3-1 with a nerveless finish after going clean through on goal in the 114th minute, and three minutes later Dewsbury-Hall completed the rout to send Chelsea through to the last eight. They will now return to Philadelphia, where they played two games in the group stage, to play Palmeiras in the quarterfinals on Friday. PAULINHO SETTLES BRAZILIAN DERBY The Brazilian club were grateful to an extra-time winner by substitute Paulinho as they edged domestic rivals Botafogo 1-0 in a battle of attrition earlier on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The winger came on at the same time in the second half as Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira withdrew teenage sensation Estevao Willian, a move that appeared baffling in the moment but ultimately proved inspired. The tie had reached the 100th minute without a goal when Paulinho collected a pass by Richard Rios on the right flank and was afforded the time and space to come inside into the box before slotting a low shot into the far corner. That sparked wild celebrations among the Palmeiras fans who made up the vast majority of the 33,657 crowd, and the side from Sao Paulo held on to win the tie despite having captain Gustavo Gomez sent off late on. "That is why he came, so he could play for long enough to decide a game. He is going to have to stop again after the tournament," Ferreira said of Paulinho, who has struggled with injury since signing for Palmeiras at the start of the year. Winners of the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021, Palmeiras will now hope to match the feat of their Brazilian rivals Flamengo, who defeated Chelsea during the group stage. The last-16 action continues on Sunday when European champions Paris Saint-Germain take on Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in Atlanta. Later on Bayern Munich face Flamengo in Miami. — AFP
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Chelsea's progress lost in the storm as chaos steals the limelight
American weather one, football nil. The chaos stole the limelight but it was a shame that the standard of Chelsea's performance against Benfica on Saturday got lost in the storm. All anyone could talk about when a bonkers occasion finally came to an end, four hours and 38 minutes after it started, was the lightning. There was a lot of sitting around during the delay, a lot of wondering about the precise way it was going to go wrong for Chelsea when play resumed with 85min 30sec of normal time gone. Enzo Fernández missing the decisive kick during a penalty shootout? A catastrophic red card? In the event it was left to VAR to drag it into extra time, an equaliser for Benfica arriving in the 95th minute when a penalty was awarded after Malo Gusto was punished for the kind of unavoidable handball that would no longer be pored over in the Premier League. A goal up when the weather gods took over at the Bank of America Stadium, now Chelsea had to show their mettle. How would they respond? The answer was resounding. Benfica collapsed, going down to 10 men early in extra time, and Chelsea were through to the last eight of the Club World Cup with three late goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The lesson is that if you win it once you can win it again. There were two games in one because of the implementation of the severe weather protocol and, barring the bit where Benfica came out with nothing to lose and capitalised on a generous refereeing decision to score, Chelsea were better in both. Enzo Maresca's initial system had worked well. On a day when Chelsea agreed a deal to sign another winger – Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Gittens – Maresca picked a team with room for just one wide player and saw variety that bodes well for next season. Cole Palmer, playing as an inside-left, was lively and dangerous. Marc Cucurella surged forward from wing-back. Roméo Lavia, Fernández and Moisés Caicedo were impressive in midfield. Chelsea squeezed Benfica, pressing Bruno Lage's side, making it impossible for them to play. Maresca saw control and maturity against a Champions League side. The head coach was not wrong to say that this was one of Chelsea's best performances in recent months. It was certainly an improvement on their efforts during the group stage in the US. Maresca experimented with the same system against Flamengo but the execution was not quite right. Reece James is a brilliant right-back but is less effective as a central midfielder. Palmer on the right and Neto on the left, meanwhile, created the wrong balance in attack. Yet there was value in exploring the idea. It is said that Maresca's system hinges on having two conventional wingers but there is undoubted benefit to having more than one way of playing. Chelsea are looking for versatility. It explains why they are pushing to beat Newcastle to the signing of Brighton's João Pedro, who can play in a range of positions in attack. Equally important is Maresca finding a way to use Lavia, Caicedo, Fernández and Palmer without having to make compromises. Chelsea are smoother when Lavia is controlling play but starting the Belgian has often meant pushing Caicedo to right-back, which is an uncomfortable fit. By shifting Palmer wide, though, Maresca can find space for his three best midfielders and keep his chief creator in the team. It does not have to mean Palmer playing as a winger. He still had freedom to drift into the pockets against Benfica and his movement acted as a decoy at times, leaving space for Cucurella to maraud from left back. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion There are encouraging signs for Chelsea before they face Palmeiras on Friday, even though Caicedo will be serving a one-match ban. The hierarchy did not like losing to Flamengo but it is worth stressing that they had no issue with Maresca trying something new. Adaptability in a manager is an enviable quality. Chelsea know that it can be important to look past the final score and pay close attention to the underlying data. Positives can be found even in defeat, just as wins can paper over tactical flaws. This is still a work in progress. Yet given that a lot has been made of Chelsea's inexperience, it is only fair to point out that they have come through a lot of tough moments this year. They held their nerve to qualify for the Champions League, fought back from a goal down to beat Real Betis in the Conference League final and dealt with a curveball against Benfica. There is a sense within the club that the pieces are falling into place. Perhaps Maresca is on the path to turning doubters into believers.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Irish Sun
World Cup 2026 fears as weather expert warns England stars to prepare for lengthy suspensions
ENGLAND stars have been warned to prepare for frequent delays at the 2026 World Cup as extreme weather wreaks havoc at the Club World Cup . FIVE HOURS to complete after the match was suspended due to "the risk of lightning in the vicinity of Bank of America Stadium". Advertisement 4 Fears are growing over the 2026 World Cup as extreme weather wreaks havoc at the Club World Cup. 4 Extreme weather has disrupted the first two weeks of the Club World Cup It was the summer thunderstorms, with players, staff and fans pulled indoors for two hours. Both teams were forced to keep fresh on training bikes in the dressing rooms, while fans were kept into the concourse, with the Blues 1-0 up with four minutes remaining thanks to ' free-kick. When it finally restarted, Angel Di Maria equalised with a controversial stoppage-time penalty to take the game to extra-time, only for , Pedro Neto and to seal Chelsea 's win. Advertisement READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS And now weather experts have warned world football to prepare for the same at next summer 's World Cup - hosted across the USA , Canada and Mexico . National Weather Service official Ben Schott, who advises Fifa and the US World Cup taskforce for 2026, says teams should plan accordingly. A recent study published by the International Journal of Biometeorology warned of the risk posed by extreme heat for players and spectators. Advertisement Most read in Football The study concluded that 14 of the 16 host cities being used for the World Cup experienced temperatures that frequently exceeded the commonly accepted safe thresholds for wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) -- a widely used measure for heat stress. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS The study argued for games to be scheduled outside of the afternoon windows when conditions were typically at their most fierce. England don't have the best history - or experience - of performing well in extreme heat. Advertisement 4 Thomas Tuchel is already preparing for the extreme weather at the 2026 World Cup Chelsea vs Benfica SUSPENDED with just five minutes left as referee takes players off due to severe lightning storm But ESPN reported on Tuesday that to recreate the temperatures they will likely face next June. While roasting heat was an issue when the US last hosted the World Cup in 1994, no games at that tournament were halted by storm warnings because the technology hadn't been created by then. Meanwhile, dressing room for the first-half of their game against Mamelodi Sundowns in Cincinnati, rather than have them sitting out in the sunshine last week. Advertisement Club World Cup 2025 Guide SOME of the world's biggest clubs are in action at this summer's Club World Cup in the United States! Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Man City, and Inter Miami are among the 32 teams taking part in the tournament, which runs from June 14 to July 13. The likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, Cole Palmer and Harry Kane are showcasing their skills to packed crowds across the US. INFO Everything you need to know about the Club World Cup LATEST NEWS & FEATURES Club World Cup top scorers And Maresca cut short his team's training session in Philadelphia on Monday as the City of Brotherly Love baked in temperatures of 38C. Dortmund coach Niko Kovac, meanwhile, said the weather could ultimately shape the destiny of the Club World Cup. Kovac said: "I think that this tournament will be decided not by the best team, but the team that can adapt to these weather conditions the best. They will probably win this tournament" On Tuesday, lightning struck within 10 miles of a stadium. Advertisement A weather delay in Benfica 's game against Auckland led to an interruption in play of nearly two hours last week. Fifa confirmed that a drinks break to give players the chance to take on fluids and cool down will take place at 30 minutes and 75 minutes if needed. 4 Drinks breaks are permitted in each half when temperatures soar
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Chelsea overcome Club World Cup weather delay, set up Palmeiras quarter-final
Chelsea beat Benfica in a game which went on for close to five hours at the Club World Cup on Saturday to set up a quarter-final showdown with Brazilian side Palmeiras at the tournament in the United States. The London club were grateful to extra-time goals by Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to give them a 4-1 victory over Benfica. Their late burst of scoring settled a last-16 tie which took four hours, 39 minutes to complete at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina after a near two-hour weather delay. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was left satisfied with his team's victory but slammed the delay that turned the tie into a near five-hour marathon. "I think it's a joke, it's not football," Maresca said. "For 85 minutes we were in control of the game. We created enough chances to win the game. Then after the break, the game changed — for me personally, it's not football." Earlier, Chelsea had been seemingly poised for victory after Reece James' opportunistic second-half free-kick had left them 1-0 up with four minutes of regulation time remaining. But just as Chelsea began to think about their quarter-final assignment, the arrival of a storm over Charlotte triggered local safety protocols which required the game to be halted. It marked the sixth occasion during the Club World Cup that a game has been disrupted by a weather warning. When play resumed just under two hours later, a revitalised Benfica grabbed an injury-time equaliser after Chelsea substitute Malo Gusto was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area following an intervention by the Video Assistant Referee. Benfica's Argentine veteran Angel Di Maria stepped up to roll in an ice-cold penalty, sending the game into extra time. An end-to-end first half of extra time saw Benfica, reduced to 10 men following Gianluca Prestianni's second yellow card at the end of regulation, threaten to take the lead as they chased an improbable victory. But instead it was Nkunku who fired Chelsea back in front, the French international bundling in from close range after Moises Caicedo's low shot squirted underneath Benfica goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin. As the game opened up, Benfica were increasingly vulnerable on the counter-attack and Chelsea pounced. Neto made it 3-1 with a nerveless finish after going clean through on goal in the 114th minute, and three minutes later Dewsbury-Hall completed the rout to send Chelsea through to the last eight. They will now return to Philadelphia, where they played two games in the group stage, to play Palmeiras in the quarter-finals on Friday. Paulinho settles Brazilian derby The Brazilian club were grateful to an extra-time winner by substitute Paulinho as they edged domestic rivals Botafogo 1-0 in a battle of attrition earlier on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The winger came on at the same time in the second half as Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira withdrew teenage sensation Estevao Willian, a move that appeared baffling in the moment but ultimately proved inspired. The tie had reached the 100th minute without a goal when Paulinho collected a pass by Richard Rios on the right flank and was afforded the time and space to come inside into the box before slotting a low shot into the far corner. That sparked wild celebrations among the Palmeiras fans who made up the vast majority of the 33,657 crowd, and the side from Sao Paulo held on to win the tie despite having captain Gustavo Gomez sent off late on. "That is why he came, so he could play for long enough to decide a game. He is going to have to stop again after the tournament," Ferreira said of Paulinho, who has struggled with injury since signing for Palmeiras at the start of the year. Winners of the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021, Palmeiras will now hope to match the feat of their Brazilian rivals Flamengo, who defeated Chelsea during the group stage. The last-16 action continues on Sunday when European champions Paris Saint-Germain take on Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in Atlanta. Later on Bayern Munich face Flamengo in Miami.
