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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Thunderstorms and scorching heat wave threaten next year's FIFA World Cup in the US
Only five minutes and stoppage time remained when the Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic hurriedly signalled the match to stop. To the petrified Chelsea and Benfica players, locked in an intensely scruffy round-of-16 game, he pointed his index finger and head skywards, where dark and sombre clouds were rolling in over the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The players, especially those of Chelsea, leading 1-0, protested. They were used to rain and snow, sun and storm in EPL's ten-month grind. The referee wouldn't budge, as there was a high-grade thunderstorm brewing in the horizon, and the players reluctantly retreated to the dressing room. The screen inside the ground blinked with the message: 'Seek cover protocol. Severe weather in the area. Seek cover.' The storm passed, half of the spectators spilled out, and the players returned. By then, 113 minutes had ticked by. When the game ended, a red card, extra time and feverish goal celebrations stretching the time, the players, referees, officials and some of the spectators had spent four hours and 38 minutes on the ground. When the final whistle blew, Chelsea winning 4-1, the London club's manager Enzo Maresca stormed off the pitch, his troops staggering behind him. He vented out all his rage in the press conference room. 'Guys, it's not football. You suspend the game, it's not football. It's completely something different,' he said, fuming. 'It's not normal to suspend a game. In a World Cup, how many games are suspended? Zero, probably. In Europe, how many games? Zero,' he raged on, before detailing the practical difficulties of sitting through a two-hour break, waiting for the game to resume, when all it required were five and sundry minutes to wrap up the game. Worryingly, it was not the first game a thunderstorm had interrupted nor the longest a team had to wait for restart. It was the sixth match in the tournament and the longest weather delay came during Benfica's 6-0 rout of Auckland City in Orlando when the game was suspended for two hours. Worse, intermittent thunderstorms are frequent in these neck of woods in June and July and could be a recurring feature in next year's FIFA World Cup. Last year, weather wreaked havoc in the T20 World Cup, in June-July, when a hurricane blew in Florida and washed off the games. US-based meteorologists fear harsh weather to prevail in next year's expanded World Cup. Ben Schott, a member of the National Weather Service who advises FIFA and the 2026 World Cup team, told AFP recently: 'What we're seeing right now is not unusual, even though we're setting records. Most of the eastern United States is breaking records, and that happens almost every summer. So something similar is expected next year, and those planning to attend the matches should be prepared.' Though thunderstorms have not resulted in fatalities yet, a teenager miraculously survived one near the MetLife Stadium in New York, which would host the World Cup final, last week. Only four of the World Cup Stadiums have retractable roofs, making the players and audience hostage to extreme weather conditions. A bigger worry is the scorching heatwave. One of the most enduring and unusual images of the Club World Cup has been that of the Borussia Dortmund bench watching the first half of their match against South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns from inside the locker room. The temperature that afternoon had touched 36 degree Celsius (with a real feel of 39). 'Our subs watched the first half from inside the locker room to avoid the blazing sun — never seen that before, but in this heat, it absolutely makes sense,' the club's official handle posted on Twitter. The players and managers too are feeling the heat, not to discount spectators and referees. Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso was spotted with an ice towel on his neck during the 1 pm practice session at their training base in Miami. Real Madrid trained in heated tents. Heat lamps were placed inside so that the players got used to the sweltering rays of the sun. Even players raised in the US can't help cursing the heat. 'I only played a half, and it was like I was dying out there. It was really hot,' said Juventus and USA forward Timothy Weah. PSG's Brazilian said he could neither step up nor slow down because he couldn't process what was going on. At last year's Copa América in the US, an assistant referee collapsed during a match played in the stifling heat of Kansas City. Kick off timings have not helped. As many as 15 games started at 12 pm; 16 at 3 pm. Only 15 games were scheduled after 7 pm, when it is much cooler. Alarmingly, noon and afternoon starts could be the norm in the World Cup too, to suit the prime television time in Europe. It was the story of the 1994 World Cup, the last time the country hosted the tournament. The final, between Italy and Brazil at Pasadena, in California, was played in 38 degree Celsius. 'It will be a handicap for soccer in general,' Italian coach Arrigo Sacchi said before the game. European teams feared the climate would furnish undue advantage to teams from the Americans, even though it was presumptuous as seven of the eight quarter finalists were from Europe. But heat has not had a direct bearing on the result. Atlanta Stadium, where Inter Miami stunned Porto, is an indoor facility. Botafogo shocked Paris Saint-Germain in a late match. In the same stadium Mexican side Monterrey held against Inter Milan. The only upset that could be attributed to weather is Brazil's Flamengo toppling Chelsea. The weather, according to meteorologists and researchers, would be no different during the World Cup. A research paper published in the The International Journal of Biometeorology in January projects that nine of the 16 venues will experience a wet bulb globe temperature (a metric that combines the effects of the air temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind speed) above the accepted safety threshold of 28C and soar to 32-33C through most of the tournament. The highest corresponding number during the Qatar World Cup was 23C, which itself was considered unbearable by European teams. And unlike in Qatar, which happened mid-season, players would reach the Americas already fatigued by the league labours. Add heat and thunderstorms, delays and suspensions, and quite a few managers would repeat the words of Maresca.
The Standard
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Standard
Chelsea boss questions whether US is suitable to host showpiece tournament
Players walk off the pitch after referee Slavko Vincic signals a weather delay in the second half of the match. (Reuters)
Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Times
Chelsea book place in quarter-finals — 4hrs and 38mins after kick-off
A chaotic finish, for a chaotic match. Chelsea scrambled into the Club World Cup's quarter-finals after more than two hours of actual football, plus close on two hours of suspended football. Four hours and 38 minutes to complete, in all. There was lightning, there was VAR controversy, but ultimately they got over the line. Christopher Nkunku scored the goal that put Chelsea on the road to victory. It was that kind of game. Has there ever been one quite like this? Not in the Club World Cup, not in any major competition if memory serves. To have the game suspended for so long due to adverse weather conditions, to have it resume under the pressure of a time window between storms, and then to have a Benfica equaliser scored in such controversial circumstances — a VAR decision that would never have been given in most domestic forms of the game — is surely unique. Credit Chelsea then, for their three goals in the second half of extra time. Finally, they kept their heads, won a game they must have felt was already theirs. We'll get to that. First, the madness. There were five minutes remaining in normal time when the referee, Slavko Vincic, led the players off with lightning in the area and Chelsea in control and leading 1-0. And they did not return for close to two hours. There were several false starts. Predicted times to return scuppered by more lightning. Warm-ups aborted. And as the minutes ticked by so the advantage moved to Benfica. There was almost an air of inevitability about the return. When referee Vincic — Slovenian, over-promoted — brought the teams back on, all the momentum was with the Portuguese. They had been poor to this point. Their best, their only, chance had come when the Chelsea goalkeeper, Robert Sánchez, misjudged a shot from Fredrik Aursnes. Yet here was a free hit. Bonus time. Had the game played out when it should have done, Chelsea would almost certainly have won. Yet Benfica now had nothing to lose. They had four minutes, plus injury time. When six additional minutes were signalled, it was almost as if drama was ordained. Severe weather in the Charlotte area forced play to be suspended on the 86-minute mark for more than two hours… FEDERICO PARRA/AFP So it came. Nicolás Otamendi's header connected with a cross and clipped the extended arm of Malo Gusto. Natural position when jumping? Yes. The sort that gets given in the Premier League. Never. In Fifa competition: penalty. Vincic did not give it but was summoned by the VAR. The moment he jogged to the sidelines, everyone knew. Ángel Di María waited for Sánchez to commit and just slotted his penalty kick to the left. Welcome back, my friends, to the game that never ends. And we can argue the ridiculousness of the situation, of having a tournament in a part of the United States so prone to electrical storms. We can judge the letter of the law and its many travesties, yet the fact remains that once again Chelsea did not pull clear given every opportunity. Chances were squandered — some by Marc Cucurella, playing an extremely attacking role — good positions wasted. Chelsea should have had this wrapped by half-time, by full-time, and certainly within four hours. Instead they went into extra time level, and up against it — even when Gianluca Prestianni was sent off not just for his foul on Levi Colwill but for the equally nasty reaction that followed. What chaos. For Chelsea had been coasting. Their goal was a thing of beauty, too. Minute 62, Reece James sized up the simplest of passes down the flank and bunged it straight into touch. Minute 64, he gave Chelsea the lead with a free kick full of intelligence and class. That's the thing with the best players. They aren't easily fazed, not easily knocked out of their stride. James had already forgotten that duffed pass when he scored. He had already alighted on a redeeming plan. He had spotted Benfica's goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, in a poor position. Trubin was expecting a cross and, for this reason, had left too much room at his near post. He's 6ft 6in, mind, Trubin. It would need to be some special kick to beat him, no matter where he stood. So James took a special free kick. James takes quite a few of them these days since his comeback from injury. One against Bournemouth on January 14 this year, another for England against Latvia in March. And now this. A special goal, a lucrative goal, given helped take Chelsea into the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup. It was thought James could get lost in the various reshuffles of the Maresca era, squeezed out at full back, swamped by sheer numbers in central midfield. That's not going to happen now. He's a player. Chelsea need players. Not just vanloads of players. Proper ballers. MIKE SEGAR/REUTERS So James whipped in his free kick at the near post, Trubin scrambled unsuccessfully, and the game should have been won. It would have been no more than Chelsea deserved. Ultimately, then, justice was done. As extra time spun out, so Chelsea's man advantage showed. Benfica were carved open, three times in nine minutes. Cole Palmer found Moisés Caicedo in the penalty area and his shot squirmed under Trubin towards the goalline. Otamendi first stopped Nkunku but could do no more as he turned the loose ball into the empty net, from a yard. Minutes later, Pedro Neto was left one on one from the halfway line, and made no mistake. For the fourth Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall did the same. So this was a decent afternoon's work that turned into a good night. An eye-catching performance in parts, much improved on Chelsea's group stage form. They have still not hit the heights achieved by Manchester City but this is a team bedding in. Character-building, too. Get through this lunacy and who knows where it ends. Benfica (4-2-3-1): A Trubin 8 — F Aursnes 6 (T Gouveia 86), A Silva 7, N Otamendi 5, S Dahl 5 — F Luis 6 (G Prestianni 70), L Barreiro 6, O Kokcu 6 (J Veloso 85) — V Pavlidis 6 (A Belotti 70), A Di Maria 7, A Schjelderup 5 (K Akturkoglu 46 6). Booked Kokcu, Luis, Pavlidis, Prestianni, Silva, Gouveia. Sent off Prestianni. Chelsea (4-2-2-2): R Sanchez 6 — R James 8 (M Gusto 80), B Badiashile 5 (T Adarabioyo 69), L Colwill 7 (A Anselmino 118), M Cucurella 7 — M Caicedo 8, R Lavia 6 (T Chalobah 85) — C Palmer 7, E Fernández 6 (K Dewsbury-Hall 81) — P Neto 7, L Delap 7 (C Nkunku 80). Booked M Caicedo. C Palmer.
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Chelsea player ratings: Reece James impresses with free kick as Liam Delap struggles to make an impact
CHELSEA forced their way into the Club World Cup quarter-finals win extradorinaiy fashion with a 4-1 win over Benfica. The Blues were uninspiring as they played at pre-season pace until they were made to fight for their lives in extra-time and turned on the flair to get the better of the Portuguese giants. Advertisement 17 Chelsea beat Benfica 4-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup Credit: Getty 17 The Blues needed extra-time to turn things around after a weather delay wreaked havoc Credit: AFP 17 However things sparked into life when, five minutes from time, referee Slavko Vincic brought the game to a halt and That led to a TWO HOUR delay, seeing players play keepie-uppies in the dressing room and try and stay warm on electric bikes. 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 When they returned to action, with only a few minutes of football to finish off, substitute Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL What had been a dull example of why this tournament has been criticised, quickly became one of the stories of the tournament and an eye-catching additional spell. Thankfully for The Blues, Christopher Nkuku, Pedro Neto and Here's how SunSport's Joshua Hall rated every ROBERT SANCHEZ - 6 Not much he could have done to deny Angel Di Maria's penalty and looked solid when called upon beyond that. Advertisement Most read in Football Still, Chelsea will still be hoping they can find an upgrade on the shot-stopper in the coming weeks of the summer window. REECE JAMES - 8 Almost made a costly error when he tried to shield the ball from a Benfica attacker and let it role into Robert Sanchez's hands in the first half. Got away with it, but was close to gifting an opener to the Portuguese outfit. He, like most players on the pitch, looked like he was playing within himself to avoid injury and fatigue at what is still deemed as a glorified post-season tour until the delay turned it on his head. Advertisement He used that sleepy atmosphere to catch out Anatoliy Trubin with a near-post free-kick to give his side the lead. 17 17 Reece James scored the opener for Chelsea Credit: AFP BENOIT BADIASHILE - 4 Not up to scratch to be a starting centre-back for Chelsea, even when they're playing at half-pace and against no threat. Advertisement Perhaps the only time he was called upon saw him shakily deal with Vangelis Pavlidis by way of the Greek striker inexplicably throwing himself to the ground. He was lucky because Pavilidis looked like he would have got the better of him. Substituted off for LEVI COLWILL - 7 Colwill has become a reliable defender and a 'senior' figure in this Chelsea team, despite being just 22 years old. He doesn't set the world alight, but he rarely make a mistake when called upon as the last line of defence. Advertisement Another solid performance from the youngster who appears to be relishing the responsibility he has been given by Maresca. MARC CUCURELLA - 6 Terrific effort in the first half seemed destined for the top corner if not for a spectacular headed clearance off the line by Antonio Silva. Denied again from close range when Trubin's outstretched arm blocked what looked like a certain goal. The more advanced role that Enzo Maresca is giving him may be putting him in better positions, but until he can actually consistently provide goals and assists from those areas it seems to be a confusing decision from the Blues boss. Advertisement 17 17 Antonio Silva's goal-line header denied Marc Cucurella a goal in the first half Credit: Reuters ROMEO LAVIA - 5 An uninspiring performance in which he did little wrong and little to impress. The lack of pace and any real impetus from Benfica meant that Chelsea didn't really need three defensive minded midfielders on the pitch at all times. Advertisement As such, he struggled to influence anything. MOISES CAICEDO - 6 Always a reliable ball-mover and rarely pulls of a challenge. Unfortunately for Caicedo, the tempo for the majority of the game was so slow that he rarely had an opportunity to do what he does best in terms of breaking up play and progressing the ball. Perhaps he needs to start adding more creativity to his game when he knows he has the likes of Advertisement He won't be able to do that in the quarter-final though, after receiving a one-match ban for his second yellow card. 17 Moises Caicedo is suspended for the quarter-final Credit: Getty ENZO FERNANDEZ - 4 Not his best performance by a long stretch as he tried to impress against his former team. This felt like an example of when Maresca's insistence on deploying Fernandez as an attacking midfielder doesn't pay off. Advertisement Yes, he's scored one and assisted two from that position at the Club World Cup already, but it still looks like he would be better suited in a deeper position. 17 Enzo Fernandez didn't have his best game against former club Benfica Credit: AFP 17 PEDRO NETO - 6 Some sloppy passing under little pressure when inside his own half and a real lack of danger when in the opposition half. Advertisement It's easy to forget that Neto cost Chelsea in excess of £50m and scored just four league goals last season. But he can thank Benfica's tired defence for splitting like the red sea and allowing him to bag a late safety-blanket goal in extra time to buy himself a little bit more kudos. COLE PALMER - 7 Palmer must be growing frustrated with his teammates, constantly delivering dangerous balls into the box, shimmying into space and causing problems - yet he is rarely met with the same efforts from his fellow players. Advertisement It didn't take long for it to show either, with Palmer waving his arms in frustration at not being picked out for a pass multiple times within the first 20 minutes of the game. When things opened up after the delay Palmer was pulling the string to help force Chelsea back in front. 17 Cole Palmer had a frustrating game in the first 90 minutes Credit: AP Advertisement LIAM DELAP - 3 If Chelsea want to find a new goalscorer to solve their striker longstanding problems, they probably need to start passing to him. That said, when he did have the ball he didn't exactly impress - struggling to offer much in terms of creating for the players running off him. Noticeably overhit a long ball to Palmer that ran all the way out for a throw-in during a promising counterattack. While he couldn't even stay onside to make the moment he did get in behind count. Advertisement It's fair to say that patchy form is expected for such a young striker making such a big transfer, but on tonight's showing Delap looked like he could have played for 900 minutes and never got his goal. 17 Liam Delap struggled to influence proceedings Credit: Getty 17 SUBS Tosin Adarabioyo (for Badiashile, 70min) - 6 Looked comfortable enough for the period of time he was on the pitch as Badiashile's replacement. Advertisement Malo Gusto (for James, 80min) - 4 His flailing hand flicked the ball to give away the penalty deep into injury time - a costly mistake that meant almost Chelsea were dumped from the Club World Cup. Looked desperate to make up for his mistake, but never convinced that he could actually do so. 17 The ball hit Malo Gusto's hand to gift Benfica a penalty Credit: AP Christopher Nkunku (for Delap, 80min) - 8 Made the difference from the bench, smashing home a shot from point blank range to ensure Chelsea hadn't fluffed their chances of advancing to the next round. Advertisement He could be playing his last few games for Chelsea with rumours swirling about his future, but this goal will be one he will always remember. 17 Christopher Nkunku scored the crucial goal to give Chelsea their lead back in extra-time Credit: Getty 17 Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (for Fernandez, 80min) - 7 Joined in the party with a well-taken goal to give Chelsea a 4-1 lead in extra-time as Benfica's tired bodies caught up with them. Advertisement He looked good from the moment he stepped on the pitch, more like the player 17 Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall got on the scoresheet with a well-taken chip Credit: Reuters Trevoh Chalobah (for Lavia, 86min) - 7 Made a crucial interception to deny Benfica to snatch an extra-time winner through Andrea Belotti. Like Tosin, he continues to prove why there is no reason for Badiashile to be starting games for this Chelsea side. Advertisement
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Bernardo Silva bitterly claims the referee 'doesn't know the rules' - after clashing with Florian Wirtz in Portugal's 2-1 Nations League semi-final win over Germany
Bernardo Silva hit out at the official in charge of Portugal's 2-1 Nations League semi-final win over Germany, claiming he 'doesn't know the rules'. The thrilling clash at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night was settled by Cristiano Ronaldo 's 68th-minute strike - his record-extending 137th at international level - which came after the sides had traded eye-catching finishes. Germany, who were looking to claim their first Nations League crown, took the lead in somewhat controversial fashion as Liverpool target Florian Wirtz headed home from close range with the aid of a block from Nick Woltemade, who appeared to be in an offside position. It was one of a number of strange calls from Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, who needed only a glance at the pitchside monitor to confirm the effort, that raised the temperature in a feisty encounter. Silva took aim at the official as he praised his side for fighting back, first from Francisco Conceicao's stunner before Ronaldo's tap-in, and slammed Vincic for not understanding the rules of the game. 'A tough game, we expected that because they have a lot of quality,' the Manchester City star. 'Playing at home, we knew they were going to play with a lot of intensity, with a lot of energy like they always do. 'But today we played a good game. A lot of character, a lot of intensity as well from us. Going down 1-0 is not easy in the beginning of the [second] half even if the goal is offside, even if the referee doesn't know the rules but that's another question. 'We're happy we were able to come back.' On an eventful night in Munich, the 30-year-old and his compatriot Bruno Fernandes were among the Portugal stars involved in heated confrontations with Wirtz, who is expected to be lining up against the pair in the Premier League next season. Liverpool are pursuing a club record transfer of attacking midfielder Wirtz, with Bayer Leverkusen holding out for £120million for one of Europe's most sought-after midfielders. The Reds are currently at £109m, but reports suggest a deal is on the verge of being agreed, with personal terms not an issue. The 22-year-old won the praise of some Liverpool fans online for a crunching, studs-up tackle on Manchester United skipper Fernandes in the first half before later rowing with Silva. In the first half, Wirtz challenged Fernandes for a ball, but mis-timed his tackle and stood on his opponent's foot. Fernandes hit the ground in agony and hobbled through the remaining minutes up to half-time. Things then escalated in the second period. During a Germany attack, Wirtz as tripped by Silva on the half-way line and himself stayed on the ground in pain. A few minutes later, off the ball, there was an altercation. The two players - who could have been team-mates had City not pulled out of their pursuit of Wirtz - went almost head-to-head when Silva hit the deck, seemingly claiming he had been stood on. Wirtz tried to lift the 30-year-old up from the floor, but Fernandes raced in and pulled the German away from the scene. A pushing match ensued between a number of players, with Wirtz booked for his involvement. VAR deemed there was no foul play in his altercation with Silva. Wednesday night's result means Portugal will go onto play either Spain or France in Sunday's Nations League final, while Germany will face the other in a third-place play-off.
