{"id":23669,"date":"2025-06-29T05:05:18","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T05:05:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/23669\/"},"modified":"2025-06-29T05:05:18","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T05:05:18","slug":"breaking-down-chelseas-extraordinary-four-hour-club-world-cup-match-that-was-delayed-by-severe-weather","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/23669\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking down Chelsea\u2019s extraordinary four-hour Club World Cup match that was delayed by severe weather"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chelsea will play Palmeiras in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup after defeating Benfica 4-1 in a last 16 game that was suspended for almost two hours by a severe weather warning, saw a controversial equalising penalty converted in stoppage time and was finally won in a flurry of extra-time goals, four hours and 38 minutes after kick off.<\/p>\n

There was 85 minutes on the clock when referee Slavko Vincic signalled for the players to leave the field due to severe weather in the area, a feature of this summer\u2019s tournament that is likely to be repeated at next year\u2019s World Cup,<\/a> and the game did not resume until an hour and 55 minutes later. Afterwards, Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca called the delay \u201ca joke\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Chelsea\u2019s players played football in the dressing room and rode exercise bikes to keep ready but when the game resumed, Benfica were awarded a controversial penalty in stoppage time.<\/p>\n

Angel Di Maria scored to take the game into extra time and Benfica then had Gianluca Prestianni sent off for a second yellow card but Christopher Nkunku put Chelsea back in front with a smart lifted finish after an error by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.<\/p>\n

Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added two more goals as Benfica folded at the end of an extraordinary encounter. Reece James had scored in the 64th minute to open the scoring in a game that kicked off at 4pm ET and ended\u00a0 at 8.38pm.<\/p>\n

The win earns Chelsea a further $13.7m (about \u00a39.8m), taking their estimated total prize money so far to about $54m.<\/p>\n

Here The Athletic\u2019s Oliver Kay and Liam Twomey break down the key talking points.<\/p>\n

Why was the match suspended?<\/p>\n

For the sixth time since the Club World Cup began, storms forced a suspension in play. Chelsea were edging their way to a 1-0 victory in Charlotte, with less than five minutes left on the clock, when the referee ordered both teams to leave the pitch and return to the dressing rooms due to what FIFA described as \u201csevere weather in the area\u201d. It was nearly two hours before the match officials gave the all-clear for play to resume.<\/p>\n

Storms are a fact of life in the United States at this time of year, particularly in the central and eastern areas of the country \u2014 and that creates problems for so many of the host cities for this summer\u2019s Club World Cup (and next summer\u2019s World Cup). After earlier cases in Orlando (kick-off between Ulsan and Mamelodi Sundowns delayed by 65 minutes) and Cincinnati (Red Bull Salzburg against Pachuca suspended for 97 minutes), this time it was 113 minutes.<\/p>\n

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Players exit the field at the start of the delay (Photo by Justin Setterfield \u2013 FIFA\/FIFA via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The match had been petering out, but the hiatus changed everything. Benfica\u2019s players looked like they had been let off the leash, Chelsea\u2019s as if they had expected to go through the motions for the final minutes. A Benfica equaliser immediately looked likely, even if the nature of it was fortuitous: an Angel Di Maria penalty awarded after a VAR check found Malo Gusto guilty of a handball.<\/p>\n

That meant extra time and, absurdly, more than four hours had passed since the game kicked off.<\/p>\n

Chelsea ended up victorious after a flurry of goals in the second half of extra time, but for players and spectators alike \u2014 both at the stadium and on TV \u2014 these delays are challenging to say the least.<\/p>\n

Oliver Kay<\/p>\n

Can we expect this to happen at the World Cup?<\/p>\n

Yes. \u201cWhat you\u2019re seeing right now is very typical. This is not unusual at all,\u201d Ben Schott, operations chief with the National Weather Service, told\u00a0The Athletic.<\/a> \u201cNext year, we may be going through the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scott has been working closely with FIFA and organizers over the past eight months to prepare for next year, and is also overseeing his agency\u2019s planning for the 2028 Olympics in L.A..<\/p>\n

The longest weather delay so far came when Benfica\u2019s 6-0 win over Auckland City was marred by a delay of more than two hours<\/a> due to thunderstorms in Orlando.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis time of year, especially east of the Rockies, we see thunderstorm development quite frequently. Especially in the northern half of the U.S., (from) Cincinnati all the way east to New York,\u201d Schott said. \u201cIt\u2019s not unusual this time of year to have cold fronts coming through, producing thunderstorms that are going to come through with each cold front. That can come through every three to five, seven days.\u201d<\/p>\n

It should be noted that of the six delays so far, only the one at MetLife took place in a city that will stage World Cup games, as Orlando, Cincinnati, Nashville and Charlotte all missed out on hosting rights.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why were Benfica awarded a penalty?<\/p>\n

After the extraordinary delay, Benfica knew they had five minutes of normal time plus stoppage time to find an equaliser, which they did in controversial fashion when they were awarded a penalty for handball by Malo Gusto.<\/p>\n

The move began when Benfica were awarded a soft free kick on the edge of the box after Caicedo was judged to have pulled down Di Maria.<\/p>\n

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From that free-kick, Di Mari played the ball to the back post where Gusto jumped didn\u2019t connect with his defensive header.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

Behind him, Nicolas Otamendi did connect with his header, aiming it across the goal.<\/p>\n

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And with Gusto looking towards Otamendi, the ball struck Gusto\u2019s raised left arm as he fell.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

The referee was watching the incident and did not give a penalty but after being called to the replay screen by the VAR he did award one, with Di Maria beating Robert Sanchez.<\/p>\n

How did Nkunku score the crucial goal?<\/p>\n

Chelsea looked stunned after Benfica took the game to extra time but after Prestianni\u2019s was sent off for a second yellow card at the start of extra time they found a way to win it.<\/p>\n

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The foul that led to Prestianni\u2019s red card (Photo: PAUL ELLIS\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The breakthrough came on 108 minutes thanks to smart thinking and a clever finish from Nkunku, who has been the subject of interest from Manchester United.<\/a> After Turbin could only deflect Caicedo\u2019s shot across his own goal, Otamendi hooked the ball away but Nkunku lunged in at the right moment to block the clearance.<\/p>\n

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The ball stopped as the momentum of both players carried them over the line<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

But Nkunku stayed on his feet and was able to react quickest<\/p>\n

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He then ran back to where the ball had stopped as Otamendi and Trubin scrambled to block him<\/p>\n

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And lifted his finish up and over the onrushing goalkeeper and the former Manchester City defender who was lying on the goalline, putting Chelsea back ahead.<\/p>\n

Is this how Chelsea might look next season?<\/b><\/p>\n

Remarkably, this was the first time that Reece James, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer had all started a game together for Chelsea. Well, perhaps not quite so remarkable when you consider the injuries that have restricted both James and Lavia to so little football over the past two seasons.<\/p>\n

But this was a glimpse of how Chelsea could look in the season ahead if those injury problems ease: James at right-back, Lavia and Caicedo in central midfield, Fernandez a little more advanced of that duo and Pedro Neto, on this occasion, joining Palmer and Liam Delap further forward.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

REECE JAMES!!! \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n

Chelsea have their first goal of the afternoon \u26bd<\/p>\n

Watch the @FIFACWC<\/a> | June 14 \u2013 July 13 | Every Game | Free | https:\/\/t.co\/i0K4eUtwwb<\/a> | #FIFACWC<\/a> #TakeItToTheWorld<\/a> #SLBCHE<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/n2vd5JMN0S<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It was a surprise to see Palmer on the left: presumably a temporary measure, with Chelsea now having agreed a deal to sign England Under-21 winger Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund<\/a>. Palmer did not look entirely comfortable there, but there were flashes of quality. Likewise from Lavia and Caicedo, who controlled the midfield. Delap\u2019s performance was less easy to evaluate, but there were more signs that his speed, aggression and direct running are excellent raw attributes to work with.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the one disappointment was Fernandez. After his strong performances against Los Angeles FC and Esperance de Tunis in the group stage, this was a more difficult afternoon for the Argentina midfielder, facing his former club. The perfect system for Maresca\u2019s Chelsea is still to crystallise \u2014 and Palmer was far more effective in extra time after moving into a central role \u2014 but having James and Lavia fit makes such a difference.<\/p>\n

Oliver Kay<\/p>\n

How much will Chelsea miss Caicedo?<\/b><\/p>\n

Chelsea might have lost Caicedo even earlier. In the first half a heavy collision with Leandro Barreiro bent his right leg into a worrying arc and left him shouting in pain on the floor. It was the kind of moment that can lead to ligament damage, or worse.<\/p>\n

Caicedo got back up and played on, as he always does. He is a warrior, but being a warrior has its downsides. Only five players in the Premier League received more yellow cards than him (11) last season and in the 61st minute at Bank of America Stadium, he earned the booking that rules him out of Chelsea\u2019s Club World Cup quarter-final against Palmeiras.<\/p>\n

The reasoning of referee Vincic was unclear in the moment; Caicedo made no tackle to prompt the flash of yellow, but did appear to protest when teammate Marc Cucurella was penalised for a loose tackle deep in the Benfica half. If dissent was the offence, it is a cheap way for Chelsea to be deprived of arguably their most important player.<\/p>\n

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Caicedo will miss Chelsea\u2019s next Club World Cup game (Photo: Marcio Machado\/Eurasia Sport Images\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Caicedo started every single Premier League game for Chelsea in 2024-25, and every cup match that mattered. There is very little indication of what Maresca will do without him in this scenario; Romeo Lavia is at least fit to deputise but new arrival Dario Essugo does not seem ready yet and the return from James\u2019 outings at the base of midfield has been decidedly mixed.<\/p>\n

Whatever alignment Maresca chooses, Chelsea\u2019s midfield is going to have a very different look and feel against Palmeiras without their player of the year.<\/p>\n

Liam Twomey<\/p>\n

Why was the crowd so low?<\/p>\n

Attendances have been up and down at this tournament \u2014 some genuinely impressive, some disappointing. This fell into the latter category, with large swathes of empty seats at the 74,867-capacity Bank of America Stadium.<\/p>\n

FIFA announced an official attendance of 25,929, which means the stadium was just over one-third full or nearly two-thirds empty, depending on your perspective of such matters.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The city has a considerable appetite for football; Charlotte FC regularly attract 30,000-plus crowds in Major League Soccer and there was a crowd of 70,248 when Real Madrid played Pachuca last Sunday. But this knock-out game between two European clubs on a Saturday afternoon was evidently a harder sell than some of FIFA\u2019s excitable hype suggests \u2014 hard to sell at FIFA\u2019s prices, at least.<\/p>\n

To the great credit of those who were there, many stuck around through the entire delay.<\/p>\n

Oliver Kay<\/p>\n

What can Chelsea expect from Palmeiras?<\/p>\n

Chelsea staff are likely to be more familiar with Palmeiras\u2019 path to the Club World Cup last eight than most, given that Estevao is being keenly observed inside and outside the club ahead of the formal completion of his move to Stamford Bridge after the tournament.<\/a><\/p>\n

But despite being voted player of the match in two of his team\u2019s three group games and carried a lively threat against Botafogo in the round of 16, Estevao has not been the driving force behind Palmeiras\u2019 progress to this point.<\/p>\n

Abel Ferreira\u2019s team are built on a sturdy defence that has kept clean sheets in three of their four Club World Cup matches, conceding twice in a four-goal thriller against Inter Miami.<\/p>\n

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Estevao is in line to face Chelsea (Photo: FRANCK FIFE \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

They press aggressively from the front, looking to win the ball long before it can reach their defensive third. It does not always overwhelm opponents but there has been plenty of evidence in the United States that it is effective in wearing them down; all five of Palmeiras\u2019 goals in this tournament have been scored after half-time, and it was no surprise to see them come on stronger than Botafogo in extra time at Lincoln Financial Field.<\/p>\n

All eyes will understandably be on Estevao in the quarter-final, but it would be foolish for Maresca and Chelsea to focus solely on their incoming prodigy.<\/p>\n

Liam Twomey<\/p>\n

What next for Chelsea?<\/p>\n

Friday, July 4:<\/strong> Palmeiras, Club World Cup quarter-finals (Philadelphia), 9pm ET, 2am (Saturday) UK<\/p>\n

You can\u00a0sign up to DAZN<\/a>\u00a0to watch every FIFA Club World Cup game for free<\/p>\n

(Photo: Steph Chambers \u2013 FIFA\/FIFA via Getty Images)<\/p>\n