After an interminable part, suspended for more than two hours to prevent a thunderstorm, and in the incredible scenario, Chelsea torn off its qualification for the quarter-finals of the World Cup by beating Benfica Lisbon 4-1 after prolongation, Saturday in Charlotte.
The 20,000 spectators present in the Bank of America Stadium will long remember this match, which has challenged all forecasts.
While the blues were quietly heading for the next round after a goal scored on a free kick by Reece James (64th), the meeting suddenly tilted in the unreal with the referee’s decision to suspend it just 5 minutes from the end of regulation time under the security protocols in force in the United States when thunderburns are detected within 8 miles (13 km).
The craziest was to come. After two hours of waiting without any drop of rain, the game ended up resuming but Benfica, however completely dominated before this long break, managed to equalize in the process against all expectations on a penalty transformed by Angel Di Maria for a hand in the penalty surface of the French defender Malo Gusto (90th+5).
“It’s not football” but a “joke”
Exclusion at the very beginning of the extension of the Gianluca Prestianni Lisbot (92nd) further accentuated the insane nature of this end of the game. A fatal red card in Benfica which then completely fell in love, hosting three goals in burst by Christopher Nkunku (108th), Pedro Neto (114th) then Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (117th).
The blues have extended their American stay after this twist match and can now see even further since they will be favorites when challenging Brazilians from Palmeiras on Friday in Philadelphia, for a place in the semi-finals. What embellish a little more one season marked by their success in the league conference and a 4th place in the Premier League, synonymous with tickets for the next Champions League.
Despite the victory, the coach of the Blues Enzo Maresca has annoyed the amount of suspended meetings due to the weather, although he can “understand the security reasons”.
“It already makes (six) matches interrupted here (…) It is not football” but a “joke”, criticized the Italian, believing that such disturbances “mean that it is probably not the right place to organize this competition”.
The farewell of Di Maria
For his part, Benfica appeared too shy and too limited to fight against the Londoners, far from the beautiful resistance opposed to Bayern Munich in the first round (1-0 victory) and his honorable career in C1, concluded after an 8th in suspense in front of FC Barcelona.
This elimination also marks the end of the story of Angel Di Maria in Lisbon. The 37 -year -old Argentinian world champion, who had an exceptional record, announced his departure after the Benfica tournament, where he returned to 2023, and went to the country to find Rosario Central, where he had started his long professional career in 2005.
The success of Chelsea was long to materialize because of the weather but remains logical, the London team having generally flown in debates by relying on its two main offensive assets, Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer, its true technical leader.
The Blues have also often stumbled on the excellent goalkeeper of Benfica. Already decisive against Bayern, the Ukrainian Anatolii Trubin has multiplied the parades and has long pushed the deadline.
But the unfortunate trubin, already at fault on the eccentric free kick of Reece James at the first post, was abandoned in overtime by his defense and his teammates, in inferiority. A cruel outcome for the porter of Benfica but who ultimately made the joy of Chelsea.
“It hurts, it hurts very much because we had come with the desire to give a good performance (…) Unfortunately, we did not control the start of the extension with the expulsion at the first minute,” reacted the coach of the Portuguese, Bruno Lage.
