Charlotte – A season that has felt that it can go forever now is a match that almost did. However much Chelsey Out of their fear Club World Cup The campaign could turn into a long slogan, nothing could prepare them for it: a game that ended four hours and 38 minutes after the onset.
Saturday -Yes, it is still Saturday to check this – 4-1 Win on Benfika Establish a quarter -final against Palameraz After next Friday Christopher nakunku, Pedro Neto And Keranan Davesbury Hall All hit an extra time to settle one of the most tried matches in history.
Blues will be very grateful that they have six days to overcome it. Felt like a different age, Reese jamesThe ’64th minute free kick has given Chelsea a tough-to-old victory, if a large win was victory, but in fact, the game had barely begins.
The Slovenian Referee Slavo Vinnic stopped the match with four minutes left for a serious weather warning, which forced the players to protect the concores from the field and the fans at the Bank of America Stadium.
As a storm around this part of the northern Carolina, a proposed time to resume was pushed back on several occasions. Chelsea players entered the locker room, trying to tick many bikes. A rainbow eventually appeared. With the danger of the arrival of another storm system, both teams agreed to a small warm-up to try to squeeze in the last period before the return of electricity.
In fact, there was a lot to come. Nicholas otamandy On the goal, and as Malo Guvsto Jumped, the ball collided with the back of his hand. He was facing another way; He had no intention to handle the ball, but it did not matter at this day and age: it was considered in an unnatural position and was the lifeline of Benfika.
When? Ángel di maría To equalize the stroke home the spot kick in the fifth minute of time, it was a local time around 8 pm and many of the 25,929 crowds disappeared in the city.
They missed a rauting encore. Gianluka presestian The second yellow card of two minutes was shown in additional time, and Chelsea counted her numerical advantage. Cole Palmer found Moses prisoners In the box. Her shot was saved by Benfika goalkeeper Anatoli trubinBut the ball freed, and as Otamandy tried to clean, Nakunku reacted the fastest to wrapping his body around the ball and set a high fire in the net.
The race of Benfika was finally run and she cleared her third goal for her third goal with Neto Racing twice on retaliation twice before, before Davesbury-Hall suits a clever dinade finish.
Blues coach Enzo Marska later celebrated with a group of supporters near Dugout, but he is being asked to complete a game under these circumstances – the sixth opportunity in the Club World Cup where a match has been closed due to bad weather.
“We were under the control of the game for 85 minutes,” said Marska. “We did not agree, we created enough opportunities to win the game. And then after the break, the game completely changed. I think it is not a football for me personally.
“It is already seven, eight, nine games that they suspended. I think it’s a joke to be honest, it’s not football. It is not for us. I can understand that for security reasons, you have to suspend the game. But if you suspend seven, eight games, it means that it is probably not right to do this competition.
“Please, don’t consider me wrong. I said this is a great competition. It is a club World Cup. It is the top. We are happy to be in the last eight. We are happy to win everything like this. But something happens, six, seven games suspended, perhaps one that they decide what they decide, they need a reason, because it is not normal to suspend a game.”
It was not a great advertisement for the tournament in general. The appearance was disappointingly low, the pitch produced an unusual bounce of the ball and although the supporter safety is paramount, the players are bordering the logistically, theoretically, four -minute, the logistics of the players to wait for about two hours, the theoretical, theoretically, are border.
One time limit will definitely be required to be introduced. Charlotte is not one of the 16 host cities for next year FIFA World CupBut only five of the stadiums have roofs.
The game explained to the elements completely, given the players that it had two cooling brakes and a two -hour break for a storm.
“As I said, the game was great for 85 minutes,” Marska said. “Then we had to stay for one and a half hours, two hours. Then it is completely separated. It is not the same game. It is not the same game because you break the tempo.
“So two hours inside; people talk outside the family, if they were good, security. People are eating, people are laughing, people are talking on mobile. It’s two hours. So I said that it is not football.”
Marka talked as Chelsea was running for his flight to go back to Miami, where he would spend a week before flying to Philadelphia on Thursday night. The cassoo will be suspended against Palmiraras, and there is a lot to analyze between controversies: Paller is playing from the left with the initial promise, the sight of the casso Romeo Lavia And Ango fernandez Started in midfield only for the second time, whether it Liam delap Have done enough to keep out Nicholas jackson As he returns from suspension.
The period of calm will follow this chaos and, my, Chelsea needs it.
