CHELSEA overcame the best efforts of Mother Nature and Malo Gusto to reach the last eight of the Club World Cup – in one of the most bizarre games to grace a major tournament.
The Blues were four minutes away from victory when reports of lightning forced a weather delay of almost TWO HOURS.
AFPChelsea advanced to the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup[/caption]
AFPReece James scored a clever free-kick to send the Blues through[/caption]
His quick thinking helped him get the better of Anatoliy Trubin and find the bottom corner
A storm saw Chelsea vs Benfica suspended with the players off the pitch for TWO HOURS
When play resumed, hapless defender Gusto conceded a penalty which allowed Benfica to equalise with just 60 seconds left on the clock to force extra time.
The Portuguese side then had a player sent off before Chelsea sub Christopher Nkunku stabbed home the scruffiest of goals to finally put his team into the last eight.
But the game which kicked off at 4pm local time did not finish until 8.30pm.
And Chelsea had to fly straight back to their Miami HQ immediately afterwards.
Reece James’ classy goal had Chelsea on the brink of reaching the quarter finals only for the weather to intervene and transform a tepid match into a remarkable experience.
Strict safety rules mean the players must come off the pitch and fans must leave their seats if lighting occurs within a ten mile radius of the ground.
That was at 5.54pm local time and the game did not resumed until 7.47pm. A hold up of one hour and 53 minutes.
Chelsea even posted pictures of their players keeping their tired legs warm by riding exercise bikes and playing keepy-uppy in the dressing room while waiting for the skies to clear.
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Violent storms are normal in these parts at this time of year which means the same fate awaits games at the real World Cup next summer when 48 countries will be spread across the US.
It’s one thing to delay Chelsea v Benfica. Quite another to call a halt to Brazil versus France.
GettyChristopher Nkunku scored Chelsea’s crucial second goal in extra-time[/caption]
GettyPedro Neto made it safe with Chelsea’s third against 10-man Benfica[/caption]
GettyAnd Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall put the cherry on top with another extra-time strike[/caption]
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But amid all the drama Maresca’s men only had to hold on for a few minutes to steer themselves into the last eight and a date with Brazilians Palmeiras – the team they beat to win the 2022 Club World Cup.
But the delay clearly affected the Premier League side more than the Portuguese.
Chelsea were already riding their luck when Benfica mounted one last attack with just two of the six added minutes remaining.
Nicolas Otamendi headed across the area and Chelsea sub Gusto jumped to clear but the ball touched the back of his arm.
The ref was sent to the monitor by VAR and after a brief debate awarded a penalty.
Vastly experienced Argentina winger Angel di Maria calmly slotted home from the spot, sending his shot straight down the middle while Blues’ keeper Robert Sanchez dived to his left.
ReutersVAR gave Benfica a penalty for Malo Gusto’s unlucky handball after the restart[/caption]
GettyAngel Di Maria made no mistake from the spot to send it the game to extra-time[/caption]
It had got so close for Chelsea too. They had controlled the first 86 minutes of the game with ease before the bizarre set of events kicked in.
Marc Cucurella, Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer had all gone close to scoring but they ended up paying for the missed chances by leaving Benfica in with a chance to get back in the game.
James curled in a classy free kick in the 65th minute to put Chelsea one up and they looked like seeing it out.
Gusto only came on in the 80th minute. The Frenchman was also guilty of a string of errors in Chelsea’s Conference League Final win last month and was taken off by Maresca at half time.
Benfica were reduced to ten men in extra time when sub Gianluca Prestianni was sent off for a second yellow card for a foul on Levi Colwill.
Players were removed from the playing surface in the 86th minute
Marc Cucurella protested the decision to evacuate
With the opposition a man down, Chelsea slowly piled on the pressure and won it in the 108th minute when Cole Palmer broke free.
He fed Moises Caicedo whose shot was only partially saved. Sub Nkunku pounced on the rebound but even that was blocked by defender Otamendi before the Frenchman got back on his feet and smashed home at the second attempt.
Winger Pedro Neto made it 3-1 in the 114th minute and Kiernan-Dewsbury Hall added a fourth with four minutes left.
Chelsea are edging closer to a last four all-Premier League meeting with Manchester City in the semi finals – in New York.
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