Chelsea Football Club showed incredible spirit in their last outing against Benfica. They managed to overcome a deflating two hour weather delay that challenged players and staff alike. The match was postponed due to weather that had affected several matches in several cities. This match is symptomatic of the continuing drama surrounding Charlotte’s tournament. Even with the odds stacked against them, Chelsea persevered to take home the win and stay in the hunt for glory.
The match initially faced delays starting at 10:50 PM, with play resuming at 12:48 AM. Before the break, Reece James had opened the scoring with a sensational free-kick. Benfica got back on level terms soon after the break, forcing the game into extra time. Chelsea came back with three goals in the extra time to secure a 4-1 win.
Weather Delays Disrupt Tournament Flow
Those inclement weather conditions forced the Chelsea-Benfica match to start late and end early. They further made possible the suspension of six other matches played within the tournament. The international pandemonium piqued the interest of Benfica’s coach, Enzo Maresca. Notably, he used his bully pulpit to disparage the suitability of the United States as a host for these competitions.
“It’s a joke to be honest, it’s not football. It’s not for us. You cannot be inside. I struggle to understand. I can understand that for security reasons, you suspend the game. But if you suspend seven, eight games, that means that probably [this] is not the right place to do this competition.” – Enzo Maresca
Maresca’s worries underscore larger problems about tournament curation and athlete protection. He continued to underscore the challenge of trying to maintain players’ focus during such long breaks in play.
“When you are two hours inside and you try to keep them in the game… but for two hours, they are speaking with the family outside for safety reasons,” Maresca noted.
He stressed the need for tournament organizers to take these challenges head on. So, with the World Cup coming up next year and played under the same weather conditions, it is high time to act.
James’ Leadership Shines Through Adversity
Even with the disruption, Chelsea’s performance was a great example of their evolution as a team. No one was prouder of his team’s ability to regroup and come back to face adversities more than Reece James after the long halftime stoppage.
“To pick yourself up, brush yourself down and score a few goals probably shows how far we’ve come, and everyone has played a part,” James stated.
James explained how the team continued to keep their mental edge during the hiatus and got themselves ready to return to action. He talked about their strategies throughout the delay that were very informative and enlightening. They did some warm-up exercises and played music on the bus to stay positive.
“It was about recovery, keeping the legs going on the bike, listening to some music to keep the vibes going,” he explained.
Captain’s leadership was unfortunately a necessity. When Chelsea returned to play from the months-long forced break, the captain’s leadership was essential. The team showed incredible grit fighting back with three goals in winning time, clinching their spot in the tournament’s last eight.
Caicedo’s Impact and Upcoming Challenges
Moises Caicedo was absolutely instrumental in settling Chelsea’s victory and helping to elevate their performance. Yet, he picked up a second yellow card in the process which will see him miss the next match. His ability to inspire teammates was on display as he captain’s the talk coming on how to stay within a wild game full of ups and downs.
“We were talking in the dressing room. The thing was (to stay) focused the whole game. I’m so happy because we did it,” Caicedo remarked after the match.
Chelsea getting ready to face Palmeiras in the tournament’s quarterfinals. That’s right, the big match starts 2 AM this—Saturday morning! Above all else, this will be a test of how quickly and effectively the team can adapt to life without Caicedo’s immense presence on the field.
Leave a Reply