Key events
43 min: A bit of space for Pedro down the right. But he’s offside. Eventually the flag goes up. Everyone seems to be waiting for the whistle to end the first half, because naff all else is going on.
41 min: Neto picks the sprawling Guga’s pocket and sashays down the left with great elegance, winning a corner. Neto takes it himself, and Fabio claims it confidently.
39 min: That’s a big decision, and probably the one that should have been made in the first instance. But given the referee had made his on-field decision with great certainty, it’s a wee bit surprising he’s overturned it, because you could at least make a reasonable case for Chalobah’s arm being too far from his torso. You can see why Flu are fuming, but Chelsea won’t care, and nor should they. The baroque logic of VAR, there, for your leisure and pleasure.
Fluminense penalty overturned!
37 min: It’s decided Chalobah’s arm was in “a natural position” after all! Chelsea celebrate, Flu frown, and play will restart with a drop ball. Chelsea clear it.
36 min: However, the VAR ushers the referee over to the monitor. Was Chalobah trying to draw his arm back into his body? Maybe this will be overturned after all!
Penalty for Fluminense!
35 min: The cross comes in from the left. The ball hits Chalobah on his left hand. His arms hanging loose … but a wee bit away from his body. Not sure this will be overturned … clear and obvious error, and all that … though you never know …
34 min: Arias and Guga combine cutely down the inside-right channel. Guga wins a corner off Palmer … even though the ball came back off the flying Flu wing-back. The set piece is only half cleared by Chelsea, and Arias crosses deep for Ignacio at the far post. Pedro flicks a header clear, just in time, but then concedes a free kick just outside the box on the left, undoing all of his good defensive work. And from the free kick …
32 min: All a bit scrappy as the teams attempt to get back up to speed.
30 min: Bevvies quaffed, play restarts.
28 min: Time for a cooling break. The swilling of cold beverages, and damp towels atop the noggin.
26 min: Hercules one-twos with Cano down the inside-left channel, and bursts into the box. Sanchez hesitates then eventually comes off his line but doesn’t make his presence felt. Hercules nutmegs the keeper and towards the unguarded net … only for the covering Cucurella to hook off the line just in time! Another nanosecond or two and that ball was over and in. Wonderful football all round (except the goalkeeping).
24 min: Fernandez sprays a diagonal pass towards Gusto on the right. Gusto crosses but Nkunku can’t control on the edge of the box. The Brazilians clear their lines, but Flu are hanging on a bit here.
22 min: Neto really looks in the mood. Again he tries to reach a flick down the left flank, and is blocked fairly obviously by Guga. But the referee waves play on.
21 min: Neto causes trouble again down the left. This time his cross isn’t blocked. Gusto, barging in from the right, powers a header towards the bottom right. Fabio is lucky he’s in exactly the right spot, because a little bit either side of the keeper, and that’s in. But Fabio gathers with safe hands. So close to a quickfire one-two.
19 min: That’s a goal for João Pedro on his full debut for Chelsea. He doesn’t celebrate it, on account of having played for Fluminense at the start of his career. In fact he’s almost apologetic. What a start to his Chelsea career, though!
GOAL! Fluminense 0-1 Chelsea (Pedro 18)
Neto makes good down the left. His cross is half-cleared. The ball drops to Pedro, who takes a touch to the left of the D and curls an unstoppable shot into the top right. Fabio had no chance!
17 min: Fernandez curls it into the box, as much as he can from a fairly central position. Tosin flicks a header wide left of the goal. He’s offside anyway. The Flu defence caught most of the Chelsea side offside there.
16 min: Neto drops a shoulder and tries to take on Hercules down the left. Hercules is not to be moved. But Chelsea come again, this time through Nkunku down the inside-right channel, and is brazenly blocked by Santos. Another challenge that could easily have been a yellow card, but is just a free kick slightly right of centre.
15 min: Chelsea may be on top, but it’s the Fluminense fans who are making the most noise.
13 min: Tosin looks long for that man Fernandez, who breaks clear of the Flu back line down the left, but only because he’s offside. Chelsea on top now.
12 min: Caicedo robs Cano in the centre circle, and sets Chelsea on a speedy attack. Nkunku crosses low from the right. Fernandez, who hasn’t been afraid to get forward during these early exchanges, tries to sweep into the bottom right but his effort is blocked.
10 min: Palmer takes up a deep position on the right before whipping a gorgeous ball into the mixer. Fabio elects to punch rather than catch, under pressure from Fernandez. He connects well, and deals with the situation. That was a very dangerous ball in from Palmer.
9 min: Now it’s Flu’s turn to test the referee’s patience, Nonato sticking out a cynical leg to trip an in-flight Neto. Again, the official keeps his cards in his pocket. Expect this game to get a bit tasty if both teams keep trying it on like this.
7 min: Fernandez comes sliding in on Cano, studs showing, nearly scissoring his opponent. You know what, if this was a garden-variety fixture, or if we were 60 minutes into the game, Fernandez could have been in serious trouble there. Certainly a yellow, maybe a red. Probably one of those oranges. As it is, the referee makes do with a lecture. Fernadez wags his finger at Cano, which registers a full 11 on our patented Chutzpah-o-Meter™.
5 min: Rene diddles Nkunku with a lovely spin out on the left touchline, then Guga probes down the right flank. Both of Flu’s wing-backs showing promise early.
3 min: Rene makes his presence felt down the left and loops long. Cano slices a wild effort miles left of target. Rene tries to resurrect the move but Gusto deals with the situation. Flu clearly trying to hit Chelsea early, the tactic that did for Inter.
2 min: Chelsea pop it around the back for a bit. A low-key start. Fluminense get irritated and Arias clanks into Cucurella from behind, just to let him know he’s there.
An ostentatious none-more-USA cry of “Let’s get ready to rumble!” and then – ding, ding, seconds out – Chelsea get the ball rolling for the first round half. “Fifa and the Trump administration have announced today that His MAGAsty the King of Queens will be in attendance here in the MetLife for Sunday’s final,” reports Justin Kavanagh. “Given the mob that follows him around when he golfs (always winningly, because, well, he’s their king), that should boost the attendance level to a somewhat respectable level. Signore Infantino will be happy.”
The teams come out, one by one. Fluminense in their famous maroon and green, Chelsea in a white effort that by all accounts has been designed to pay tribute to the famous 1950s side of Puskas, Hidegkuti, Kocsis, etc. (They’ve done this already, back in 1974, under orders from then-boss Dave Sexton.) We’ll be off in a minute!
Enzo Maresca speaks to DAZN. “We are very happy to be here … we have one more step to reach the final … that is the target in this moment …. Joao Pedro has quality against a low block … whenever [Moisés Caicedo] is on the pitch we are a better team … [Fluminense] have lots of quality and energy … it will be for sure another tough game.”
PRE-MATCH POSTBAG: Fifa-Fuelled Fume special!!! “If there was any question about whether this tournament has been packaged specifically for European consumption, then scheduling the semi-finals at 3pm local time on workdays should pretty much clear that up” – Joe Pearson (gratefully retired)
“Hi from MetLife. I had to give up on public transit and share an Uber (which, even split three ways, was more than any of us paid for a ticket) to the stadium today. This is what you get when the tristate area’s premier venue caters to the suburbs where cars reign. Anyway, I’ve lived here for 17 years, I’m sure it’s going to be very easy for all the out-of-towners to figure it out for next year’s World Cup! You know what does have ample (and easy) public transport? Fifa’s new offices at our Dear Leader™️’s tower in Midtown. At least Infantino can get to work, if not a game” – Gerry, Queens NYC
The yellow-card situation ahead of the final. There isn’t one. Fifa have wiped the slate clean after the quarters, so the only way a player will miss the final should their team get there is if they manage to get themselves sent off today. Your best behaviour, gentlemen, please.
Chelsea make three changes to their starting XI after the 2-1 quarter-final win over Palmeiras. Tosin Adarabioyo, Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro, the latter making his first start for his new club, replace the absent Levi Colwill, Liam Delap and Andrey Santos.
Fluminense make four changes following their 2-1 victory in the quarters over Al-Hilal. Guga, Renê, Hércules and Thiago Santos come in for Samuel Xavier and Gabriel Fuentes, who drop to the bench, and the absent Juan Freytes and Matheus Martinelli. Thiago Silva – who won this competition for Chelsea in 2021 – plays against his old pals.
The teams
Fluminense: Fabio, Santos, Silva, Ignacio, Guga, Rene, Hercules, Nonato, Bernal, Cano, Arias.
Subs: Vitor Eudes, Manoel, Samuel Xavier, Fuentes, Ganso, Soteldo, Lima, Lezcano, Isaac, Everaldo, Keno, Canobbio, Serna, Lavega, Paulo Baya.
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, Cucurella, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Fernandez, Pedro Neto, Caicedo, Palmer, Nkunku, Joao Pedro.
Subs: Slonina, Jorgensen, Penders, James, Sarr, Anselmino, Acheampong, Dewsbury-Hall, Santos, Madueke, Jackson, Guiu, George.
Referee: Francois Letexier (France).
Preamble
Brazil’s clubs went into this competition with a damn sight more enthusiasm than most of the lads from Europe. And now Fluminense, having already seen off the Champions League runners-up Internazionale and Real Madrid-bothering Saudi outfit Al-Hilal, are two matches away from becoming the first Brazilian team to win this tournament since 2012 when Corinthians beat … of course they did … Chelsea. The Blues meanwhile have warmed to this new version of the Club World Cup step by step, and now they’re just two games away from their second world title in four years and an eleventy-squillion pound jackpot. Which – yeah, yeah – may not sound quite so romantic as Fluminense’s bid to win their first world title, striking a blow for their country, their continent, their federation and the whole southern hemisphere. But with glory now within touching distance, Chelsea and their fans are beginning to dream too. Note to enjoyment police: it’s allowed. Kick-off in East Rutherford, New Jersey is at 8pm UK time, 3pm local. It’s on!
