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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca praises his team’s resilience after a dramatic extra-time win over Benfica, but fumes over the hour-long weather delay that disrupted the FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 match.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca expressed mixed emotions after his team secured a dramatic extra-time victory over Benfica, which propelled them into the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals.
While Maresca praised his side’s performance and win, he was visibly frustrated by the lengthy weather delay that halted the match for over an hour.
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Chelsea’s Dramatic Win After Weather Delay
In a gripping Round of 16 clash held in Charlotte, Chelsea overcame a late Benfica equaliser to triumph 4-1 in extra time.
Reece James gave Chelsea the lead with a clever free-kick midway through the second half, only for Angel Di Maria to equalise via a penalty in stoppage time after a VAR handball review.
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Early in extra time, Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni was sent off, and Chelsea capitalised with goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to seal their passage to the quarterfinals against Palmeiras.
Chelsea dominated much of the game but found it difficult to break down Benfica’s defence until James’ strike. The match was briefly disrupted by a heavy weather delay, pausing the contest for more than an hour.
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Maresca’s Bold Take on the Disruption
Speaking to DAZN via FIFA after the game, Maresca said, “I am proud of the performance, very proud. The performance for me stopped at 85 minutes.”
“Then they stopped the game, and this started a completely new game. When you are inside for more than one hour, it's not easy, but we continued to play, and I think the reward has been one that we deserved. We are in the first eight teams in this competition, and we are very happy.”
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Maresca’s comments spotlighted the challenge of maintaining focus and momentum after such a long interruption, but his team’s ability to push through ultimately earned them a spot in the quarterfinals.
Chelsea will now face Palmeiras, featuring Chelsea-bound teenage sensation Estevao, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on July 4, as they continue their quest for Club World Cup glory.
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