FIFACWC: Euro giants, Chelsea and PSG humbled by Brazilian clubs
European football giants, Chelsea and PSG, were on Friday humbled by Brazilian clubs in the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup in the USA.
Nicolas Jackson was sent off as Chelsea crashed to a 3-1 loss to Flamengo.
Pedro Neto fired the Blues ahead early on, but Enzo Maresca’s side imploded in the second half in Philadelphia.
The Blues conceded twice and saw Jackson dismissed for a horror tackle in the space of just six minutes after the break.
Their woes were compounded when Wallace Yan wrapped up the scoring late on, adding to earlier goals from fellow substitute Bruno Henrique and veteran Danilo.
The result – played out in front of a crowd of 54,019 at Lincoln Financial Field – left Chelsea with a win and a loss from their two outings in Group D, having earlier looked set to take a giant stride towards the last 16.
It made for a disappointing full debut for new striker Liam Delap, who had been brought into the side for Jackson, but a notable scalp for Flamengo manager Filipe Luis, formerly of the London club.
Elsewhere, Botafogo pulled off a huge upset at the Club World Cup, defeating European champions PSG 1-0. After the final whistle, head coach Paiva was giving a post-match interview when club owner Textor interrupted with a kiss on the cheek.
Paiva laughed it off, saying: “I like my wife’s better!” The win left Botafogo’s players, fans, and executives celebrating a moment of glory.
The result showed how far Brazilian and other South American clubs have come in competing with Europe’s elite. Les Parisiens were outmatched in intensity and organisation, with Botafogo executing a disciplined plan that mirrored the French side’s usual strengths.
After the match, Paiva said: “We killed PSG with their poison. By playing like a great team united in defence and attack. I told the players to enjoy themselves, and they played a perfect match. Playing together. That's the secret of Paris Saint-Germain, that's why they've won everything they've won and why they've become a benchmark in the world of football."
He added, "We played a game in which, tactically, we were perfect. Flawless. PSG didn't have all those clear chances. They had the ball a lot, they did, but we were very united."
Botafogo are virtually through to the knockout stages of the Club World Cup. They face Atletico Madrid in their final group stage match on Monday, and Paiva will hope his side can continue upsetting the odds and proving that South American clubs deserve respect on the global stage. All eyes will now be on how far they can go.
