'It's a joke': Chelsea boss Maresca slams weather chaos

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca lashed out at the two-hour weather delay that disrupted his team's Club World Cup victory over Benfica on Saturday, suggesting the tournament should be played elsewhere in the future.

Chelsea powered into the quarterfinals after defeating Benfica 4-1 in extra time of a game that took four hours, 39 minutes to complete following a two-hour stoppage due to a storm warning.

Chelsea plays Brazilian side Palmeiras in the quarterfinals.

It was the sixth time that a game has been halted at the tournament due to widely used rules in the United States that require outdoor sporting events to be halted if there is a chance of lightning.

Maresca said afterwards the number of games that had been disrupted should prompt a rethink.

"For me personally, it's not soccer," the Chelsea boss said. "It's already (six) games they suspended here. I think it's a joke. It's not soccer.

"It's completely amazing, it's completely something new that I struggle to understand.

"I can understand that, for security reasons, you have to suspend the game. But, if you suspend seven or eight games, that means that probably this is not the right place to do this competition."

Chelsea had been poised to wrap up victory after Reece James' second-half freekick left it 1-0 up with four minutes left to play.

But the storm warning forced the players off the field and it was nearly two hours before play resumed.

"It was one of the best performances of the last few weeks," Maresca said. "The game was very good for 85 minutes, then we stopped for two hours, and, when we restarted, it was a completely different game. It's not the same game, because you break the tempo."

Maresca emphasized that he remained a fan of the Club World Cup, which was expanded to 32 teams for the first time this year, and is being held in the United States as an informal dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

"It's a fantastic competition. It's the Club World Cup, all the best clubs are here," he said.

"But six, seven games suspended? It's not normal. In a World Cup, how many have they suspended? Probably zero. In a European (Championship), how many games? Zero. There is some problem."

Palmeiras quarterfinal

The London club was grateful for extra-time goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to give it a 4-1 victory over Benfica.

Its late burst of scoring settled the last-16 tie at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina.

"For 85 minutes we were in control of the game," Maresca said.

"We created enough chances to win the game. Then, after the break, the game changed."

When play resumed, a revitalized Benfica grabbed an injury-time equalizer after Chelsea substitute Malo Gusto was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area following an intervention by VAR.

Benfica's Argentine veteran Angel Di Maria stepped up to roll in an ice-cold penalty, sending the game into extra time.

An end-to-end first period of extra time saw Benfica, reduced to 10 men following a second yellow card for Gianluca Prestianni at the end of regulation time, threaten to snatch the lead as it chased an improbable victory.

But instead, it was Nkunku who fired Chelsea back in front, the French international bundling in from close range after Moises Caicedo's low shot squirted underneath Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.

As the game opened up, Benfica was increasingly vulnerable on the counterattack, and Chelsea pounced.

Neto made it 3-1 with a nerveless finish after going clean through on goal in the 114th minute, and three minutes later, Dewsbury-Hall completed the rout to send Chelsea through to the last eight.

It will now return to Philadelphia, where it played two games in the group stage, to play Palmeiras in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Paulinho settles derby

The Brazilian club was grateful for an extra-time winner by substitute Paulinho, as it edged domestic rival Botafogo 1-0 in a battle of attrition earlier Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

The winger came on when Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira withdrew teenage sensation Estevao Willian, a move that appeared baffling at the moment, but ultimately proved inspired.

The tie had reached the 100th minute without a goal when Paulinho collected a pass by Richard Rios on the right flank and was afforded the time and space to come into the box before slotting a low shot into the far corner.

That sparked wild celebrations among the Palmeiras fans who made up the vast majority of the 33,657 crowd, and the Sao Paulo side held on to win, despite having captain Gustavo Gomez sent off late on.

Winner of the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021, Palmeiras will now hope to match the feat of its Brazilian rival Flamengo, who defeated Chelsea during the group stage.

AFP