East Rutherford (United States) (AFP) – Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca shrugged off concerns about playing in hot and humid mid-afternoon conditions in Tuesday’s Club World Cup semi-final against Brazilian side Fluminense, for which the Blues will be without both Liam Delap and Levi Colwill. The heat of the North American summer has made for challenging conditions for many games during the tournament, while several matches have also faced long interruptions due to storm warnings.
Chelsea and Fluminense will clash at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, just outside New York City, at 3:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Tuesday, and the heat could have a serious impact on the spectacle. Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund at a similar time in the same stadium in the quarter-finals, and the pace of the game suffered as a result of the temperatures. “I don’t think it’s just tomorrow’s game. Like other teams we have already played in different conditions but the game is tomorrow at 3pm and so all we can do is adapt and try to win,” Maresca told reporters on Monday.
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Chelsea can welcome back midfield lynchpin Moises Caicedo after he sat out the Palmeiras tie due to suspension, but striker Delap and centre-back Colwill are both banned this time while Romeo Lavia is not fit. Nicolas Jackson, who was sent off against Flamengo, is available and new signing Joao Pedro is pushing for a start in attack. Fluminense will be the third Brazilian opponents Chelsea have faced at the competition, after they lost to Flamengo in the group stage and beat Palmeiras in the quarter-finals. “The first two were very good with lots and lots of energy. Tomorrow no doubt it will be exactly the same,” said Maresca as his side prepare to take on the 2023 Copa Libertadores winners, captained by 40-year-old ex-Chelsea defender Thiago Silva. “I think they have a very good and experienced coach. They have lots of good and experienced players and their style is quite clear. Any game at this stage of the tournament will be difficult.”
– ‘Here to make history’ – Fluminense are now flying the flag for South America and the rest of the world as they complete the semi-final line-up alongside Chelsea, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain — three of the last five UEFA Champions League winners. Renato Portaluppi’s side have enjoyed a fine tournament, holding Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, defeating Inter Milan in the last 16 and knocking out Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia in the quarter-finals. “It is a privilege to be coaching this team, and we are here to make history,” said Portaluppi. “We need to believe. We are up against powerful opponents with a financial advantage but football is decided on the pitch so we need to keep that in mind.”
He has called Fluminense the “ugly duckling” of the tournament due to the enormous difference between their budget and those of the other three sides left in the United States. However, Portaluppi believes Fluminense can still compete with Chelsea on their day as they dream of reaching the final of FIFA’s expanded competition. “We had to be really competent to get this far and since the beginning I have told the team this is a huge opportunity for us. We are facing teams who are superior to us and we know if we take our eyes off the ball we will be going home without the title.” He added: “I said we were the ugly duckling in financial terms because that is the reality. Fluminense’s finances do not make 10 percent of those of the other clubs, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get to the final or even win the Club World Cup.”
© 2024 AFP
