Substitute Bruno Henrique made a game-changing impact as Flamengo stormed back in the second half to defeat Chelsea 3-1 on Friday, continuing a strong run for South American clubs at the Club World Cup.
Chelsea had taken the lead through Pedro Neto in the first half, but Flamengo — backed by a raucous crowd that made up the majority of the 54,019 in attendance — turned the tide after the break with a spirited comeback.
Henrique entered the match in the 56th minute and made an immediate difference, scoring the equaliser just six minutes later before providing the assist for Danilo to put Flamengo ahead.
Chelsea’s hopes of a response were dashed when substitute Nicolas Jackson was shown a straight red card in the 68th minute for a reckless challenge on Ayrton Lucas.
Flamengo sealed the result late on when Wallace Yan, also coming off the bench, struck their third after a deflected shot landed kindly for him inside the box.
With two wins from two in Group D, the Brazilian side is now on the verge of reaching the last 16.
Chelsea, who opened their campaign with a win over Los Angeles FC, now face a decisive group-stage clash against Tunisia’s Esperance as they look to secure a knockout spot.
This result followed Botafogo’s dramatic victory over European champions Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday, extending South American teams’ unbeaten streak at the tournament to nine matches.
Bright start for Chelsea
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca made four changes to the side that beat LAFC, handing a first start to new signing Liam Delap. The young forward tested Flamengo goalkeeper Agustín Rossi early on, but it was Neto who opened the scoring in the 13th minute. The winger capitalised on a slip by Wesley to race through and finish clinically — his second goal in as many games.
Flamengo dominated possession for much of the first half but lacked a cutting edge in front of goal. That changed dramatically after the interval.
Momentum shift
The Brazilian side nearly drew level in the 54th minute when Gerson intercepted a poor pass from Reece James but saw his tame effort cleared before Gonzalo Plata could turn in the rebound.
Then came Henrique’s introduction, which shifted the momentum decisively. The 34-year-old, a two-time Brazil international, rose to the occasion.
Plata had a shot saved before the equaliser arrived on 62 minutes. Gerson’s deep cross was headed across goal by Plata, and Henrique reacted quickest to steer it home — sparking jubilant scenes among Flamengo’s travelling fans at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Just three minutes later, Flamengo were in front. Henrique nodded a corner into the path of veteran defender Danilo, who finished coolly from close range.
Chelsea’s misery deepened when Jackson was dismissed for a studs-up tackle, and although Enzo Fernandez came close to an equaliser, Flamengo struck again in the 83rd minute. Plata’s shot deflected off Wallace Yan, who reacted quickest to fire past Robert Sanchez and put the result beyond doubt.
AFP
