PHILADELPHIA — Chelsea clinched their place in the Club World Cup semifinals by securing a 2-1 victory over Palmeiras, thanks to a decisive goal from Malo Gusto in the 83rd minute, which resulted from two deflections.
Chelsea initially took the lead in the 16th minute with a goal by Cole Palmer. However, Estêvão, an 18-year-old set to join Chelsea this summer, leveled the score in the 53rd minute with a well-taken angled shot against the club he will soon call home.
Gusto’s attempt, following a quick corner, seemed to bounce off both defender Agustin Giay and goalkeeper Weverton, sending Chelsea’s supporters among the 65,782 attendees into raptures. FIFA ultimately recorded the play as an own goal by Weverton.
Chelsea won’t travel far for its next match, facing Fluminense on Tuesday at East Rutherford, New Jersey. Hércules came off the bench and scored in the 70th minute to lift Fluminense past Al Hilal 2-1 in Friday’s earlier quarterfinal.
With Chelsea’s win, three of the four semifinal teams will be from Europe, with one from Brazil.
The 23-year-old Palmer scored his first goal in the Club World Cup, and showed why he’s widely considered one of the top attacking midfielders. He took a pass from Trevoh Chalobah and slipped the ball inside the far post.
Fans made it to Lincoln Financial Field on a holiday weekend that included a strike by nearly 10,000 city workers in Philadelphia, competition from an earlier Phillies game, and a concert and fireworks show near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. FIFA had slashed tickets to as low as $11.15.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino attended the game, the eighth of the tournament at the home of NFL Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
No matter where you are in the world, you can watch the FIFA Club World Cup for free on DAZN. All you need to get started is an email address. No subscription is required, but you will have to make a free account on the streamer to start watching.
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There was a pregame pregame tribute for Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva, who were found dead near Zamora in northwestern Spain after the Lamborghini they were driving crashed and burst into flames on an isolated stretch of highway.
Key moments
Forward Liam Delap and defender Levi Colwill each got their second yellow cards of the tournament and will be suspended for the semifinal.
Takeaways
Estêvão agreed to a deal with Chelsea last summer that moved him to Chelsea afterhe turned 18.
