Chelsea advances to Club World Cup final: When Joao Pedro proves his worth of $70 million

VHO - João Pedro only needed one match to prove why Chelsea was willing to spend big. In his first start for his new team, the 23-year-old striker scored twice to help The Blues beat Fluminense 2-0, thereby winning the right to the final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Newcomer Joao Pedro quickly proves his worth

The rookie's brilliant performance

The semi-final against Fluminense was not only a perfect debut but also an emotional clash with João Pedro's former team in his home country of Brazil.

In the 18th minute, from outside the penalty area, he fired a beautiful shot to open the score. In the second half, his decisive shot in the 56th minute hit the crossbar and went into the net, sealing the victory for Chelsea.

This brilliance helped Chelsea pocket an additional $32 million in prize money, raising total revenue from the tournament to more than $100 million.

If they win the championship, this revenue could increase even more, proving that participating in the Club World Cup is not only a game of glory but also brings clear financial benefits.

Smooth gameplay, tactical signature from Maresca

Coach Enzo Maresca has reason to be pleased. Despite only having a few training sessions with the team, João Pedro has adapted remarkably well, with intelligent movement and skillful ball handling as if he had been training with the team for a long time.

The addition of this striker makes Chelsea's attack extremely flexible, with names like Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and wingers like Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke and Estevao Willian.

Not only João Pedro, Cole Palmer also left a big mark when he often dropped deep to support the midfield, creating conditions for Enzo Fernández to attack.

Palmer is not only Chelsea's best passer but also their most effective creator. He is the ideal "plan B" when the team is stuck against Fluminense's dense defense.

Fluminense and Brazilian football make their mark

Despite stopping in the semi-finals, Fluminense had a memorable Club World Cup. They were the longest-lasting Brazilian representative, defeating many strong opponents to reach the top 4.

This achievement is even more impressive when you consider that they had a terrible domestic season and struggled to avoid relegation.

The presence of all four Brazilian teams in the knockout round (Flamengo, Botafogo, Palmeiras and Fluminense) shows the resurgent strength of South American club football.

Botafogo beat PSG, Flamengo beat Chelsea in the group stage and Palmeiras only lost by a narrow margin.

Those results, combined with the enthusiasm of tens of thousands of Brazilian fans at the tournament, helped FIFA achieve its goal: turning the Club World Cup into a stage for clubs outside Europe to shine.

Thiago Silva: Ageless class

At 40, captain Thiago Silva still proves his class. Although he can no longer keep up with the pace of João Pedro or Nicolas Jackson, the former Chelsea centre-back still has top-notch reading of situations. Notably, he cleared the ball right on the goal line to save Fluminense in the second half.

Silva plays as a classic "libero", dropping deep to cover and organise play from the back - a role that has all but disappeared in modern top-flight football. However, with his tactical thinking and experience, he remains Fluminense's strong mental support.

"RefCam" technology: Changing the view of referees?

A notable technological highlight in the match was the use of “RefCam” – a camera mounted on the referee.

A controversial incident in the first half, when the ball touched Trevoh Chalobah's hand in the penalty area, was overturned by referee Francois Letexier after consulting VAR.

Thanks to “RefCam”, the audience can clearly see the referee’s real perspective – from which he understands that he judged Chalobah’s hand to be close to his body, not intentionally playing the ball.

Even if the decision is reversed, the technology helps viewers understand the pressure and complexity of real-time decision making.

Waiting for the fiery finale

Chelsea will meet Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in the final at 2:00 a.m. on July 14 at MetLife Stadium (New Jersey).

It promises to be a top-notch clash, where João Pedro continues to be the new hope of The Blues on their journey to conquer the first major title under Maresca.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/chelsea-thang-tien-chung-ket-club-world-cup-khi-joao-pedro-chung-minh-gia-tri-70-trieu-usd-150502.html