- Chelsea’s clash against Benfica was suspended with just five minutes remaining
- Play was brought to a halt in the United States because of adverse weather
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FIFA’s Club World Cup was hit by yet more farcical scenes as Chelsea’s last-16 clash against Benfica finished over four hours after it kicked off.
Enzo Maresca’s men were 1-0 up at the Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina courtesy of a goal from Reece James.
But with the clock ticking down to full time and just five minutes remaining, the match was dramatically brought to a sudden halt as adverse weather conditions closed in in Charlotte.
A message on the stadium’s big screen read: ‘Severe weather in the area. Seek cover.’
All 22 players were pulled off the pitch and the 25,929 supporters in attendance were told to evacuate the stands.
FIFA said that the break would need to last a minimum of 30 minutes, but added that every time a new lightning strike occurred within 10 miles of the stadium, the clock would require resetting.
Chelsea’s Club World Cup clash against Benfica was suspended with just five minutes to go
A message on the big screens at the stadium read: ‘Severe weather in the area. Seek cover.’
Players were taken off the pitch, while fans were instructed to go into the concourse
Stormy conditions were visible at the Bank of America stadium in Charlotte
Nearly two hours after the teams were hauled off the pitch, there was still no sign of play resuming.
‘This has got to be one of the most farcical, bonkers, downright daft games of football I’ve ever covered,’ Mail Sport’s Kieran Gill said from the Bank of America stadium. ‘Fair play to the fans who stayed during our two-hour wait.’
The teams returned to a near-empty stadium almost two hours after they were first taken off, with both clubs agreeing to a shortened warm up in an effort to get the final five minutes over and done with.
Yet the fourth official had other ideas, indicating an additional six minutes to be added on following the full 90, allowing Benfica hope of snatching a shock equaliser.
And they seized that opportunity by winning a dramatic late penalty, with Angel di Maria stepping up to sweep past Robert Sanchez and add a further 30 minutes of extra time onto proceedings.
Saturday’s incident brings further scrutiny on a tournament that has been beset by problems – including low attendance, with the 74,867-capacity Bank of America Stadium barely a third full – in a country that is due to host the World Cup in just 12 months.
And you have to wonder whether we will see further instances of this next summer when the World Cup is held all across the United States.
Once play resumed, Angel di Maria scored a penalty in injury time to extend proceedings
When a similar situation occurred during Benfica’s game against Auckland City it took two hours for play to resume.
An official statement from FIFA read: ‘Due to adverse weather conditions in Charlotte, including the risk of lightning in the vicinity of Bank of America Stadium, the FIFA Club World Cup match between SL Benfica and Chelsea FC has been suspended.
‘A 30-minute break has been foreseen.
‘FIFA will follow the established safety protocols, and the match will resume as soon as it’s safe to do so.’
