Maresca accepts Chelsea were second best in Flamengo loss
"Six minutes completely changed the dynamic of the game," Maresca said after Flamengo came from behind to lead 2-1 with two quickfire goals just after the hour mark before Jackson's red card left Chelsea down to 10 men.
Pedro Neto gave the Blues an early lead at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, but Bruno came off the bench to equalise for Flamengo and then set up Danilo to make it 2-1.
Jackson, who had come on as a substitute, was then dismissed for a dangerous tackle on Ayrton Lucas and Flamengo made the most of the extra man as Wallace Yan wrapped up their win late on.
It was Jackson's second red card in a short space of time after he was also sent off in a 2-0 Premier League loss at Newcastle United just over a month ago.
He had started Friday's game on the bench as Liam Delap made a first start for his new club, and the former Ipswich Town player could now have a chance to establish himself as Maresca's first choice up front.
"The red card is nothing to do with Nico's future," said Maresca, who also revealed that Jackson had apologised to his teammates in the dressing room.
"He had the first one at Newcastle when Liam wasn't even here and another one today. Today I am not sure 100 percent that it was a red card, but Nico knows very well that in both situations it was not something good for the team."
Chelsea's hopes of qualifying for the last 16 at FIFA's new competition remain in the balance as they have three points from two games in Group D.
They are three points behind Flamengo and will face Esperance of Tunisia in their last group outing in Philadelphia next Tuesday.
Maresca seemed unperturbed by his team's situation at the Club World Cup and said they had used the match to prepare for the next Premier League season.
"For the first time we played in a different structure today, just to prepare also next season, to have more options," he said of the 4-3-3 formation which featured captain Reece James alongside Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in midfield.
Cole Palmer played on the right of a front three and struggled to make any impact on the game in the mid-afternoon heat.
"Today the plan was different, I think the plan was quite good for one hour. Then we conceded the goal and then the second one.
"I think in the end, and also with 10 men, they deserved to win the game."
The Italian added: "We expected a tough game because Flamengo is a very good team, with good players and a good manager.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
Maresca accepts Chelsea were second best in Flamengo loss
"Six minutes completely changed the dynamic of the game," Maresca said after Flamengo came from behind to lead 2-1 with two quickfire goals just after the hour mark before Jackson's red card left Chelsea down to 10 men. Pedro Neto gave the Blues an early lead at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, but Bruno came off the bench to equalise for Flamengo and then set up Danilo to make it 2-1. Jackson, who had come on as a substitute, was then dismissed for a dangerous tackle on Ayrton Lucas and Flamengo made the most of the extra man as Wallace Yan wrapped up their win late on. It was Jackson's second red card in a short space of time after he was also sent off in a 2-0 Premier League loss at Newcastle United just over a month ago. He had started Friday's game on the bench as Liam Delap made a first start for his new club, and the former Ipswich Town player could now have a chance to establish himself as Maresca's first choice up front. "The red card is nothing to do with Nico's future," said Maresca, who also revealed that Jackson had apologised to his teammates in the dressing room. "He had the first one at Newcastle when Liam wasn't even here and another one today. Today I am not sure 100 percent that it was a red card, but Nico knows very well that in both situations it was not something good for the team." Chelsea's hopes of qualifying for the last 16 at FIFA's new competition remain in the balance as they have three points from two games in Group D. They are three points behind Flamengo and will face Esperance of Tunisia in their last group outing in Philadelphia next Tuesday. Maresca seemed unperturbed by his team's situation at the Club World Cup and said they had used the match to prepare for the next Premier League season. "For the first time we played in a different structure today, just to prepare also next season, to have more options," he said of the 4-3-3 formation which featured captain Reece James alongside Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in midfield. Cole Palmer played on the right of a front three and struggled to make any impact on the game in the mid-afternoon heat. "Today the plan was different, I think the plan was quite good for one hour. Then we conceded the goal and then the second one. "I think in the end, and also with 10 men, they deserved to win the game." The Italian added: "We expected a tough game because Flamengo is a very good team, with good players and a good manager.
France 24
7 hours ago
- France 24
Flamengo fightback floors Chelsea at Club World Cup
Pedro Neto had given Chelsea the lead in the first half but Flamengo, roared on by their frenzied supporters who made up the majority of the 54,019 crowd, did not deserve to be behind and produced a stunning fightback after the interval. Bruno Henrique came off the bench in the 56th minute and equalised for the Brazilian giants just after the hour mark before setting up Danilo to make it 2-1. Chelsea were stunned, and their hopes of pulling level again were effectively destroyed when substitute Nicolas Jackson was sent off in the 68th minute. Wallace Yan, also on as a substitute, then sealed the victory for the Rio de Janeiro club, the Brazilian league leaders, when he made it 3-1 late on. With two wins from two at the tournament, Flamengo are now on the brink of qualification for the last 16 from Group D. Chelsea, meanwhile, were unable to repeat the victory obtained in their opening game against Los Angeles FC but will be hopeful of securing a place in the knockout phase in their final group outing against Esperance of Tunisia. The result follows Botafogo's stunning success against European champions Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday, stretching the unbeaten record for South American clubs at the competition to nine matches. Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca made four changes to his line-up following the win over LAFC in Atlanta, with new signing Liam Delap coming in for his first start up front. Delap had an early effort tipped over but it was Neto who gave Chelsea the lead in the 13th minute as he pounced on a slip by Wesley to run through and score a second goal in as many games at FIFA's new competition. Jackson red card Flamengo applied plenty of pressure in the first half without really looking like scoring, but it was a different story after the break. They nearly drew level on 54 minutes when Gerson pounced on a mistake by Reece James and tried to pick his spot in the corner. His connection was poor, and the arriving Gonzalo Plata could not turn the ball in at the back post. The 34-year-old Bruno Henrique, capped twice by Brazil earlier in his career, then came on as the pendulum swung further towards Flamengo. Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez tipped over a shot by Plata just before the equaliser came on 62 minutes. A Gerson cross was headed back across goal by Plata and Bruno Henrique was there to turn it in, sparking wild celebrations among the Brazilian fans clad in red and black at Lincoln Financial Field. Three minutes later Flamengo were ahead as a corner was headed down by Bruno Henrique and former Real Madrid, Manchester City and Juventus defender Danilo converted. Jackson then saw red for raking his studs into the shin of Ayrton Lucas leaving Chelsea to finish the game a man short. Enzo Fernandez was not far away from equalising, but then Flamengo wrapped up the win seven minutes from time as a Plata shot struck Wallace Yan and the ball fell kindly for the substitute to fire in.
France 24
7 hours ago
- France 24
Wirtz wants to 'win everything' for Liverpool after record move
Reports in England said the Premier League champions will pay an initial £100 million ($134 million) for Wirtz, comfortably surpassing their own record outlay, with a further £16 million in performance-related add-ons making it a British record deal. However, German media suggested the fee could be even higher, starting at 130 million euros (£111 million, $149 million) with add-ons taking it to 150 million euros. One of European football's elite young stars, Wirtz has been hailed as one of the "best in the world" by former Leverkusen coach and ex-Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, who is the new boss of Real Madrid. "I would like to win everything every year!" Wirtz told the club's website. "In the end, we want to be successful. Last season they won the Premier League so my goal is for sure to win it again and also to go further in the Champions League. I'm really ambitious." The 22-year-old played a crucial role in Leverkusen's greatest season as they claimed a first-ever Bundesliga title and the German Cup in 2023/24 without losing a single game under Alonso. Their only defeat that season, during which Wirtz was crowned Bundesliga player of the year, came in the Europa League final to Atalanta, denying Leverkusen a memorable treble. Bayern Munich restored their grip on the German game last season, with Leverkusen a distant second, and Wirtz is joining an exodus from the BayArena. Netherlands defender Jeremie Frimpong has already made the move from Leverkusen to Liverpool last month. 'New adventure' "I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me," added Wirtz, who turned down the option of joining Bayern for the move to England. "This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League." After largely keeping their powder dry in the transfer market during Arne Slot's first season in charge, the Reds are splashing out to strengthen a side that romped to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title. Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is poised to make the move to Anfield in a £40 million deal. Liverpool have also been linked with Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi. Where Wirtz's fits into Slot's plans remains to be seen. He largely played behind a central striker at Leverkusen and has operated from a wider role for Germany. A return of 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 games for Leverkusen is evidence that he carries a threat both as a creator and a goalscorer. "The people say I'm a creative player, and I hope I can bring this creativity to the team and also the joy on the pitch," said Wirtz. "I try to make assists, goals and run for the team to defend. I hope I can just make the team one step better." Liverpool are already blessed with an abundance of forward options, with Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo all offering a goal threat. However, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa now face even stiffer competition to get into Slot's starting line-up, raising the prospect of Liverpool selling some of that trio to free up further transfer resources.
