CLUB WORLD CUP
Havertz’s late penalty seals world club crown for Chelsea
Chelsea were crowned FIFA Club World Cup champions for the first time as Kai Havertz struck home a penalty deep into extra time to break the hearts of Brazilian club Palmeiras on Saturday.
Havertz, scorer of the winning goal in last season’s European Champions League final, was as cool as a cucumber as he converted in the 117th minute after Palmeiras’s Luan had conceded the spot kick with a handball.
Palmeiras’s misery was complete when Luan was sent off in stoppage time for a desperate tackle on Havertz
Chelsea have now won every major club trophy since Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich took control in 2003.
The final in the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, where around 15,000 Palmeiras fans outnumbered Chelsea supporters, took a while to come to life.
Chelsea, who lost the 2012 final to Brazilian side Corinthians, became increasingly dominant though and took the lead in the 55th minute when Romelu Lukaku powered in a header.
Palmeiras hit back shortly afterwards when Thiago Silva was adjudged to have handled the ball and Raphael Veiga converted from the spot to send the Brazilian fans wild.
Chelsea looked stronger in extra time but a penalty shootout loomed until Luan’s raised arm was struck by Cesar Azpilicueta’s volley from close range and after a VAR check referee Chris Beath went to check a pitch-side monitor.
He returned to point to the spot and Havertz did the rest.
Since taking charge little over a year ago Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, who was in attendance after missing the semi-final because of a positive COVID-19 test, has now earned Chelsea the European and world club crowns.
“It never stops. We want to keep on winning trophies,” Tuchel said in a pitch-side interview before his team were given their medals by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“In the end if you score late you need luck to do it but we were relentless and we did not stop trying.”
Palmeiras had been bidding to become the fourth Brazilian club to win the inter-continental tournament since 2000.
The South American club champions worked like Trojans to keep Chelsea in check and Tuchel’s side laboured early on.
They were not helped when Mason Mount, one of four changes to the side that started against Al-Hilal in the semi-final on Wednesday, was forced off with an injury.
Palmeiras settled into the game and in Dudu they had a real threat with the midfielder firing narrowly over before flashing another effort wide of Edouard Mendy’s post.
Chelsea rarely threatened in the first half but they took the lead in clinical fashion 10 minutes after halftime.
Callum Hudson-Odoi, who had been wasteful, got to the byline and his cross was perfect for Lukaku who headed past Weverton.
The lead did not last long though as Brazilian Thiago went up to clear a cross but the ball struck his raised arm and Veiga fired the spot kick inside Mendy’s left-hand post.
Chelsea moved up a gear with Havertz just missing the target with a thunderous shot from an angle before Christian Pulisic, who replaced Mount, went close with a shot.
The Premier League club continued to turn the screw in extra time with Palmeiras beginning to flag.
Pulisic’s low cross was deflected up on to the woodwork as Palmeiras dug deep. But the Brazilians’ resistance was finally pierced as Havertz again showed an appetite for the big occasion to keep Chelsea’s trophy machine rumbling on.
For Palmeiras there were tears, but no shame.
“I’m going to ban my players from not celebrating second place,” manager Abel Ferreira said. “Woe to them if they get on the plane and don’t have a beer. If you don’t, you’ll have to deal with me. I’m proud of what we did.”
Egyptian side Al Ahly won the third-placed playoff, beating Al Hilal 4-0.
–Reuters
CLUB WORLD CUP
Referees’ body cameras will provide fans with unprecedented views of on-field action, says FIFA
FIFA unveiled its team of 117 match officials, opens new tab on Monday for the inaugural Club World Cup and said referees would wear body cameras and enforce stricter goalkeeper time-wasting rules at the tournament to be staged across the United States.
The FIFA Referees Committee appointed the officials from 41 member associations – 35 referees, 58 assistant referees and 24 video match officials – for the June 14 to July 13 event.
Body cameras will provide fans with unprecedented views of on-field action, FIFA said, while goalkeepers who hold the ball beyond eight seconds will now see opponents awarded corner kicks rather than indirect free kicks.
“We think that it is a good chance to offer the viewers a new experience, in terms of images taken from a perspective, from an angle of vision, which was never offered before,” said Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee.
“It also has a purpose in terms of referee coaching because, of course, having the possibility to see what the referee sees is important in the debriefing.”
Collina highlighted the historic nature of the appointments for the expanded tournament featuring 32 teams from all six FIFA confederations and spanning 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. host cities.
“The selected referees are among those who have the privilege to be part of this for the first time, so I’m sure that all the match officials will be thrilled,” he said.
“We are coming from high-standard performances delivered during the last FIFA tournaments. So the bar is higher and when you set the bar higher it’s more difficult to keep the standard. But we are working very hard and ‘Team One’ will make a solid contribution to the success of this exciting competition.”
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The expanded Club World Cup holding in the US has brought another innovation to football.
Referees at the championship holding from June 14 to July 13 will be equipped with body cameras and will implement a new rule to combat goalkeeper time-wasting.
Game directors will wear “body cameras as part of an experimental phase, the tests having been approved by IFAB ,” the body that oversees the rules of the game, the International Football Federation explained in a statement.
“We believe this is a good opportunity to offer viewers a new experience, with images taken from a perspective that has never been offered before,” explained FIFA Referees Committee chairman Pierluigi Collina.
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The change in football rules that allows goalkeepers to be punished with corner kicks will be implemented at the Club World Cup holding in June in the US.
The revelation was made by FIFA Referees Committee chairman Pierluigi Collina after the announcement that referees will wear body cameras.
This initiative is “both innovative for broadcasters and for referee training,” added the Italian, “because it is important to be able to put yourself in the referee’s shoes during the debriefing, to evaluate how the referee made his decisions, his point of view, etc. “
The competition will implement the new rule approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) on March 1, aimed at reducing time wastage by goalkeepers.
“If they hold the ball for more than eight seconds, the referee will award a corner. Previously, an indirect free kick could be awarded after six seconds.
Seminars for referees have been held recently. The one for UEFA referees was held at FIFA headquarters from March 31 to April 4. Another seminar was held in Dubai for referees from the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), and OFC (Oceania) from February 2 to 4, and a third for referees from CONMEBOL (South America) and CONCACAF (Central America and the Caribbean) took place in Buenos Aires from February 24 to 28.
“We need to see the game and the goals, not the refereeing,” said refereeing director Massimo Busacca. “The referee is the protagonist who should not be noticed during the match. A good referee doesn’t need to be seen or known. But he must be prepared. “
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