Flamengo 3 Chelsea 1: Blues suffer farcical second half collapse as Nicolas Jackson is sent off for horror tackle

The Sun6 hours ago

ENZO MARESCA'S world was turned upside down in six mad minutes.
Chelsea were winning 1-0 and cruising into the knockout stages of the Club World Cup only to collapse with victory in sight.
4
4
4
Brazilians Flamengo scored twice and then Nicolas Jackson was sent off for a dreadful high tackle that left his team with a mountain to climb in searing afternoon heat.
Pedro Neto had put them ahead in the 14th minute with a classy solo goal and Chelsea looked set to go on and win the game and possibly the group to show their intent out here.
They should still go on to the next round but the manner of their undoing with less than half an hour to go and the reckless tackle by Jackson has tainted their previously flawless performances in the new expanded competition.
Jackson was sent off in the Premier League at Newcastle last month and still has one match to serve of his three domestic game ban.
He will miss the first weekend of the new season in August.
Even more alarming, he had only been on the pitch for four minutes, having replaced new striker Liam Delap from the bench.
Chelsea looked to have the edge over their South American opponents with their drive and purpose on the pitch making the difference.
But they failed to push on from Neto's goal and paid the price through slack defending and Jackson's incredible rush of blood.
Having narrowly avoided conceding just after the hour mark, as Flamengo missed a sitter when Gonzalo Plata was inches away from a cross across the face of goal, they let one in from exactly the same position in the 62nd minute.
A corner was headed back across goal by the same player and Bruno Henrique was on hand to prod the ball home from a yard out.
Maresca then swapped his strikers two minutes later but the buoyant Brazilians then took the lead through former Manchester City midfielder Danilo.
And as Chelsea scrambled to get their heads together, things took an even worse turn as Jackson flew at Flamengo left back Ayrton Lucas.
He is lucky the player was not seriously hurt as his studs up challenged connected with the left back's shin on 68 minutes.
And with ten men Flamengo sealed a memorable victory through Wallace Yan to compound Chelsea's misery.
Jackson is now facing an automatic one game ban but it could be upgraded once FIFA take a look at the evidence - and it doesn't look good.
At least it settles the issue of who plays up front in the decisive game against Club Tunis in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
4
The one bright spot for Chelsea is the performance of Neto who has sent a clear message to Maresca that he should rethink his plans to buy a new left winger this summer.
He scored his second goal of the tournament and is showing little signs of the fatigue and heat exhaustion that is hampering some of his peers out here in the hot US summer.
Boss Enzo Maresca placed him in a fluid role, supporting main Delap up front but also drifting wide to his more familiar berth out on the left flank.
And it was a winger's instinct kicking into gear to nick the ball from Flamengo wing back Wesley on the halfway line near the touchline that set him free on a run at goal.
In the 30 degrees plus temperature it was some feat to barrel forwards at pace from distance with the ball at his feet and outpace the chasing pack.
But Neto kept his momentum and nerve to charge into the box and then slot a low shot past Rossi and put his team ahead to settle Chelsea who had been largely under the cosh up until that point.
Interestingly, just 24 hours before the game, Maresca talked openly about his need to strengthen the left side of his team.
A loan deal for Jadon Sancho last season did not go as planned and Mykhailo Mudryk is suspended while awaiting the outcome of doping charges.
It is a problem area for the head coach but it didn't look it on the evidence of this performance.

Hashtags

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Nicolas Jackson apologises for sending off against Flamengo

North Wales Chronicle

an hour ago

North Wales Chronicle

Nicolas Jackson apologises for sending off against Flamengo

The 24-year-old was sent off for raking his studs down the shin of Lucas Ayrton just four minutes after coming on as Enzo Maresca's side collapsed in the second half. 'I want to say sorry. To the club, the staff, my team-mates, and all the fans watching, I let you down,' said Jackson, who was sent off against Newcastle in their third-last Premier League match. 68' You can't script Jackson subbed on… and sent off 4 minutes later 🟥😱 Watch the @FIFACWC | June 14 – July 13 | Every Game | Free | | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #FLACHE — DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 20, 2025 'Another red card… And honestly, I'm so angry at myself. I work hard every day to help the team not to put us in this kind of situation. 'I still don't fully understand how it happened. But one thing is clear: it wasn't intentional. Just a moment in football that went the wrong way. 'No excuses. I take full responsibility. I'll reflect, I'll grow, and I'll come back stronger for the badge and for everyone who believes in me. 'Sorry. Sorry, Sorry.' When Maresca was asked about Jackson's challenge and his recent indiscipline he told DAZN: 'It was a red card, so nothing to say.' However, Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella admitted it was something the 24-year-old had to improve. 'He is young player, he has a lot of quality, he maybe needs to improve this a little bit. We are here to improve, we are not perfect so it is part of the game,' he said. The Blues were leading through Pedro Neto's 13th-minute strike but after second-half goals from Bruno Henrique and Danilo in quick succession Jackson saw red and Wallace Yan scored the Brazil side's third. Maresca put the damaging defeat down to 'trying something new' for next season. 65' ABSOLUTE SCENES: Danilo scores and @Flamengo_en complete their comeback under just 3 minutes 😱 Watch the @FIFACWC | June 14 – July 13 | Every Game | Free | | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #FLACHE — DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 20, 2025 'It completely changed the game. Unfortunately we conceded two goals in a short moment and then the red card and then I think it is complicated to get back into the game,' the Chelsea boss added. 'We tried – but congratulations to them. They deserved to win. 'We tried to do something different in the game, for next season and for the future.'