As the FIFA Club World Cup wound down its groups-stage matches, Philly got its first win-or-go-home game on Tuesday night, between Espérance de Tunisie and Chelsea, with both sides vying for second place in group D and a spot in the Round of 16.
Chelsea prevailed after Espérance conceded two quick goals before halftime, and then a third at the end of what became a stagnant game.
Brazilian side Flamengo clinched its spot in the knockout rounds with wins over both Espérance and Chelsea at Lincoln Financial Field last week, and a draw with Los Angeles FC.
Tuesday night’s game benefited from its 9 p.m. start, as the day’s 100-plus degree temps in the daytime relented to marginally better 93 by kickoff. The game’s attendance was 32,967, and ticket prices were just under $70 on Ticketmaster as the game started.
Chelsea meetup
Ahead of the game, Chelsea supporters from near and far joined the Philly Blues supporters group at Tir na nOg in Center City, to watch the earlier game between Bayern Munich and Benfica, and stay cool and hydrated before heading down to the Linc.
Dave Eilbacher, an officer with the Philly Blues, said there was a noticeable change in the vibe from when Chelsea was last in Philly, playing a friendly game against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League’s first-ever Summer Series.
“We knew this was going to be a competition, but I think to the more casual viewer, it’s been a big surprise, and even I was surprised when we got to the Linc on Friday and we saw not only the Chelsea fans there and huge support, but also the Flamengo fans that were there at the same time,” he said.
The influx of local fans for the games has also resulted in a bump in membership and the sales of merchandise that the group sells to help with costs.
“We’ve sold out of our T-shirts very quickly,” Eilbacher said. “We definitely underestimated the demand for what people are wanting when it comes to the Philly Blues.”
Eilbacher said the supporters group had seen fans from London, as well as other parts of Europe, Asia and Africa.
“I’ve gotten to meet so many nice people, all with similar interests. It’s really nice to see them all uniting behind one thing,” he said.
Chance encounters
One table at the bar had a group of young men watching the game. Most had never met each other until that afternoon.
Aaron Wu, originally from Dallas, came from Brooklyn, where he was staying with his sister. He initially travelled to Philly alone, saw another Chelsea fan on the train and struck up a conversation. One of them knew about the Philly Blues and their events through social media. On their way there, they bumped into two more fans who joined the group, and then joined four more when they arrived at the bar.
“It was really cool to see someone’s jersey and just immediately be, like, ‘Oh, what’s up, what’s your name?’ ” he said. “Just kind of feel a sense of community that would never exist without it.”
For the English contingent of Chelsea fans at the bar, who obviously get to see the London-based club more frequently, the team’s visit offered a chance to see the team against unique competition, and visit the U.S.
“It’s a good time to do it all,” said Alan Bird, who came with his son Dan from London for both of Chelsea’s games and has gotten in some sight-seeing in Philly and New York. “See good games. And playing a Brazilian side, it’s very colorful, and they bring loads of people, like they do when they play in the World Cup.”
The tournament hasn’t been all smiles for the travelling Chelsea fans. The team’s first game against LAFC in Atlanta drew just 22,137 spectators, far short of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s 71,000-seat capacity.
Last week’s Flamengo game in Philly, which Chelsea lost in what was widely considered an upset, drew a far more respectable 54,619 people to the Linc, though the atmosphere left many Chelsea fans feeling outnumbered and, uncharacteristically for a Premier League giant, like the underdog.
Ben Hardy, from London, saw all three games in person. While he’s enjoyed them, he said he wasn’t surprised that the atmosphere has been subpar from what he’s used to in Chelsea’s regular season.
“If anyone thinks they’re going to be high atmosphere, and people think they’re going to be intense, they don’t know,” he said “The Flamengo fans bought a lot the other day. That was always going to happen. I think [Espérance] will do that tonight as well. But that game in Atlanta. I was talking to a guy in the bar and said it was $300 the night before a game for a ticket the next day. Ridiculous money. People aren’t going to pay that.”
Philly’s ticket prices so far have been more dynamic and affordable, dipping as low as $30 at times.
History lessons
Overall, Hardy said the trip has been “quality,” especially the chances to do some sight-seeing between games.
“Done the Liberty Bell, done the [Rocky] steps, went to [Reading Terminal] Market this morning,” he said. “Outside of Philly itself, went to Gettysburg for two days. I’ll confess my sins: I’m a nerd, I love history. So for me that was massive. In England, we don’t learn about U.S. history very much, so I really enjoyed doing that.”
For the fans who only get to see Chelsea on TV, like Wu and his friends, the chance to see Chelsea play in person was a rare treat, and the level of competition that the Club World Cup was providing made the match worth the trip.
“People are kind of saying the Club World Cup is, like, kind of a joke, but I mean, at least from the fan perspective, it’s rare that Chelsea comes to America … So, for me, I’m taking this seriously because this is one of the rare opportunities for me to see my team,” he said.
David Montoya, one the guys at Wu’s table, came to Philly just hours before the game from Toronto. The convenient travel, paired with relatively affordable ticket prices, made his first live European soccer experience an exciting one. While it’s expected that tickets will be more expensive and difficult to get for next year’s World Cup, he’s still optimistic.
“We’re very happy because the World Cup is [also] coming to Toronto, so we being from Toronto, locally living there is going to be a party,” Montoya said “We’ll look for tickets, and I know it’s gonna be hard, but very, very excited for this.”
Montoya said he had already started looking at World Cup ticket information and plans to catch the games in Toronto and wherever else might be possible.
Whether most England fans will be returning to Philly next year is based on one major factor.
“Depends where England is playing,” Dan Bird said.
‘Philly’s a sporting town, isn’t it?’
Should England get some games in Philly through the World Cup draw, the English fans who have gotten the chance to see some soccer in the city said they’d definitely consider coming back.
“Philly’s a sporting town, isn’t it?” said Chelsea fan Joe Nolan, who came from London to catch the game, as part of a first visit to the U.S., which will include a road trip down the East Coast. “So, I think it’d be a nice trip for the World Cup, definitely.”
Philly’s final group stage game is between Spanish giant Real Madrid and Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg. Expectations are that the attendance will be high, given the global popularity of Madrid and its superstar players like Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham. Mbappé has missed the tournament so far due to an acute case of gastroenteritis, but the World Cup winner is expected to play.
The teams that will play in the Linc’s two knockout games has become clearer this week. Brazilian sides Botafogo and Palmerias will face off this Saturday in a round-of-16 match, and the winner of that will take on the winner between Portuguese side Benfica and Chelsea in the quarterfinal game on the Fourth of July.
Game notes
Just like the first game against Flamengo, Espérance supporters brought the noise, with many taking over Race Street Pier the night before the game and marching in from FDR Park ahead of Tuesday night’s game. They packed behind the north-end goal of the Linc and stayed standing, chanting and singing throughout the game.
No flares or smoke bombs came out, like they did from the Moroccan side Wydad’s fans in the team’s games against Juventus and Manchester City, but banners and signage in support of Palestine went up at two points. Both times they seemed to be voluntarily taken down by the fans.
On the field, the game was closely contested till right before halftime, when the Tunisian team seemed to switch off and Chelsea scored with a header from Tosin Adarabioyo off a set piece, then quickly doubled their lead through new signing Liam Delap’s low shot.
The second half was a tepid affair with Chelsea mainly in control. A penalty was given to Chelsea for a handball. Right after forward Christopher Nkunku stepped forward to take it, though, the referee was urged by the video assistant referee to review the play. He went to the offield TV monitor and reversed his call.
Chelsea did score its third goal in the 97th minute, when 19-year-old winger Tyrique George’s shot overpowered Espérance goalkeeper Bechir Ben Saïd.
The Espérance faithful, true to their form this tournament, stayed well after the final whistle to cheer their team when they came over to do the same.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
