In a FIFA Club World Cup where criticism — about MetLife Stadium field conditions, about heat, about start times — created just a much buzz as anything that transpired on the pitch, a feel-good, underdog story still made it all the way to East Rutherford for a 3 p.m. semifinal on a day where the temperature hit the mid-90s.
Everything that needed to get fixed before the World Cup arrives next year percolated in the background Tuesday. If this was all a test run for 2026, then those concerns will be the lasting images that linger.
And then former Fluminense forward João Pedro — playing his first matches for Chelsea after signing a deal earlier this month — spoiled the Brazilian club’s unexpected run through group stage, the Round of 16 and the quarterfinal with a pair of goals, lifting Chelsea to a 2-0 win Tuesday and a chance to clinch a title Sunday in the tournament with a $1 billion prize pool.
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