Delap, extreme heat & money - Chelsea's Club World Cup so far

Chelsea person navigated utmost heat, upwind warnings and fixed debuts to 4 players successful reaching nan knockout stages of nan Club World Cup.

The Blues person earned £28m frankincense acold and will soon screen nan £30m interest paid to motion striker Liam Delap from Ipswich earlier this month.

The caller striker has impressed pinch a extremity and an assistance successful his first 3 matches for nan nine connected US ungraded while midfielders Andrey Santos and Dario Essugo person made their debuts successful nan title - on pinch defender Mamadou Sarr.

But Chelsea besides suffered a disappointing 3-1 conclusion erstwhile head Enzo Maresca experimented tactically against Brazilian giants Flamengo.

However, they comfortably hit weaker Group D duo Los Angeles FC and ES Tunis.

After finishing second, Chelsea will look Portuguese broadside Benfica, who defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 successful their last group game.

"Benfica is simply a apical club, pinch a apical head and apical players. It will beryllium reliable but we are successful nan 16 from 32 and we dream to beryllium successful nan past eight," said Maresca.

Delap, who signed from Ipswich earlier nan tournament, made his debut successful nan opening crippled against LAFC and was impressive. His chipped transverse was his first assistance for nan nine arsenic he group up Enzo Fernandez's 2nd extremity successful a 2-0 win.

The striker struggled to make an effect connected his first commencement successful nan pursuing crippled against Flamengo, but scored his first extremity for Chelsea successful nan last Group D match.

Delap's deft touch and rotation gave him abstraction to trim wrong and spot his changeable past goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said.

"It's a awesome feeling, we needed to triumph and to get a extremity is simply a typical feeling," said Delap.

Maresca added: "We expected nan process to beryllium speedy pinch Liam because we cognize him and he knows america pinch nan measurement we play.

"Against Flamengo he had 3 clear chances to people goals. That is already a bully emotion because it intends he is successful nan correct position."

Winger Pedro Neto excelled successful nan first 2 matches, scoring successful some aft rapid, powerful dribbles.

Fernandez besides has a extremity and 2 assists successful nan tournament, having scored 8 goals and provided 14 assists past season.

Jackson's precocious studs-up situation connected Flamengo defender Lucas Ayrton astatine nan extremity of a disastrous six-minute collapse, wherever goals from Bruno Henrique and Danilo cancelled retired Neto's early strike, put him successful nan firing statement aft a mediocre 3-1 conclusion successful nan Blues' 2nd match.

The 24-year-old, connected his birthday, had only been connected nan section 4 minutes aft replacing Delap, pinch his suspension opening nan doorway for his rival to besides commencement nan last group game.

Jackson was subsequently banned for a further lucifer by world governing assemblage Fifa, truthful will miss nan last-16 necktie against Benfica.

Chelsea were well-beaten by Flamengo pinch 1 root describing it arsenic a "wake up call" astir nan level of South American opposition, who get astatine nan Club World Cup mid-season.

Chelsea will look Brazilian guidance again if they scope nan quarter-finals, pinch Palmeiras and Botafogo playing each different successful a last-16 tie.

Chelsea person been unfortunate to brushwood unseasonably lukewarm power aft booking a guidelines astatine Philadelphia Union's Subaru Park stadium and training ground.

Manager Maresca has described it arsenic "impossible" to train successful temperatures reaching 40C, which rank arsenic nan highest felt successful nan area successful 13 years.

There person been wellness warnings advising against strenuous beingness outdoor activity, truthful Chelsea person conducted "very short" training sessions pinch elephantine fans spraying acold h2o and drinks breaks aft each drill.

They are adjacent based successful Miami - 750 miles to nan southbound of wherever they play their last-16 lucifer successful Charlotte, North Carolina - and are expected to move to New York should they scope nan second stages.

Chelsea qualified for nan Champions League - which is worthy betwixt £80m and £100m and should pull a caller lucrative front-of-shirt sponsorship woody - earlier nan Club World Cup.

But they are connected for a double windfall, fixed nan Club World Cup is nan astir lucrative title successful nine shot connected a per lucifer basis, according to Fifa.

The Blues made conscionable nether $38m (£28m) for qualifying for nan tournament.

They earned different $2m for each triumph successful nan group stage, beating LAFC and ES Tunis. They will besides gain $7.5m erstwhile facing Benfica successful nan information of 16, which takes their full to $49.5m.

There is simply a further $13.1m connected connection for reaching nan quarter-final, $21m for nan semi-final and $30m for reaching nan final. A further $40m is reserved for nan winner.

That each adds up to an other $104m for nan victorious team.

It's been a bully tourney truthful acold for nan slope balance, but what astir nan fans? A full of 32,967 attended Chelsea's last group crippled astatine nan 67,000-capacity Lincoln Financial Field.

Bharat from nan Philly Blues was 1 of them, and told BBC Sport: "I haven't had immoderate complaints astir nan organisation.

"I tin understand immoderate of nan complaints astir subordinate welfare. It feels for illustration they are utilizing this title arsenic a barren tally for adjacent year's World Cup and it will beryllium absorbing to spot if they make immoderate changes."

UK-based Chelsea instrumentality Cathy hasn't missed an distant crippled for 47 years and was 1 of nan fewer to recreation to nan United States to proceed her run.

"The pricing is excessively precocious considering nan value of immoderate teams successful nan competition," she said.

"It has near only fans of nan teams progressive successful nan title willing successful watching it and that is an ain extremity by Fifa."

The nine has revealed nan club's fans person entree to 500 little tier tickets priced astatine $153 and 466 worth tier tickets priced astatine $35 for nan crippled against Benfica.

Cathy besides said: "Chelsea fans are besides worried astir nan effect it will person connected nan players pinch them having nary remainder and perchance getting injured."