- Chelsea’s clash against Benfica was suspended with just five minutes remaining
- Play was brought to a halt in the United States because of adverse weather
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Chelsea‘s Club World Cup clash against Benfica was suspended with just five minutes to go until full time because of a weather warning.
The Blues were winning 1-0 in the last-16 clash at the Bank of America Stadium courtesy of a goal from Reece James.
However, due to adverse weather conditions in Charlotte play was brought to a halt.
A message on the stadium’s big screen read: ‘Severe weather in the area. Seek cover.’
Players were taken off the pitch, while fans were instructed to go into the concourse.
When a similar situation occurred during Benfica’s game against Auckland City it took two hours for play to resume.
Chelsea’s Club World Cup clash against Benfica was suspended with just five minutes to go
A message on the big screens at the stadium read: ‘Severe weather in the area. Seek cover.’
Players were taken off the pitch, while fans were instructed to go into the concourse
Stormy conditions were visible at the Bank of America stadium in Charlotte
Stormy conditions were soon visible, with the expectation being that there would be an initial break of 30 minutes.
An official statement from FIFA read: ‘Due to adverse weather conditions in Charlotte, including the risk of lightning in the vicinity of Bank of America Stadium, the FIFA Club World Cup match between SL Benfica and Chelsea FC has been suspended.
‘A 30-minute break has been foreseen.
‘FIFA will follow the established safety protocols, and the match will resume as soon as it’s safe to do so.’
