Rotation Flexibility, Chelsea's Secret to Reaching the Semifinals

PHILADELPHIA, FRIDAY — Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca stated at the beginning of the 2025 Club World Cup that it was impossible to field the same squad amid the extreme weather conditions in the United States. Maresca adhered to the principle of rotation and successfully led Chelsea to the semifinals.

Chelsea ended their trauma against Brazilian clubs at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Saturday (5/7/2025) WIB. After previously losing to Flamengo in the group stage, Cole Palmer and his teammates successfully defeated Palmeiras 2-1 in a tightly contested quarter-final match that lasted until the final whistle.

"We dominated the match in the first half and could have been ahead by more than one goal," said Maresca regarding Chelsea's dominance. "They were better after the break, but we took control again in the last 25 minutes. We deserved to win, and it was not due to luck," he continued.

Chelsea was only able to score the winning goal in the 83rd minute. This was achieved through an own goal by Palmeiras defender Agustin Glay. However, as Maresca stated, "The Blues" deserved to win because they were able to dominate the match. This dominance stemmed from Maresca's squad rotation strategy.

Maresca never used the same starter from the group stage to the round of 16. That was maintained again in this match, when anchor midfielder Moises Caicedo (card accumulation) and Romeo Lavia (injury) were forced to miss. A total of four different players were featured as starters.

One of them is the backup wing-back Malo Gusto, who was showcased so that Reece James could serve as an emergency holding midfielder. However, James suddenly sustained an injury during warm-up. James's role was then taken over by 21-year-old midfielder Andrey Santos, who had only played 22 minutes throughout the tournament.

Changes in player positions were also unavoidable. Palmer returned to the attacking midfielder role after being deployed on the left wing in the previous match. He filled the role of Enzo Fernandez, who had to drop back as a pivot. Meanwhile, Chelsea continued to play in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Interestingly, the team rotation was followed by a tactical adjustment that later became the key to victory. The biggest change was in the role of the full-back. Gusto was given the freedom to advance, parallel to the attacking midfielder. Instead of combing the wings, he played a little centrally in the halfspace area. The side area was occupied by winger Pedro Neto.

Palmeiras was taken aback by the transformation of "Si Biru." The first goal scored by Palmer in the 16th minute illustrated this. Palmeiras' defense was bewildered as Palmer and Gusto opened passing options in the central area simultaneously. Palmer successfully exploited that gap.

Gusto also played a role in the decisive winning goal. Glay's misjudgment began with a cross from the wing-back. The change in the role of the wing-back by Maresca ended sweetly. In the round of 16 match against Benfica, the focal point of the attack was on the left side through defender Marc Cucurella.

"Chelsea is better overall. They have better players and coaches. They may have been a bit lucky with the second goal, but that is common in football. We must accept that and move on quickly," said Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira.

Chelsea dominated the game with a commanding ball possession of 62.7 percent and a total of 19 shots compared to 7. Palmeiras could only manage two shots on target throughout the 90 minutes, one of which resulted in a goal at the beginning of the second half.

As the semifinals approach, Chelsea has already utilized a total of 27 players in five matches. This demonstrates the coach's seriousness in team rotation. The team coached by Maresca is set to face another Brazilian team, Fluminense, in the semifinals. The match will take place in New Jersey next Wednesday.

There were many other interesting aspects from the replay of the 2022 Club World Cup final match. Palmeiras winger, Estevao, scored the equalizing goal for his prospective new club. He will soon transfer to Chelsea after the tournament. Chelsea's new striker, Joao Pedro, also made his debut from the bench.

Maresca was amazed by the performance of the 18-year-old Estevao. "I spoke with Estevao for the first time and said the match was perfect. We won and he scored a goal. You can see his great talent. However, like other players from South America, he needs to adapt. We will help him," he said.

Meanwhile, Pedro left a good impression even though he only appeared in the second half. The former Brighton and Hove Albion player managed to create a golden opportunity for Noni Madueke. Pedro's presence is a bad sign for striker Nicolas Jackson, who remained on the bench. (AP/REUTERS)