Flamengo is the first team to qualify for the round of 16 of the Club World Cup.
Flamengo became the first team to qualify for the Club World Cup round of 16 on Friday after their victory over Chelsea, just before the highly anticipated match between Boca Juniors and Bayern Munich in Miami.
The Rio de Janeiro team beat their London rivals 3-1 and took advantage of Espérance de Tunis' 1-0 victory over Los Angeles FC in the other Group D match to secure their qualification.
The Angels are the second team to be eliminated after Auckland City, which was defeated 6-0 by Benfica on Friday in Group C.
In Philadelphia, Flamengo overcame a 1-0 deficit against Chelsea one day after Botafogo had struck a blow by beating PSG (1-0) in the duel between the South American and European champions.
Striker Bruno Henrique came off the bench to maintain South America's unbeaten run in the revamped FIFA tournament (six wins, three draws).
On a dream night, he equalised and assisted Danilo to turn the score around in just three minutes (62, 65).
"I was focused. Filipe (Luís, the Red and Black coach) spoke to me and told me that those of us on the bench would be very important," the hero of the day told Brazilian channel SporTV.
The 20-year-old Wallace Yan, also a substitute, scored the second successive coup in the United States and likely secured early qualification for Fla, which beat Espérance 2-0 on Matchday 1, to the round of 16.
On the verge of the round of 16Chelsea , coming off a 3-0 win over Los Angeles, struggled against the pace set by the Brasileirao leaders.
"They're a great team, with good players and a great coach. It wasn't a surprise for us; we expected a very tough match," admitted Italian coach Enzo Maresca.
Filipe Luís, one of Brazil's most promising coaches, has extended his impressive run of results since taking over at Mengão in October: 33 wins, 11 draws, and only three losses.
This Friday's victory will have a special meaning for him, having played for Chelsea between 2014 and 2015.
"I'm very proud because, despite some mistakes, the team didn't stop playing the same way we always do. My heart is now warmed by this," the coach said.
In the other main event of the day, Boca Juniors and Bayern Munich will clash at 10:00 PM local time (1:00 AM GMT on Saturday) in a duel between historic clubs that promises to raise the temperature even further in the Miami cauldron.
Xeneize is looking encouraged after its 2-2 draw against Portuguese side Benfica , in a match where it let a two-goal lead slip away.
This time, however, the opponent will be even more formidable. The Bundesliga champions arrive with high confidence after crushing New Zealand's humble Auckland City 10-0.
Just like against Benfica, the Argentine blue and gold will have to draw energy from the stands at Hard Rock Stadium, where nearly 60,000 spectators are expected.
The Boca Juniors fans, who have been in Miami for days, will, as always, passionately support their team in this crucial match for Group C qualification.
Coach Miguel Ángel Russo called on his players to fight "with head and heart" against Bayern.
In the other group match, Benfica defeated Auckland City 6-0, thanks to a double from the penalty spot by Argentine World Cup champion Ángel Di María.
The New Zealanders, a team with an amateur roster, lost all hope of qualifying against the Lisbon club after suffering a 10-0 thrashing by Bayern on Matchday 1.
Auckland coach Paul Posa, back in the dugout after minor surgery prevented him from returning early, said that despite the elimination, his team will give their all in their final match against Boca Juniors on Tuesday in Nashville.
"It's very rare that we play against teams of this quality; it's almost never happened to us, and it could be a long time before it happens again," he said.
The Lisbon team currently leads Group C with four points, pending the expected fight between the Argentines (1) and the Germans (3).
The game in Orlando was halted for two hours due to a storm, a situation that has already occurred in three other games, although never with such a long suspension period.
"This is the longest game of my career, so a special thanks to our fans, who have been here for five hours supporting the team," said Benfica coach Bruno Lage.
Eleconomista
