André Carrillo: Another Peruvian facing Chelsea in a Club World Cup full of curiosities

Al Hilal appeared in this Club World Cup as a team devoted to goals. Their 6-1 victory against Al Jazira (Jefferson Farfán’s former team) was the most comfortable in the history of this competition. With such a convincing record, the Asian Champions League monarch is filled with confidence to knock down all odds and beat Chelsea. André Carrillo’s team wants to be a registered brand in an international competition full of curiosities.

It is a historic opportunity that André Carrillo will have against Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea. If his team, Al Hilal, qualifies for the grand final of the Club World Cup, Carrillo could add his 13th international title and, with it, become the second Peruvian soccer player with the most titles abroad (only surpassed by the 19 cups of Claudio pizarro).

This Club World Cup already has a finalist. Palmeiras, after beating Egypt’s Al Ahly 2-0, will seek to end the ten-year losing streak without a South American club world champion. The last one was Corinthians, precisely against Chelsea, with the remembered goal by Paolo Guerrero.

Before this Club World Cup continues, we want to gather some peculiar data that has marked this tournament in Abu Dhabi.

-The curious thing (Photo from AS Pirae club)

The Oceania representative was AS Pirae, an amateur club from French Polynesia, which plays in the Tahitian league. They were invited due to the refusal of New Zealand’s Auckland City, who gave up traveling to Abu Dhabi. The campus is made up of firefighters, policemen, bakers, etc.

-The bad streak (Photo of Monterrey in the Club World Cup)

Monterrey from Mexico lost 1-0 to Al Ahly from Egypt, a team that came to the tournament with casualties from the African Cup of Nations and from COVID-19 infections. It is the third time that the Rayados have lost in their debut: in 2011 they fell to Kashiwa Reysol from Japan and in 2013 they were eliminated by Raja Casablanca from Morocco.

-The Hierarchy (Photo by Moussa Marega of Al Hilal)

Al Hilal returned to the Club World Cup with a record number of goals. The 6-1 victory against Al Jazira (Jefferson Farfán’s former team) was the loosest in the history of this competition. Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo has become the star reinforcement, after the departure of Frenchman Bafétimbi Gomis.

-The Peruvian (Photo of Paolo Guerrero in the final of the Club World Cup)

Palmeiras will now look to return the Club World Cup trophy to South America. The last time a team from this continent lifted the trophy was Corinthians, ten years ago, against Chelsea. The historic goal was scored by Paolo Guerrero. The Brazilian team was eliminated last year by Tigres de México.

-The host

It is the fifth time that the United Arab Emirates has hosted the Club World Cup. The tournament arrives in Abu Dhabi after 4 years, because Japan gave up the locality due to the pandemic. The United Arab Emirates, one of the possible rivals of the fifth in South America in the playoffs, wants to return to the World Cup after its distant participation in Italy 90.

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