Luiz Araujo and Giorgian de Arrascaeta propelled Flamengo to a 2-0 victory over Esperance de Tunis in their Club World Cup debut at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Monday. Flamengo dominated the match from beginning to end, with Araujo contributing both a goal and an assist.
The Brazilian side, managed by former Chelsea player Filipe Luis, began their Club World Cup campaign impressively in their Group D opener. From the start, Flamengo asserted their dominance, maintaining 80% possession and limiting Esperance to a mere two attempts on goal. The chilly evening saw a vibrant crowd of 25,797 fans, primarily Flamengo supporters, filling a significant portion of the stadium.
Flamengo's opening goal came in the 17th minute. Guillermo Varela made a surging run down the right flank and delivered an accurate cross to Luiz Araujo, who deftly controlled the ball and laid it off for Giorgian de Arrascaeta to fire home. Esperance struggled to gain a foothold in the match, but showed signs of life after halftime, with Youcef Belaili providing a spark. Belaili's shot narrowly missed the target in the 63rd minute, and five minutes later, his close-range effort forced a sharp save from Flamengo goalkeeper Agustin Rossi.
Flamengo quickly regained control and extended their lead in the 70th minute through Luiz Araujo. Jorginho, Flamengo's recent acquisition from Arsenal, played an incisive through ball, allowing Araujo to break the offside trap. Araujo then cut inside and curled a precise left-footed shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Notably, Flamengo, who qualified for the tournament as the recent Copa Libertadores champion, showcased their strength with several Brazilian internationals in the lineup. The match also marked the debut of Italian midfielder Jorginho.
Esperance's best chance to equalize came in the 66th minute when Youcef Belaili led a counter-attack, but Agustin Rossi's crucial save preserved Flamengo's lead. Following the victory, Flamengo is now level on points with Chelsea at the top of Group D. Flamengo will face Chelsea on Friday in a highly anticipated match that will likely determine the group winner. Meanwhile, Esperance's hopes of advancing past the group stage have diminished, but they still retain a slim chance if they win against LAFC and Chelsea and Flamengo tie.
