Chelsea power into Club World Cup final
Reuters - Thursday 13 December 2012, 12:26
Fernando Torres continued his recent resurgence as Chelsea
confidently brushed aside Mexico's Monterrey 3-1 to reach the final of
the Club World Cup in Japan on Thursday.
The
English side and their interim manager Rafael Benitez will be under
pressure to beat Brazil's Corinthians in Sunday's final after becoming
the first holders to exit the Champions League at the group stage last
week.
"We can't afford to
lose the final," Benitez, who won the tournament with Inter Milan in
2010 but lost in the 2005 final with Liverpool, told reporters.
"We will see if Corinthians can play at our level. They have Brazilian quality so we know it will be a difficult match."
Juan
Mata finished off a classy move in the 17th minute to give Chelsea the
lead, smashing in a left-foot shot after a low ball from Ashley Cole,
sent clear by a back-heel from Oscar.
Spain team-mate Torres added Chelsea's second with a deflected drive 20 seconds after the break, his fifth goal in three games.
Mata's
cross was turned into his own net by Darvin Chavez moments later to
effectively kill off the game, although Aldo de Nigris grabbed a
consolation for Monterrey in stoppage time.
"It's
nice to be scoring goals again," said a smiling Torres, still hugely
popular with Japanese fans despite only recently emerging from an
alarming goal drought.
"To
hear the fans chanting my name meant a lot to me. Hopefully I can take
that form into the final," added the Spaniard, one of the world's
deadliest strikers under Benitez at Liverpool.
"This is a massively important tournament for us. We came a long way and it's a trophy we have to win."
Benitez
said Torres, on the score sheet for the third successive game for the
first time in a Chelsea shirt, was close to his best.
"Fernando
is sharper now and has more confidence," said Benitez, who replaced
Roberto Di Matteo last month and has yet to win over the Chelsea
faithful.
"If we can keep playing at the same level, he will continue to score goals."
European
teams have won the last five Club World Cup tournaments. Barcelona
lifted the trophy in 2009 and 2011 and Manchester United were the only
English winners in 2008.
"European
teams are the best in the world," said Monterrey coach Victor Vucetich,
understandably frustrated by his side's calamitous start to the second
half.
"They pay the most
money. Clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United and Barcelona can go out
and buy the best players from all over the world. We made mistakes and
it cost us dear."
Corinthians,
far from convincing in their 1-0 semi-final victory over Egypt's
Al-Ahly, won the first Club World Cup in 2000.