Palmeiras aims to upset Chelsea in Philly’s final Club World Cup game

The last of Philadelphia’s eight games in the Club World Cup, set for Friday night at Lincoln Financial Field (9 p.m., DAZN), will be a fitting matchup for what we’ve seen so far.

On one side will be England’s Chelsea, in its third tournament game in town. The Blues also used the Union’s facilities in Chester as their group stage training base, so they’ve spent a lot of time in town.

On the other will be Brazil’s Palmeiras, one of three Brazilian teams that have livened up the city with its style of play and raucous fans. The green-clad club from São Paulo will be at the Linc for the second time, six days after knocking out Rio de Janeiro’s Botafogo in the round of 16.

When the opening whistle is heard across town from the July 4 fireworks, Palmeiras will no doubt be the underdog. Manager Abel Ferreira embraced the role with a zinger in his news conference Thursday afternoon.

“Yes, we are the underdog,” he said. “It can be a good opportunity for local people to join with us against the English. … Because tomorrow, if I’m not wrong, is Independence Day, correct? Against the English. So join us and come with us because we need your support.”

That drew a big laugh from the media, whether they’d come to town from Europe, South America, or the United States.

No one, Ferreira included, doubts that there’s a gap in talent between the Brazilian league and the English Premier League and between Palmeiras and Chelsea specifically. But is it perhaps not as big as people thought before the tournament started?

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When Brazil’s Flamengo beat Chelsea, 3-1, in the group stage at the Linc, it was no fluke. And though it isn’t surprising that South American teams have coped better with the U.S.’ summer heat than European teams, there still have been some notable results: Palmeiras tied Portugal’s Porto, Fluminense tied Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, and reigning South American champion Botafogo beat reigning European champion Paris Saint-Germain.

“I think what’s going to be most noticeable is our attitude and our desire to win,” Palmeiras forward José Manuel López said. “I think it’s been shown that, at the end of the day, it’s 11 players against 11, and at such a high level as the Brazilian League is at today, I think there isn’t that much of a difference. It’s been seen that Brazilian teams are in very good form and have often beaten European teams.”

Palmeiras and Fluminense are the last South American teams alive in the field, with the latter facing Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal on Friday afternoon in Orlando (3 p.m., TNT, UniMás, DAZN). The winners of Friday’s two games will meet in the first semifinal, Tuesday at MetLife Stadium in North Jersey. Al Hilal upset Manchester City in the round of 16, leaving Chelsea as the last English team in the field after the Londoners beat Portugal’s Benfica.

“We’ll give our best tomorrow, and I hope we are in a good moment, focused in our job, each one trying our best,” Ferreira said. “It’s true, the other side has a big team with a lot of talent, young players also. But we have one dream, and now we will fight for our dream with open eyes and give our maximum.”

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One player will be in a bigger spotlight on the rest: Palmeiras’ 18-year-old winger Estêvão, who is heading to Chelsea after the Club World Cup. Either the Blues will be his last opponent before leaving, or his current team will knock them out.

“Everyone knew this could happen during the negotiations; everyone knew he could play,” Ferreira said. “It will be an opportunity for him to show how good he is. So I will expect from him all his best, the maximum — attack, defense, and maybe [to] score a goal to give [a] goodbye for our fans. Because we helped him to grow as a man, as a professional, so it can be a good moment to give him a goodbye with one amazing game. And maybe, we never know, with one goal.”

Though Estêvão wasn’t among the players who spoke with the media Thursday, his teammates who did praised him.

“Estêvão is a great player and a great friend,” midfielder Mauricio said. “Of course he is already planning to go to Chelsea, but I think he is very focused here. … Whether we like it or not, he is only an 18-year-old player, but he is already very mature, and his mind is focused here on helping us go as far as we can.”

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López also called him “a very good kid, speaking football-wise, and personally, he’s also from a good family. And a very respectful kid, so that makes him even better than he already is.”

Chelsea agreed the deal a year ago, offering $37 million up front and incentives that could take the total to nearly $79 million.

Palmeiras stayed in Philadelphia after Saturday’s game, which allowed the team to use the Eagles’ practice facilities. With so much time between games, there was an opportunity for some needed rest — and some fun sightseeing.

“There was a small day to enjoy, to have a rest,” Mauricio said. “As my family had already returned to Brazil, I didn’t have them to go out and get to know historical places of the city, but we managed to enjoy the training complex of [the] Philadelphia Eagles a little. This is a very cool experience we are living here.”

Each team’s fans will have a pep rally in the hours before Friday’s kickoff. Palmeiras fans will gather on Independence Mall at 11 a.m., then march west on Market Street after Philadelphia’s Independence Day parade heads in the same direction.

Chelsea supporters, led by the local Philly Blues group, will meet at Tir Na Nog, on 1600 Arch Street, before heading to Xfinity Live.

Blues manager Enzo Maresca said it was ”very nice” to be back in the city.

“We’ve had two games here — the facilities where we worked, they were good,” he said. “So it overall has been a very good feeling to be here in Philadelphia, to be honest.”

Friday: Fluminense (Brazil) vs. Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) in Orlando, 3 p.m. (TNT, UniMás, DAZN) and Palmeiras (Brazil) vs. Chelsea (England) in Philadelphia, 9 p.m. (DAZN)

Saturday: Paris Saint-Germain (France) vs. Bayern Munich (Germany) in Atlanta, noon (TNT, DAZN) and Real Madrid (Spain) vs. Borussia Dortmund (Germany) in East Rutherford, N.J., 4 p.m. (Univision 65, DAZN)

Tuesday: Fluminense or Al Hilal vs. Palmeiras or Chelsea in East Rutherford, N.J., 3 p.m. (TNT, DAZN)

Wednesday: Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in East Rutherford, N.J., 3 p.m. (TNT, UniMás, DAZN)

Sunday, July 13: in East Rutherford, N.J., 3 p.m. (TNT, Univision 65, DAZN)