In what was a scrappy encounter for long periods, both sides enjoyed spells of pressure and chances to open the scoring, but it took the best part of 70 minutes for the opening goal to arrive.
Corinthians’ hassled Chelsea throughout and denied the Blues space in the centre of the park, with the best opportunities for the English side coming from the flanks. Cassio in the Corinthians’ net, though, produced a string of fine saves to deny the Blues.
The Brazilians, in truth, should have taken the lead earlier, or at least done better with their opportunities, as Emerson in particular wasted a couple of fine chances to get a strike on goal in the first-half.
When the goal did come, it was hardly vintage but will have been celebrated wildly across São Paulo when it came.
After Paulinho burst into the area, the midfielder looked to have delayed too long and possibly wasted the chance, but found Danilo whose shot was saved by Cech. The ball, though, looped up into the air and Paulo Guerrero was on hand to head home unmarked.
Chelsea pushed forward in search of an equaliser late on, but without avail. Fernando Torres should have levelled things from the best chance of the match, but struck his shot straight at Cassio with the goal gaping.
The Spaniard did, though, have the ball in the net as the game headed into extra-time, beating Cassio to a cross from the left. The offside flag had been raised and Chelsea’s dreams shattered.
The situation was made worse for the Blues with a late red card for defender Gary Cahill after a tangle with striker Emerson. It is not clear, though, what exactly occured in the incident as FIFA failed to replay the confrontation.
