Flamengo tops Espérance 2-0 as Philadelphia welcomes competitive international soccer

Size doesn’t matter. The aphorism often spoken by undervalued quarterbacks and overconfident lovers has its critics. But when it comes to soccer crowds, size really doesn’t matter. Flamengo and Espérance Sportive de Tunis played in front of a meager 25,000 fans to open the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field Monday night, but the atmosphere was every bit as dynamic as if it were Eagles-Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

Georgian de Arrascaeta and Luis Araújo scored in each half to lead Flamengo to a dominant performance over the Tunisian champions, setting up the much-anticipated matchup with Chelsea Friday afternoon at the Linc for the top of the table. Led by newest signing Jorginho, the Italian international who spent years with Napoli, Chelsea, and most recently Arsenal, Flamengo controlled the pace of the game from start to finish, following one of the best holding
midfielders in the game. Creating ahead of Jorginho, Arrascaeta was a reflection of the crowd, dynamic, heavily present, world class, reminding Union fans what soccer looks like with a natural 10 and reminding the world that not every great player is in Europe.

The afternoon began with Flamengo fans taking over the Philadelphia Art Museum steps, singing alongside the Rocky statue while Espérance supporters flooded the Reading Terminal, signs to the rest of the city that the Club World Cup is here. Perhaps more important, the scenes in and around the stadium and throughout the city both before and after, serve more as bat signal to the soccer community that it’s time to pay attention. In the worn and overrated battle to become a blip on the radar of non-soccer fans in America, soccer’s growth will be decided by American soccer fans and the multitude of supporter groups of domestic and international clubs who will rise to occasion and prove to the non-believers that the U.S. is already primed for competitive international soccer.

Current leaders of the Brasileiro Serié A, Flamengo wasted no time taking hold of the game as their opponents from Tunisia were content sitting in a mid-block and waiting for a counter-attack through Brazilians Yan Sasse and Rodrigo Rodrigues that rarely materialized. Methodically breaking down one of Africa’s top ranked sides, Flamengo sprayed passes back and forth early and often, and eventually Arrascaeta found wing back Guillermo Varela surging
down the right side. The Uruguayan international sent a cross to the back six for Araújo, who picked out Arrascaeta on the delayed run through the penalty spot, and the Flamengo creator calmly found the back of the net to send the Rio faithful into delirium.

The game opened up more in the second half with Flamengo pressing for a second. Pedro came close on a number of occasions while Espérance created a few chances during the mid-half flurry. Youcef Belaili’s first attempt on the counter missed high and wide, but his second forced a sprawling foot save from Flamengo keeper Augustín Rossi, one of his two on the night. It didn’t take long for Flamengo to regain their grip on the match, and former Atlanta United winger Araújo sealed the game twenty minutes from time with a bending screamer from the top right corner of the penalty area.

In the end, it’s the quality of soccer on the field and the passion of the fans that matters. With much of the lower bowl blanketed in the red and yellow of the four time CAF Champions and the red and black of the three-time South American title holders, the atmosphere that opened Philadelphia’s first Club World Cup match will certainly be an example of what’s to come over the next two weeks and into next summer’s World Cup.