Palmeiras e Chelsea se enfrentam com destaque para reencontro entre Abel e artilheiro.

(FILADÉLFIA - EUA) - Palmeiras and Chelsea will play this Friday (4), for the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup. In addition to securing a spot in the tournament's semifinals, the match marks the reunion between Abel Ferreira and Pedro Neto, a striker for the London club. The current Palmeiras coach was actually responsible for launching Pedro Neto into professional football, back when they were at Braga in Portugal. It was under Abel's command, on May 14, 2017, that the young striker, then only 17 years old, made his debut for Braga's first team - scoring a goal in a 4-0 win against Nacional. A week earlier, Pedro had played for the B team, but it was the Portuguese coach who gave him his first big chance in the main squad. - The last time I spoke to him, he wasn't at Chelsea and had a serious knee injury. I sent him just a message, because I also had this injury. And I know that it's the marks that warriors leave on us that make us better and make us see moments. Sometimes football players, when they don't play, get sulky, get upset, get bored, as you call it. But worse than not playing is being injured. And that was the last time I spoke to him. He's a spectacular kid and I wish him the best, except for tomorrow - said Abel, in a press conference on Thursday. Abel Ferreira mourns Diogo Jota's death and sends a message to the striker's family.

The coincidences don't stop there. Pedro Neto, now the top scorer for Chelsea in the World Cup with three goals, had a brief stint at a club called Palmeiras - but not the Brazilian one. It was at Palmeiras Futebol Clube, in Freguesia de Palmeira, Braga, which has a partnership with Braga for the development of young athletes. There, for less than a year, Pedro wore the badge that, curiously, is reminiscent of Palmeiras' logo, a nearly poetic coincidence on the eve of the duel in Philadelphia. Today at Chelsea, after spells at Lazio and Wolverhampton, Pedro Neto has not only scored goals, but also attempted the most crosses (23) and received the most balls between the lines (81) in the World Cup. But this Friday, he faces a special chapter: to meet Abel Ferreira, the coach who trusted in his talent at the beginning of his career, and to face the Palmeiras badge - now, the Brazilian one. Pedro Neto celebrates with Moisés Caicedo after scoring against Benfica (Photo: Federico Parra/AFP)