By KBC Associate 
Estevao Willian showed glimpses of the prodigious talent that will soon be gracing Stamford Bridge as Palmeiras shared a goalless draw with Porto in their Club World Cup opener last night.
Estevao, the 18-year-old who will join Chelsea after the tournament, won the player of the match award for a sparkling display that ought to have been rewarded with three points for his side.
Brazilian side Palmeiras had the better chances throughout with Estevao – described as the best Brazilian prospect since Neymar – prominent.
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But they could not find a way past Porto goalkeeper Claudio Ramos, although Murilo thought he had managed it with a late header that came back off the post.
“We played a good game, with a lot of volume, passing exchanges, but lacked efficiency with our finishing,” said Estevao. “We weren’t capable of scoring a goal. Now we have to improve and go for a result in the next game.”
Palmeiras supporters bring the noise
Palmeiras fans, having rocked Times Square earlier in the day, made a similar impact at MetLife Stadium, home of NFL teams the New York Giants and New York Jets.
“The fans were fundamental,” added Estevao. “The party they put on was wonderful. They’re our 12th player. They were fundamental for us. Now we’ll go for the victory in our next game to deliver happiness to them.”
Next up for Palmeiras is a meeting with Egyptian side Al Ahly on Thursday.
“They’re organised,” said Estevao. “They use transitions a lot. They’re a really strong team. Now we’ll analyse them, study to put in a good performance against them.”
Midfielder Paulinho was also wary of an Al Ahly side that ground out a goalless draw against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami on the opening night.
He said: “We’ve seen a bit of them. They’re a team who produces a lot, who have quick players in attack. They gave Inter Miami a lot of problems. In big competitions, there are no easy opponents. It will be another difficult game, but we’ll have to fight with everything we’ve got to get the win.”
Messi and Inter Miami next up for Porto
Porto take on Inter Miami and midfielder Alan Varela is relishing the chance to face his countryman Messi.
He told FIFA.com: “The group is wide open, there is a long way to go. There are still two matches, so we’re going to try to get the victory in each.
“I watched the match between Miami and Al Ahly. I saw that they are two very tough opponents with a lot of intensity. Inter have the best player in the world, so we’re going to try to play and fight until the end, just like we did today and just like the club demands.”