Blues loss is a crying shame... Luiz Club World Cup woe

WELL ABOVE PA ... Corinthians' Paolo Guerrero rises to head the winner

Benitez will have had 13 hours at 35,000 feet to ponder the problems which confront him — and the biggest is that of his £50million striker’s confidence.

Had Torres taken his chances, Chelsea would have gone on to wrap up a victory that means little in terms of prestige but would have done wonders for self-belief. Benitez said: “He had the chances. He scored a goal that was disallowed but I agree he has to take these chances in a final because it’s not easy to create too many.

“If you have two or three you have to score. At least he was winning a lot of balls in the air, he was fresh and you could see that physically he was improving.

“We knew it would be a tough game against a good team and it ended like this. They had one chance and scored and we didn’t take our chances. That was the difference.”

Defeat hurt some players more than others as Luiz proved.

Midfielder Ramires was also inconsolable, slumped on the floor. Chelsea’s deeply-rooted issues are certainly enough to bring tears to the eyes of the fans.

Torres’ patchy form is matched by the fact the club have no one else to play instead or with him until they make moves in the January transfer window.

They left for a week in Japan last Saturday on a high, with Torres back in business scoring four goals in two games and the defence looking leaner and meaner.

But one match against a half decent team — only half mind — and it has all come crashing down again.

Now Benitez has his work cut out if he really believes he can deliver on his brave claim to win the Premier League with Manchester United 13 points clear of his side.

Torres was twice put clean through by his team-mates but failed to finish the job. The one time the Spaniard did put the ball over the line, in the dying seconds of the game, it was disallowed for offside.

In the first half, Frank Lampard dropped a superb ball into the box and Torres’ first touch was sheer class. But then it went to pot and he virtually lifted the ball into the arms of Corinthians keeper Cassio.

With five minutes to go, and with his side trailing to Paolo Guerrero’s 69th-minute goal, he was presented with another great opportunity.

But from just seven yards out, and with no one but the keeper to beat, he scuffed his shot and Benitez raised his eyes to the sky.

Guerrero’s winner also exposed the lapses in Chelsea’s defending which have dogged them for much of the season.

The striker was able to head past three Blues defenders — including Luiz — and score when the ball should have been cleared to Row Z of the stands.

Lampard said: “We’re disappointed. It was always going to be a tough game. They’re a very physical team as well as one with ability.

“We didn’t score from our chances and gave them a goal, and once you give Brazilian teams a goal they’re very adept at sitting back and counter-attacking.

“It was very difficult to break them down in the end. The game’s about scoring goals at the end of the day.

“We had chances throughout the game. We didn’t play at our best. The pitch was bobbly, but they’re a good team and set up well to try and stop you playing great stuff.”

Next stop is Leeds in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday where the atmosphere will be much different to here.

It has been an ’ell of a week... now to Elland Road and an even tougher test of Benitez and his boys.

CHELSEA: Cech 6, Ivanovic 6 (Azpilicueta 5), Cahill 4, Luiz 7, Cole 6, Ramires 6, SUN STAR MAN Lampard 7, Hazard 6 (Marin 5), Mata 6, Moses 6 (Oscar 5), Torres 4.

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