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Chelsea opened their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over LA Galaxy in Atlanta.
Enzo Fernandez (right) celebrates with Chelsea teammates after scoring his side’s 2nd goal. (AP Photo)
Chelsea began their Club World Cup campaign with a convincing 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC on Monday in Group D, despite nearly 50,000 empty seats in Atlanta’s stadium. Goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez ensured a strong start for the Blues in a competitive match against one of the three qualified MLS teams.
New recruit Liam Delap made his debut as a substitute, assisting in Fernandez’s goal. Chelsea aims to reestablish themselves among the elite after their UEFA Conference League victory and Champions League qualification.
Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca described the result as “very good” and praised Delap’s performance. “The good thing about Liam is he knows the way we want to play, so the process is quite quick,” the Italian remarked.
Although the tournament had a strong start in terms of attendance over the opening weekend, just over 22,000 fans attended the game at the 71,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium. “The environment was a bit strange, the stadium was almost empty, not full,” Maresca told reporters.
A couple of hundred LAFC ‘ultras’ created an atmosphere with drumming and singing, despite the sparse crowd. The closed stadium roof provided relief from the Georgia humidity and mid-afternoon sun, unlike the conditions at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena where Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid played on Sunday.
However, the 3:00 pm local kick-off time resulted in low attendance. Despite regular strong crowds for MLS side Atlanta United, few locals took time off work for the tournament’s first weekday afternoon game, seemingly scheduled to suit a British television audience.
LAFC, having qualified by beating Club America in a play-off in May, replaced the banned Mexican side Club Leon and will play all their group games away from California. The top tier of the stadium was closed and other sections were only partially filled, despite ticket prices being reduced before the game. This low turnout was a setback for organisers FIFA, who view this expanded competition as a trial run for the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Chelsea dominated early on, with Lloris saving shots from Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke, while Cole Palmer narrowly missed with a strike. New signing Delap watched from the bench as Jackson played with determination to keep his starting spot.
Jackson played a key role in Neto’s goal, delivering an excellent through ball to the Portuguese winger. Neto outmaneuvered LA defender Ryan Hollingshead and scored past Lloris at the near post. Former Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud came on at half-time for LAFC, who improved in the second half.
Jackson nearly scored with a header, and LAFC almost equalised, but Sanchez made a fine save to deny MLS golden boot winner Denis Bouanga after he outpaced Neto.
Maresca introduced Delap after the hour mark, giving the 22-year-old striker his Chelsea debut. Delap impressed with his initial moves, driving into space and setting up Fernandez with a cross from the right. Fernandez controlled the ball and beat Lloris to seal the victory.
LA coach Cherundolo commented on the crowd situation, suggesting it would be better to evaluate attendance at the end of the tournament rather than after one game.
Elsewhere in Group D, Esperance Tunis faced Brazil’s Flamengo later on Monday.
With AFP Inputs
A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you live updates, breaking news, opinions and photos from the wide world of sport. Follow @News18Sports
A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you live updates, breaking news, opinions and photos from the wide world of sport. Follow @News18Sports
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