Chelsea began their Club World Cup campaign with a composed 2–0 victory over Los Angeles FC on Monday in Group D, but the win was played out in front of a disappointingly sparse crowd at Atlanta’s 71,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Despite goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernández securing a confident start for the Blues, nearly 50,000 seats were left empty. Just over 22,000 fans attended the match, a sharp contrast to the promising turnout seen during the tournament’s opening weekend.
New signing Liam Delap made his Chelsea debut as a second-half substitute, setting up Fernández’s late goal in a performance that underlined the club’s ambitions following their UEFA Conference League triumph and return to the Champions League. The Premier League side is looking to reassert itself among European football’s elite.
The match kicked off at 3:00 p.m. local time—an awkward weekday slot that many believed was scheduled for UK television audiences. Despite Atlanta being home to one of MLS’s best-supported clubs, Atlanta United, local turnout was low. The stadium’s upper tier was closed entirely, and other levels were only partially filled, even as ticket prices were slashed in the lead-up to the game.
Behind former Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, a few hundred traveling LAFC supporters—known as “ultras”—did their best to create an atmosphere, beating drums and singing throughout. But the muted crowd inside the closed-roof venue was a far cry from the electric environment hoped for by organizers.
LAFC, who qualified by beating Club América in a playoff in May after Mexico’s Club León was banned, played none of their three group stage matches in California. Speaking before the match, Lloris had described his team’s chances against Chelsea as “really thin”—a prediction that quickly proved accurate.
Chelsea dominated from the outset, with Nicolas Jackson testing Lloris early before setting up Noni Madueke for another effort. Cole Palmer also came close, firing narrowly over the bar.
Jackson was instrumental in the first goal, threading a perfect through ball to Neto. The Portuguese winger cut inside, sending LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead sprawling, and powered a low shot past Lloris at the near post.
Delap’s impact
Former Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud came on for LAFC at halftime, hoping to inject more bite into their attack. Jackson nearly doubled Chelsea’s lead with a header, but LAFC’s best chance came when Denis Bouanga—last season’s MLS Golden Boot winner—shook off Neto and forced a smart leg save from Robert Sánchez.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca introduced Delap just after the hour mark, handing the 21-year-old striker his debut following his move from relegated Ipswich Town. Delap immediately impressed, driving into space and delivering a low cross that Fernández expertly controlled and converted from close range.
Chelsea’s Palmer continued to show flashes of quality, though he missed a late opportunity to score. LAFC pushed forward in the final stages, but defender Marc Cucurella blocked well from David Martínez to preserve Chelsea’s clean sheet.
The result gives Chelsea a strong start in Group D, where Tunisia’s Espérance face Brazil’s Flamengo later on Monday.
AFP
