The good news for Fifa’s marketing gurus is that the 22,137 fans who turned up to watch Chelsea cruise past Los Angeles FC in their Club World Cup opener at least saw the surge of excitement provided by Liam Delap coming off the bench to bring an otherwise forgettable contest to life on his debut.
In actuality, this will not be remembered as one of the most significant sporting events. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium can house 75,000 people, but scheduling this match for 3 p.m. on a Monday was not the best idea.
Large sections were empty, the upper terraces were closed, and Enzo Maresca arguably summed it up best when he said it was difficult for Chelsea to play in such a “strange environment”.
It isn’t very comfortable for Fifa because Atlanta is not a city where football is typically overlooked. This is the self-proclaimed epicentre of soccer in the United States, so much so that a new national training facility is being developed on a 200-acre location near the city. Still, few locals appeared to be aware that this game was going place.
The news that ticket prices had dropped in the hours leading up to kickoff suggested a lot. After all, Atlanta United, who play their Major League Soccer games here, averaged around 45,000 fans last season. At the same time, Chelsea drew over 70,000 supporters for a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United two years ago.
But the lack of interest was not surprising. Chelsea versus Newcastle is one thing; Chelsea facing restricted MLS opposition on the other side of the country lacks the same allure. Hugo Lloris and Olivier Giroud were recognizable names for LAFC, but Steve Cherundolo’s side was only participating because Club León had been thrown out for violating Fifa’s multi-club restrictions.
Chelsea, on the other hand, will compete in the Champions League next season, benefit from Premier League resources, and are full of confidence after winning the Uefa Conference League last month. They have invested heavily and added competition for attacking positions by signing Liam Delap from Ipswich for a cheap fee of £30 million. Liam Delap has demonstrated that he means business by wearing the No. 9 shirt. The 22-year-old was signed to score goals, but he can also create them.
He was in fine form after coming in midway through the second half, and he assisted another Chelsea replacement, Enzo Fernández, to end LAFC’s fragile chances of snatching a draw with 11 minutes remaining. It was heartening for Maresca to see his strikers preparing to compete for a starting berth.
Nicolas Jackson was clearly in need of extra assistance last season. Chelsea were not the same team without Jackson, and they should think twice about selling the Senegalese forward, whose combination of quickness, power, and astute link-up play proved far too much for LAFC to handle during a lopsided first half.
True, the 23-year-old’s finishing style may be irritating. Despite missing a fantastic headed chance in the second half, Jackson managed to grab the eye by dropping deep to set up Chelsea’s first by sending a reverse pass down the right for Pedro Neto to cut inside, switch to his left foot, and slam a low drive inside Lloris’ near post.
“I am quite curious to see how Nico deals with competition,” she stated. “Hopefully, both strikers will score and assist. We went two or three months last season without Nico and Marc Guiu. It’s a good feeling for a manager to have two strikers.
Delap was introduced as Chelsea, who are interested in Lyon winger Malick Fofana, came under brief pressure from LAFC at the opening of the second half.
Giroud came on for the underdogs, who nearly equalized when David Martínez shot wide, and Denis Bouanga forced Robert Sánchez to save after breaking through on the left.
Maresca had chosen a familiar lineup devoid of any new additions, but exhaustion was a problem following a long season. Reece James and Roméo Lavia required careful management and were replaced by Fernández and Malo Gusto at halftime.
Liam Delap Seals the Victory
Chelsea, who play Flamengo in Philadelphia on Friday, improved after Liam Delap came on. He worried LAFC with his strong pace, barreling down the right and nearly finding Fernández. Neto then set up Cole Palmer, who fired wildly over.
It was over when Liam Delap picked out Fernández’s late run, which he converted from close range. There was anxiety when Moisés Caicedo collapsed due to a cramp. Perhaps the fact that clubs can earn $2 million (£1.47 million) for group-stage victory will make the pain more bearable.
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