Chelsea began their Club World Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win against Los Angeles FC on Monday in Group D, though the match was notably affected by a low turnout, leaving almost 50,000 seats empty at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez helped the Blues secure a strong start in a competitive encounter against one of the three MLS teams in the tournament.
New signing Liam Delap debuted when he came off the bench and contributed by assisting Fernandez with his goal. Chelsea will aim to build on their recent UEFA Conference League success and Champions League qualification to reassert themselves as a top European club.
After decent attendance figures over the opening weekend, just over 22,000 spectators turned up for this mid-afternoon game, played under the stadium’s closed roof, which provided some relief from Georgia’s heat. The vast majority of the 71,000-seat venue remained empty.
A few hundred enthusiastic LAFC supporters, known as ultras, stood out in the sparse crowd by attempting to create an atmosphere with drums and chanting.
The scheduling of the 3:00 pm kick-off on a Monday appeared to discourage local fans, despite the popularity of the MLS team Atlanta United nearby and last-minute ticket price reductions.
LAFC qualified for the competition by defeating Club America in May and replacing the banned Mexican side Club Leon. However, they play all group games outside their home state of California.
Former Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, guarding LAFC’s net, had a busy match as the Blues dominated early play. He made several key saves, including attempts from Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke.
Jackson, eager to secure his starting spot, played a vital role in setting up Neto’s opening goal. The Portuguese winger skillfully manoeuvred past defender Ryan Hollingshead before firing a powerful shot into the net.
At half-time, former Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud entered the fray for LAFC, hoping to provide a greater threat against Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez.
Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Sanchez, made a crucial save to deny LAFC’s Denis Bouanga, the 2023 MLS Golden Boot winner, after the attacker broke free from Neto.
Delap was introduced after the hour mark for his Chelsea debut, immediately showing promise by creating space and setting up Fernandez’s second goal. Cole Palmer also showed glimpses of skill but fired narrowly over the bar on one occasion.
LAFC’s pressure increased later in the game, with Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella making a key block, but Fernandez’s composed finish into the six-yard box sealed the victory for the visitors.
