Chelsea wins 2-0 in Club World Cup opener: defeats Los Angeles FC

Chelsea’s path to the Club World Cup began with a victory: Enzo Maresca’s Blues won 2-0 over Los Angeles FC in the debut match of Group D, at the end of a more complicated match than expected. The American formation coached by Steve Cherundolo put the English in trouble for large parts of the match, but in the end the greater quality of the London team prevailed, which was able to strike at key moments of the match.

After a first half practically devoid of excitement, unblocked only in the 33rd minute by Pedro Neto on a fine assist from Nicolas Jackson, Chelsea had to wait until the 80th minute to finally close the score. The double bore the signature of Enzo Fernández, who was good at collecting the’invitation of Delap – who had just entered – after an insistent action on the right. The Argentine midfielder coolly controlled the ball and placed it in the net, sealing the goal of the final 2-0.

Good performance by former Ipswich Delap, immediately starring with an assist and a lot of offensive liveliness. Also excellent was the performance of the LAFC hosts, who never let up and on several occasions forced goalkeeper Sanchez into decisive interventions. In fact, the Californians were able to put Chelsea in trouble especially in the second half, showing courage and organization.

Curious episode during halftime, when Olivier Giroud, ready to make his entrance on the field, found himself without a shirt. No personal forgetfulness, but a logistical error: his uniform was not on the bench. The Frenchman had to run to the locker room to get dressed before entering.