Daijiworld Media Network- Atlanta
Atlanta, Jun 17: European giants Chelsea began their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 campaign on a winning note, defeating Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC 2-0 in a Group D clash at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday. Despite the high-profile encounter, the stadium, which can hold over 71,000 fans, witnessed a surprisingly low turnout of just 22,000 spectators.
Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez were the scorers for Chelsea, who showed sharpness and structure under new manager Enzo Maresca. The English side’s recent UEFA Conference League triumph has added confidence, and this victory served as a strong opening statement.
New signing Liam Delap was introduced in the second half, making his debut for the Blues. Maresca, addressing the media post-match, said, “The good thing about Liam is he knows the way we want to play, so the process is quite quick.”
However, Maresca also voiced concern over the atmosphere in the stadium. “The environment was a bit strange, the stadium was almost empty, not full,” he remarked, attributing the poor turnout to the unusual 3:00 pm Monday kickoff and Georgia’s sweltering summer conditions, even though the stadium’s roof was closed.
A few hundred LAFC supporters stood out with energetic drumming and singing, trying to lift their team’s spirits. LAFC had qualified for the tournament after defeating Club América in a May playoff, replacing banned Mexican club León.
Meanwhile, the empty top tier and sparsely populated lower stands, despite slashed ticket prices, raised serious questions about fan interest and engagement—especially with the US co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup along with Canada and Mexico.
On the field, Chelsea dominated the early exchanges. Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke tested LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris early, and Cole Palmer’s curling effort narrowly missed. Jackson, fighting to retain his spot in the starting XI with Delap now in the mix, played a key role in the first goal.
In another Group C match, Argentina’s Boca Juniors and Portugal’s Benfica played out a 1-1 draw, keeping the group wide open.
As the expanded Club World Cup continues to unfold across American venues, fans and football authorities alike are closely watching both the on-field action and off-field engagement, with hopes that the passion for the sport picks up pace.