By Sachit Subba • Football • Jun 17, 2025 01:58 AM • 111 views
Chelsea's Club World Cup campaign is off to a winning start—but their 2-0 victory over Los Angeles FC at the cavernous Mercedes-Benz Stadium was played out in front of a striking backdrop: tens of thousands of empty red seats. On the pitch, it was a night for new faces to shine. Off it, troubling questions emerged about football's foothold in the United States just a year before it co-hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With barely 22,137 in attendance inside a stadium built to hold more than 70,000, the atmosphere was more like a training ground than a tournament. And yet, for the select few who turned up, there was a glimpse of Chelsea's future. Liam Delap, the 21-year-old forward recently signed from Ipswich for £30 million, made a lively debut, registering an assist and injecting much-needed urgency into a laboured Blues performance.
Chelsea Efficient, If Not Electric
Chelsea were rarely in top gear against an LAFC side featuring French World Cup winners Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris. But what they lacked in fluency, they made up for in execution.
Pedro Neto broke the deadlock in the first half, slipping behind the backline to finish at the near post after being slipped through cleanly. The second came via Delap, who came on just after the hour mark and quickly made his presence felt. His driven cross from the right found Enzo Fernandez arriving in stride for a simple tap-in, sealing the result with 15 minutes to play.
For Delap, it was a debut full of intent. Moments before the assist, he picked up the ball 30 yards out, drove past LAFC captain Aaron Long, and nearly set up Fernandez again. In the dying minutes, he embarked on another powerful run, almost creating a third goal with his energy and directness.
Dario Essugo also made his first Chelsea appearance, and though quiet, the Portuguese midfielder added composure in the middle of the park.
LAFC Threaten But Fail to Convert
For all their underdog status, LAFC were anything but overawed. They created multiple chances, particularly through Denis Bouanga and teenage talent David Martinez. But their finishing let them down, and despite Giroud's presence and Lloris' leadership, the MLS side lacked the cutting edge to truly test Djordje Petrović in the Chelsea goal.
Empty Seats, Big Questions
What loomed larger than either side's performance was the eerie emptiness of the stadium. The 22,137 announced spectators looked like a rounding error in a stadium that hosted over 70,000 fans for a Chelsea-Newcastle friendly just two years ago. The timing didn't help—a 3 p.m. kickoff on a weekday. Nor did the price tag, with ticket costs reportedly starting at over $100. Add in a Power Rangers convention and a UFC event pulling local attention, and the Club World Cup was left scrambling for relevance in a city that regularly tops Major League Soccer attendance charts. That contrast was jarring: Atlanta United averages more than 44,000 fans per MLS match. Yet FIFA's flagship club competition struggled to fill a third of the seats. With the 2026 World Cup looming, the optics were less than ideal. FIFA has yet to comment officially.
What's Next Chelsea face a stiffer challenge on Friday when they take on Brazilian giants Flamengo in Philadelphia—a potential group decider. LAFC, now under pressure, will meet Tunisia's ES Tunis in Nashville later that evening.
