One of the first teams to secure their spot in the Club World Cup, Chelsea, is set to face off against one of the last qualifiers, Los Angeles FC, this Sunday at Atlanta`s Mercedes-Benz Arena. Chelsea earned their place by winning the UEFA Champions League in 2021. Much has changed since that triumph four years ago, yet interestingly, LAFC`s squad includes Olivier Giroud, meaning they roster as many players from Thomas Tuchel`s Champions League-winning side as Enzo Maresca`s current Chelsea team, captained by Reece James.
LAFC`s path to the tournament was more complex. Their opportunity arose when the Court of Arbitration for Sport supported FIFA`s decision to exclude Leon due to shared ownership with Pachuca. LAFC then clinched their spot in dramatic fashion, defeating Club America in a playoff with Denis Bouanga scoring the winning goal in the 115th minute. This victory means Steve Cherundolo`s side will be the third MLS representative at the Club World Cup.
To progress beyond the group stage, LAFC will need to overcome Esperance de Tunis and a strong Flamengo team. Chelsea, on the other hand, is considered the heavy favorite to top their group.
Predicted Lineups
Chelsea: Robert Sanchez; Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella; Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo; Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto; Nicolas Jackson
LAFC: Hugo Lloris; Sergi Palencia, Aaron Long, Maxime Chanot, Ryan Hollingshead; Igor Jesus, Tillman, Mark Delgado; Denis Bouanga, Oliver Giroud, Yaw Yeboah
Player to Watch
Olivier Giroud, LAFC: The former Chelsea striker has had a slow start to his MLS career, scoring only five goals in 33 appearances for LAFC. However, with his season only 14 games in, Giroud feels he can influence the game against former teammates who have just finished arduous European campaigns. Giroud commented, “These European, top European teams, they will maybe feel a bit tired after a long season, so it may be an advantage. It`s always nice to stay positive. Some of them have played 60, 70, 75 games already, so I think that`s a good test for the MLS teams. We need to grab that chance to show Europe what we`re made of.”
Storyline to Watch
Can Delap break the No. 9 curse? Former Ipswich striker Liam Delap is immediately in the spotlight after joining Chelsea in time for the Club World Cup. He takes on the infamous No. 9 shirt, a number worn with little success by many Chelsea strikers over the years, including Gonzalo Higuain, Fernando Torres, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – arguably having as much luck in the box as defender Khalid Boulahrouz once did in it. Much will rest on Delap, who was highly sought after by Premier League clubs this summer, to end this streak of disappointing performances associated with the jersey.
Prediction
The recent break should benefit Chelsea, and their measured, possession-based style might be well-suited to this tournament. Expect them to start strongly. Prediction: Chelsea 3, LAFC 0
Dominic Ashworth