Chelsea v LAFC: Membership World Cup – live | Membership World Cup 2025

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Enzo Fernandez scores their second goal.”,”caption”:”Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez scores their second goal.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters”}}),”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1750106658000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”21.44 BST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1750106819000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”21.46 BST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1750106756000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”21.45 BST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”21.45″,”title”:”GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 LAFC (Fernandez 80)”,”contributors”:(),”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 16 Jun 2025 21.52 BST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 16 Jun 2025 19.00 BST”},{“id”:”685075938f08acdd2cafc895″,”elements”:({“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

A bit of a set-to to end the half, Bounaga and Neto sharing sentiments once the whistle goes with various others getting, er, in and around them. But the ref intercedes and off everyone trots.

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This is beautifully taken. Again, Jackson does really well, taking the ball after Cucurella wins it and slithering along the halfway line before setting Neto away. His first touch is poor, taking him down the line rather than towards goal, but a a lovely chop inside, sending Hollingshead off to Chick-fill-A, opens everything, and he lashes a finish inside the near post to set Chelsea away.

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Pedro Neto scores their first goal.”,”caption”:”Chelsea’s Pedro Neto scores their first goal.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Dale Zanine/IMAGN IMAGES/Reuters”}}),”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1750102583000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”20.36 BST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1750103099000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”20.44 BST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1750102737000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”20.38 BST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”20.38″,”title”:”GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 LAFC (Neto 34)”,”contributors”:(),”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 16 Jun 2025 21.52 BST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 16 Jun 2025 19.00 BST”},{“id”:”68505cc28f088dfd6f2b52ab”,”elements”:({“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Jackson. Subs: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Gusto, Chalobah, Badiashile, Sarr, Anselmino, Essugo, Fernandez, Santos, Dewsbury-Hall, George, Nkunku, Delap, Guiu.

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LAFC (4-3-3): Lloris; Palencia, Long, Segura, Hollingshead; Tillman, Jesus, Delgado; Ordaz, Ebobisse, Bouanga. Subs: Ochoa, Hasal, Chanot, Tafari, Marlon, Saldaña, Raposo, Dilrosun, Amaya, Holm, Yeboah, Wibowo, Martínez, Giroud.

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It’s hard to know what to feel here, isn’t it? On the one hand, a confected competition, staged for impure reasons, by men of questionable character, in a country undergoing a fascist takeover, skewing domestic competitive balance yet further, while players trudge through yet more games; on the other hand, FOOTBALL.

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LAFC did not qualify for this competition automatically, by winning the Concacaf Champions League; rather, they won a play-in after León, former Concacaf Champions League winners, were disqualified for infringing club ownership structure rules. But here they are so here we are, the fifth-best side in the Western Conference, we’ll never sing that.

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Facing them we have none other than the reigning Conference League champions – who, in fairness, did actually win the Champions League to make it into this tournament. And Chelsea are, in various ways, a prime example of the vain, venal, narcissistic decadence it represents … but how exciting might it be if, suddenly, they click?

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Kick-off: 3pm local, 8pm BST

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Key events

87 min Good from Chelsea, Delpa seizing a loose ball and showing good feet in flicking a cross for George, who finds Neto. He crosses to the support put up, the place an impressive last-ditch header from Palencia takes the ball away from the waiting Nkunku.

85 min Martinez runs at Colwill, tries a cross to the support put up with the out of doors of his boot … and there’s too grand on it.

84 min Now two adjustments for Chelsea: off depart Palmer and Caicedo, on come Nkunku and Dario Essugo.

82 min A change I missed after the goal: LA despatched Amaya on for Jesus.

81 min Prolonged ball over the tip, Gusto will get nowhere near it, and Bouanga is onto it! He falls – but became he shoved? – then, from the bottom, one device or the opposite quiet swivels into a shot … that Sanchez saves. Gusto is lucky, because there became contact that made a distinction, when he became nowhere near the ball.

No longer to any extent extra they’re not! Palmer rolls down the side of the LA defence for Delap, who crosses effectively, and, bursting into the field, Fernandez controls with his body on the fling, then hammers dwelling from halt fluctuate.

77 min Now Tillman sneaks around the out of doors of Cucurella, stands up a cross, and Gusto heads away from Giroud, animated, then Colwill faucets away when Bouanga crosses, Martinez has a shot blocked and a ball to the far put up is slid dead by Bouanga, quiet there from the outdated effort … but he became offside. At 1-0, LAFC are quiet bang in this.

76 min Delap bullocks into the field but Tillman will get in entrance of him and awaits the inevitable gruesome. the novel boy is doing his most animated to ingratiate himself with the Chelsea toughen.

75 min Cucurella shoves Martinez within the support, who goes down clutching an ankle, and he’s booked.

73 min “Chelsea bag three world-class players in Caicedo, Cucurella and James (if he stays match obviously),” reckons Julian Menz. “Palmer and Enzo are nearly there. Lavia isn’t too shabby either, and we’ve yet to sight what a true striker, Delap, can attain to assist the wingers. No longer to mention the advent of Santos and Estevao. Too younger appropriate now? Seemingly. Capacity contenders? Absolutely.”

I’m looking out forward to seeing Estevao, however the others? Moral players, but a technique off essentially the most animated round in mine. Overview them to, scream, Salah, Alisson and Van Dijk, or Kante, Hazard and Diego Costa.

72 min It’s some time since LA bag mustered a prime assault, but as I form, Hollingshead finds himself in an evolved place down the left, he dashes across a tame mutter from Gusto, shoots … and the ball whizzes over the tip. Warning for Chelsea.

70 min Caicedo into Neto, who slips a elegant reverse-cross into the field for Palmer; he appears to be internal, delight in he’s going to cross or peep the far corner, most animated to dawdle a enact high, but over the tip.

69 min Moral motion from Delap, one fling for the defender and any other fling for himself, so when the ball comes he has condo to diddle Prolonged on the out of doors, but his cut-support, looking out out for Caicedo, is blocked.

67 min Bounaga is penalised for a gruesome on Fernandez, he stos in entrance of the ball, and Cucurella kicks it into him making an try to receive him booked. “No want for that,” moralises Michael Brown.

66 min Chelsea spread to George, who lays support for Fernandez … and his curler is blocked.

65 min Delap celebrates that debut by ostentatiously pushing Prolonged over. Kerry Dixon would per chance be kvelling.

64 min Two extra adjustments for Chelsea: off depart Madueke, who marks the occasion with a pair of snot rockets, and Jackson, with George and Delap approaching, the latter for his Chelsea debut.

63 min Martinez whacks Cucurella across the calves – that’s extra of a reserving than the shove for which he became booked – kicks the ball away, and the ref gives him what must be a final warning.

62 min This time, the corner goes into the field, winding up with gusto over the far side; he crosses and Jackson heads vast.

61 min Palmer pulls appropriate and beats about a males by sliding a cross between them for Jackson, whose return is dejected. Nonetheless he collects it then all any other time, nips out of doors Palencia, and his shot is blocked dead.

58 min Cucurella bumps Martinez, who shoves him support; naturally, Cucurella collapses in a heap of curls, delight in the Sinful Witch of the West after Dorothy chucks the bucket of water (apologies for the spoiler). Martinez is booked.

57 min Prolonged, browsing ball over the tip and Bouanga is goal-side of Neto! And he does beautifully to preserve him off too, then appears to be to sweep his shot all over the near put up – not the enact Sanchez is looking ahead to, but one who it’s simpler to put … and he does, stretching out a foot. That became a really trusty likelihood.

56 min “Invoice doesn’t sound a really current traveling fan,” laments Tim Stappard. “A happy medium would be good. Craven Cottage perchance?”

Some seriously menacing costs within the hostelries round that methodology.

55 min The second corner additionally goes brief, coming to nowt.

54 min It goes brief to Palmer, who finds Neto, who teases an impressive ball in direction of the far put up, the place Jackson is up … but his header flicks a defender and goes dead.

Fifty three min Chelsea depart straight support on the assault with Colwill turning up on the left hover to derive a corner.

51 min Nonetheless right here they come all any other time, Martinez situation towards Cucurella and slowing him down, then nipping off on his out of doors most animated to assemble he’s too off-balance to achieve anything else varied than screw a shot vast of the near put up. Clean, even supposing, that’s encouraging for LA – Martinez, most animated 19, appears to be delight in he’s received rather of one thing.

51 min Good from LA, who gather Martinez out of doors the field, appropriate of centre; he dips internal, tries a curler, and the ball hits Giroud and flies dead.

50 min Stunning from Neto, who attracts Hollingshead in, scalds him on the out of doors … and can’t gather Jackson with his cut-support.

Forty eight min How far attain we mediate Chelsea are from a legitimate title mutter? It’s unbelievable actually, given what quantity of money they’ve spent, that the potentially animated resolution is “very”. There are, obviously, many programs to negate, but generally talking the side that wins it has as a minimum three players among essentially the most animated on this planet of their place; attain Chelsea bag any?

46 min He might per chance perchance perchance bag long past off, but I belief the LA fans bag a tune for Ebobisse to this banger:

46 min We depart all any other time…

Giroud is not any longer topless. He’d forgotten his shirt, but a teammate fetches it for him and he replaces Ebobisse.

I in actuality bag a Giroud account, which I’ve no doubt relayed before, but right here we depart: I became within the discotheque and saw him within the bathroom; the attendant goes “Oi, you’re … you’re …” so Olivier Giroud offers “Olivier Giroud?”. “Yeah, that’s appropriate,” has the same opinion the attendant, at which point hilarious me intejects “Which you would possibly be in a position to negate because he’s looking out within the hold adjusting his hair.”

Oh how they laughed.

Changes for Chelsea: Fernandez and Gusto for Lavia and James. Oh, and Olivier Giroud, on the LAFC bench, has his high off. Extra special scenes!

Half of-time e mail: “Americanized stadiums not a patch on the trusty light days at Roker Park, The Den etc? I dunno,” muses Invoice. “I became pissed on by the dwelling fans at Loftus Avenue, the away fans at Portman Avenue, attacked by West Ham fans at the light Wembley. Encourage to the 80s? No thanks!”

There completely exists a happy medium.

Half of-time entertainment:

A diminutive little bit of a situation-to to discontinue the half, Bounaga and Neto sharing sentiments as soon as the whistle goes with varied others getting, er, in and round them. Nonetheless the ref intercedes and off all americans trots.

Forty five+2 min Jackson, essentially the most animated participant on the pitch thus far, finds Madueke, whose cross sails methodology past the far put up.

Forty five+1 min We’ll bag one extra minute; Bouanga all any other time curls in, and this time, Ebobisse is offside.

Forty five min Ebobisse turns Tosin, who slips and slides anyway; he’s booked. Free-kick LA, 25 yards out, appropriate of centre.

43 min “If a goal is scored in a wooded space, but no one sees it, does it quiet count as a goal?” wonders Ross McLelland. “Let me know.”

It would possibly perchance animated be a dream. This in actuality took negate to me at lord’s on Wednesday, when my eyes had been feeling heavy and I became animated interested by resting them, then Steve Smith received himself out to Aiden Markram and I wasn’t certain if it became reverie or actuality.

41 min There’s no sense LA bag the wherewithal to receive support into this, but so long as it’s 1-0, they’ve a likelihood. And right here they come now, Martinez to Palencia, whose early cross is nodded support into the center by Bouanga, but Ebobisse slips.

39 min The ref cam is a good innovation – it gives us a really trusty sense of the physicality and fling of things.

38 min Ordaz goes off, then Bouanga curls the free-kick into the center and Sanchez flicks dead; Martinez then comes on.

37 min Oh, Ordaz, having taken a ball to the head, has a neighborhood, and o come the medical doctors.

36 min A protracted kick-out from Lloris devices Bouanga at James, who leaps into a mutter, misses the ball, catches Bounaga with his body, and is booked. Naturally, Michael Brown, in co-comms, thinks it’s magnificent, but LA bag a free-kick a yard or two from the by-line, between corner flag and field.

Right here is beautifully taken. Yet again, Jackson does actually effectively, taking the ball after Cucurella wins it and slithering along the midway line before environment Neto away. His first touch is dejected, taking him down the line instead of in direction of goal, but a a elegant chop internal, sending Hollingshead off to Chick-have-A, opens all the pieces, and he lashes a enact all over the near put up to situation Chelsea away.

31 min “I saw NUFC play Chelsea within the Mercedes Benz Stadium in 2023,” advises Reuven Fletcher. “It’s a really impressive negate, if that’s your form of thing, the manner forward for high flight ‘match-day abilities’ as it becomes extra and extra Americanised and commodified. Elephantine of fleet food chain restaurants and Americans within the shirts of facets not taking fragment int he recreation (Arsenal, Man Metropolis etc) as they mandatory in on the Premier League abilities. Some very friendly Atalanta Followers who had come along to toughen Migeul Almiron, who became at NUFC then, requested within the occasion that they desire to quiet toughen Newcastle. I stated animated follow your team, it’s sufficient.

Give me Filbert Side dual carriageway, Roker Park, The Baseball Flooring and the threat of a hiding at the Passe Den any day over Chick-have-A etc for my fragment.”

I agree – intensity and involvement are far extra main than sight-traces and legroom, as a minimum for me.

30 min Credit score the place it’s due, the LAFC fans dead the goal are making an try to give this rather of atmosphere. I continuously revel in seeing football culture in varied international locations, and it’s trusty to sight the rainbow flag waving, likewise the LAFC sombreros.

29 min Cucurella, inverting, finds Palmer who strikes out to Neto – he’s been serene thus far – and even supposing his cross is dejected, he’s soon assist in possession, beating Bouanga and crossing the support put up, the place Madueke heads vast.

26 min Simon Carson explains the bottom make: “It’s because the NFL squads are so gargantuan (50+ players of generally tall size) that the seating has to inaugurate up higher up, in any other case you wouldn’t be ready to sight anything else. When I went to sight a recreation at Twickenham about a years within the past, they blocked out the first few rows of the decrease tier for the identical cause.”

That makes sense, thanks – even supposing I’m certain I’ve viewed the identical thing in Europe, and not at the dwelling of the Barcelona Dragons.

25 min A depressing effort from Bouanga who appears to be to twist in dead, but places methodology too grand on the ball.

23 min LA spoil, but a dejected cross from Ordaz methodology the assault breaks down, then James loses out to Delgado and Caicedo fouls Bouanga. That became rather harsh – he stretched a leg round him and won the ball, but right here comes a free-kick 25 yards out, left of centre…

22 min The corner finally ends up with James, on the threshold, whose low shot is blocked.

21 min Yet again Chelsea gather Palmer, all any other time he steps internal, opening the attitude for the curler, and this time he has a stricken, but a deflection sends the ball over the bar.

20 min What is it with these grounds that bag decrease tiers beginning two metres or extra above pitch-stage? The point of going to the match is to be pondering about it, and this deliberately making things much less intense. I don’t receive it.