Mayra Madrigal
Chelsea kicked off its participation in the FC Series Clash of Nations in the United States with a 2-1 victory over Club América.
Chelsea vs America was played on Saturday, July 16 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. On this occasion, it was the FC Series Clash of Nations, a tournament that includes two Premier League teams, Chelsea and Arsenal, two of MLS, Orlando City, and Charlotte, and one from the Liga MX: Club América.
The MLS and Liga MX teams have made room in their schedules for their respective ongoing seasons, while the European teams will hold these matches as part of their preparation.
These teams delighted the fans at Allegiant Stadium with an exciting match from start to finish.
Both teams fielded mixed teams, with regular starters and young players, but that did not prevent them from putting on a great show from the first half.
In the first half, the Blues had several chances, but goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was attentive to keep goal. He made several outstanding saves during the 31 minutes that he was on the field, also a goalkeeper for the Mexican National Team.
Although Ochoa kept a clean sheet, coach Fernando Ortiz decided to give substitute goalkeeper Óscar Jiménez some playing time. The change of goalkeeper did not cause any change in the course of the first half, and the score remained 0-0 at the end of the first half.
Chelsea and América Put on a Show in Las Vegas
In the second half, the intensity of the match increased, and it was the English team who opened the scoring in the 55th minute. Oscar Jiménez had a shot turned away, but it fell to Timo Werner, who only had to push it into the net.
Club América reacted quickly, daring to go forward and making the Premier League team’s backline make a mistake under pressure. Between several touches, the defenders wanted to get out of trouble, but Reece James didn’t notice the position of his goalkeeper when he kicked the ball hard. The ball ended up inside the goal and that meant 1-1 on the scoreboard.
Just when it looked like the game would end 1-1, Mason Mount came up with a brilliant strike to give England the win in Las Vegas.
The Eagles still have two matches scheduled in the United States, against Manchester City and Real Madrid, while the Blues will face Charlotte FC and Arsenal, also in the United States, in the coming days.
