Pedro Neto broke the deadlock in the 34th minute with a moment of individual brilliance that showcased why Chelsea paid £54 million for his services. After receiving a precise pass from Nicolas Jackson, the Portuguese winger executed a stunning Cruyff turn that left LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead stumbling helplessly to the ground before firing a powerful left-footed strike past former Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris at the near post.12

The goal came after Chelsea had dominated the early exchanges but lacked clinical finishing, with Noni Madueke missing several clear opportunities prior to Neto's breakthrough.3 The skillful winger's goal exemplified the quality gap between the Premier League side and their MLS opponents, who despite showing "positive sparks of energy and possession throughout the first half, struggled to find any real opportunities in front of goal."4 The strike set Chelsea on their way to a comfortable victory in a tournament where American teams have generally struggled to make an impact.3

Liam Delap made an impressive Chelsea debut after coming on as a substitute for Nicolas Jackson just after the hour mark. The 22-year-old striker, who joined the Blues for £30 million from Ipswich Town earlier in June, made an immediate impact by providing a perfectly-weighted cross for Enzo Fernández's 79th-minute goal that sealed Chelsea's 2-0 victory.12 Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was delighted with Delap's performance, telling DAZN: "The good thing about Liam, he knows the way we want to play, so the process is quite quick."1

The young forward's cameo quickly won over Chelsea supporters, who flooded social media with praise. Fans were particularly impressed with his physical presence, ability to lead the line, and technical quality shown during his 26-minute appearance.3 Jackson's stony expression when being replaced by Delap spoke volumes about the potential competition for the striker position,4 with some supporters already suggesting Delap could challenge for a starting role after just one appearance in Chelsea blue.

LAFC entered the FIFA Club World Cup riding high on a 10-match unbeaten streak across all competitions12, but their momentum came to a halt against Premier League giants Chelsea. The MLS side managed to stay competitive for stretches of the match, keeping the score within reach until Enzo Fernandez's 80th-minute goal sealed their fate in the 2-0 defeat1.

The loss was further complicated by an injury concern when forward Nathan Ordaz was forced to exit in the 38th minute following a challenge from Chelsea captain Reece James that earned the defender a yellow card13. Despite the setback, LAFC still has opportunities to advance in the tournament with upcoming group stage matches against Tunisia's Espérance Tunis and Brazilian side Flamengo in Nashville and Orlando respectively14.