Source: REUTERS/DALE ZANINE
[Saba Sports News] In the first round of the Club World Cup group stage, Chelsea defeated LAFC 2-0. According to British media reports, the official attendance at the Future Forum stadium was 22,137 people, which is less than one-third of its capacity. This means there were almost 50,000 empty seats. For this reason, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca commented, “The atmosphere felt a bit strange, the stadium was almost empty.” This match marked the first time an English club played against an American club in an official competition. During Liam Delap’s entrance at minute 64, he received the loudest cheers despite the sparse crowd. In this game, Nicolas Jackson assisted Pedro Lomba Neto for the opening goal, and Delap provided an assist for Enzo’s winning goal on his debut. Maresca praised Jackson for his running ability and pressing, but outside opinions questioned whether he could truly evolve into the top striker that Chelsea desires. Delap’s performance in his brief appearance demonstrated that after transferring from Ipswich for £30 million, he has the potential to meet the expectations placed on the club’s new number nine.