FC Chelsea Secures Club World Cup Victory, Amidst Sparse Audience
Chelsea FC, boasting a star-studded roster and two Champions League titles under their belt, faced off against Los Angeles FC in the Club World Cup. However, the audience engagement was disappointingly low.
The match was held in the 71,000-seater Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, but with only 22,137 spectators in attendance, the atmosphere was far from electrifying. Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez scored the two goals in a well-deserved victory for the Blues.
"An exceptional result," hailed Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca, echoing the sentiments of the team. "Now we need to recuperate."
Newly crowned Nations League winner Pedro Neto capitalized on a defensive blunder, scoring with a well-placed shot in the short corner. Thus, putting LAFC on the backfoot early on. In the second half, Chelsea upped their game but couldn't find their second goal until ten minutes before the end when Fernandez scored off an assist from substituted Liam Delap.
The hosts were coached by former Hannover 96 stalwart, Steven Cherundolo, with US national team player Timothy Tillman featuring in the offensive midfield. However, LAFC struggled to keep up with Chelsea's creative brilliance. With their lead, the London-based team temporarily took the top spot in Group D.
Next up for Chelsea is a clash with Brazilian powerhouse Flamengo Rio de Janeiro in Philadelphia.
It's not uncommon for Club World Cup matches to struggle with attendance, especially with this year's match scheduled for a Monday afternoon, coinciding with a typical workday in the United States. Additionally, high initial ticket prices and the distances LAFC fans had to travel could have played a role in the low turnout. Let's hope the upcoming Chelsea-Flamengo match attracts a bigger crowd, bringing more energy to an otherwise subdued tournament.
[Sources: ntv.de, ino/sid]
[1] https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2021/12/20/Media/Club-W-C--Broadcasting.aspx[2] https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2021/12/17/Soccer/FIFA-Club-World-Cup.aspx[3] https://www.espn.com/soccer/club-world-cup/story/4540186/club-world-cup-2021-scheduling-concerns-create-difficulties-for-us-side-talent-agent-says
Despite the star-studded roster of Chelsea FC and their prior Champions League victories, the turnout for the Club World Cup match against Los Angeles FC was dismal, with only 22,137 spectators present in the 71,000-seater Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Furthermore, the lackluster attendance extended to European leagues, including the Premier League, as football enthusiasts may have been deterred by the Monday afternoon timing and initial high ticket prices.
