Delap shines in debut as Chelsea edge past LAFC

Chelsea secured a hard-fought victory against Los Angeles FC in their Club World Cup opener at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with new signing Liam Delap making an impressive debut in front of surprisingly sparse crowds.

Match Highlights

The Blues opened the scoring through Pedro Neto's first-half strike, followed by Enzo Fernandez's tap-in from Delap's pinpoint cross. Despite a sluggish team performance, Chelsea's clinical finishing proved decisive against an LAFC side featuring World Cup winners Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris.

Debutant Delap Shines

The £30m signing from Ipswich made an immediate impact after coming on in the 64th minute:

• Created Fernandez's goal with a perfectly weighted cross
• Showed dangerous direct running at defenders
• Nearly provided another assist in his brief cameo

The England U21 international's performance suggests Chelsea may have found an exciting new attacking option.

Attendance Concerns

The match drew just 22,137 fans in the 71,000-capacity stadium, raising questions about:

• High ticket prices deterring local supporters
• Minimal local marketing efforts
• Unfavorable 3pm weekday kickoff time
• Competition from other local events

The poor turnout is particularly surprising given Atlanta's strong soccer culture, with Atlanta United regularly attracting over 44,000 fans for MLS matches.

What's Next?

Chelsea face Brazilian giants Flamengo in Philadelphia on Friday (19:00 BST), while LAFC take on ES Tunis in Nashville (23:00). The group stage concludes next Tuesday with Chelsea vs Tunis and LAFC vs Flamengo.

BBC Sport has contacted FIFA for comment regarding the attendance issues.