On Monday, Club World Cup sees LateComers, Los Angeles FC, compete against the UEFA Conference League winners, Chelsea, in an intriguing match-up in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
After Club Leon was not allowed in the tournament due to rules for double ownership, Lafc and Club America disputed a play-off on 31 May, with the MLS side that 2-1 (AET) against the Mexican giant Triumphing.
Chelsea remains favorites for the victory of the opening day
With just two weeks to prepare for a potentially debilitating tournament that comes in the middle of their domestic season, Steve Cherundolo and his Lafc -side will clearly have to hit the ground that runs against the blues before they are confronted with their other opponents in group D, Tunis and Flamengo.
The West Londoners will enter the competition as big favorites, and in Cole Palmer Chelsea have a potential match winner.
Cole Palmer's statistics for 2024/25flash score
Since his debut in 2023, only Liverpool's Mo Salah and the Erling Haaland from Man City are involved in more target contributions than Palmer's 66 (40 goals, 26 assists).
Although the second half of the 2024/25 season was not the best for the English international – only three goals in the calendar year and only one after January 14 (as well as two assists) – Palmer came well at the League Final Conference Final, where he became the first player to become two assists in a European final for an English club for an English club for an English club for an English club for an English club for an English club for an English club for an English club for an English club for an English club.
His quality is not in doubt, but he still has a point to prove all the doubters in this tournament.
Cole Palmer is not the only threat to Chelsea
However, if Lafc focuses too much on the influence that Palmer will have at stake, they run the risk of being overthrowed by people like Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson et al.
Although there are undoubtedly more levels for the side of Enzo Maresca to strive for, Chelsea already showed many occasions last season that they are a difficult proposition among Italian.
Chelsea players train for the UEFA Conference League Finalčtk / Image Sportfotodienst / Maciej Rogowski
In their last eight games in all competitions, only Newcastle succeeded in scoring against them more than once, with Chelsea aimlessly held their opponents in 10 of their last 18 games.
Moises Caicedo restored the possession on no fewer than 229 occasions, the most player in the Premier League, so if the MLS outfit wants to make an indoor road during the game, they have the difficult task of insulating the Ecuadorian, or just fighting fire with fire -no easy task will attest.
Giroud has another chance to improve a bad record
Olivier Giroud will certainly be grateful for the chance to put some spirits from the past in this game.
The Frenchman, who played for the blues from 2018 to 2021, and who has always been aware of the goal during his career, is never really going in terms of goals when it comes to playing against the Stamford Bridge outfit.
Indeed, in 16 games against Chelsea he scored a lonely goal – for Arsenal in February 2017 – and the West Londers remain the only team he played at least 10 times and scored two or more goals.
In Denis Bouanga, Lafc has another player with a European pedigree and someone who has already been to the goals this season. His eight (plus four assists) in 15 games make him one to watch, and with 27 goals in all games last season, Chelsea ignores him at their danger.
Former goalkeeper Tottenham Hotspur, Hugo Lloris, is an ex-prime minister League-Aas who gets the chance to renew an old rivalry, and certainly nothing will give the French world cup winner greater than one at a club where he is confronted in his career to date.
Lafc also has important MLS tasks to attend
Since Van Chelsea is expected to win the group, they will have to watch against complacency, and if they get the knockout rounds, Maresca gets the chance to make his mind against some of the best clubs in the world.
Whether a team that still pops up, has enough to go all the way to the final and possibly winning the trophy is a dispute; However, they will clearly have such a good chance as any other in that phase.
Beyond the group stage, it will offer a financial reward for Lafc, but with matches against Vancouver, Austin, Colorado and FC Dallas even before the club world cup final is played, missing may not be the worst in the world.
MLS remains their bread and butter, and nine points of the leadership in the Western Conference is a significant reason not to be exaggerated by an early exit of the CWC.
Lafc's Next Farsturesflash score
From FIFA's own point of view, a spectacle in line with the PSG vs Atletico game would be much more preferred than the 10-0 hammering that was distributed by Bayern Munich to Auckland City, because that kind of one-sided affair does not give the club World Cup in credibility.
Jason Pettigroveflash score