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After a 2-1 win over Club America in their pre-season opener, Chelsea took on Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC on Wednesday night (July 20).
The match came close to being canceled due to bad weather, but eventually, after a 65-minute delay, the ball rolled at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Blues pushed hard to outplay their opponents, but Charlotte were having none of it. They held Chelsea level at 1-1 at the end of regulation time and then beat them 5-3 on penalties.
Thomas Tuchel fielded a strong XI in the first half, with the likes of Reece James, Jorginho, and Hakim Ziyech starting. The west London outfit looked confident in possession, passed the ball around with ease, and made inroads into the opposition third quite easily.
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In the eighth minute, Michy Batshuayi set Mateo Kovacic up for a shot from outside the box. The Croatian took the chance well, but saw his effort get saved by Charlotte FC keeper Kristijan Kahlina. Eleven minutes later, Karol Swiderski took the fight to the Blues, drawing an impressive save from Edouard Mendy in the bottom-right corner.
Chelsea finally got the goal they were hunting for in the 30th minute, with Christian Pulisic finding the back of the net from close range. The goal increased Chelsea’s confidence and they came close to extending their lead a couple more times in the remainder of the first half. But opposition keeper Kahlina was in imperious form and kept his side in the game.
Tuchel swapped out all the outfield players at half-time, allowing Raheem Sterling to make his first appearance for the Blues. The rotation, however, took its toll, costing the English giants the momentum they had in the first half.
Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher, and Sterling all had chances to put the game to bed but failed to increase Chelsea's tally. Charlotte, who enjoyed a much better second half, ultimately equalized through Daniel Rios in the second minute of added time. With the match level (1-1) at the end of regulation time, it went straight to penalties.
The hosts converted all their kicks while Gallagher missed his, thus sealing a memorable win for the Major League Soccer outfit.
Here are two of the Blues’ stars who performed and three who disappointed in their second pre-season encounter ahead of the 2022-23 season:
Underperformed: Kai Havertz
Introduced in the second half, Kai Havertz had a rather quiet outing on Wednesday night.
The German, who replaced Michy Batshuayi, looked a little clueless up top and struggled to get into threatening areas.
Except for playing Sterling through with a lobbed through ball in the 84th minute, Havertz made no notable contribution.
A disappointing game by one of the most talented players in the Blues’ squad.
Performed: Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling made his Chelsea debut in the second half against Charlotte. He joined the Blues from rivals Manchester City for a whopping €56.2 million fee earlier in the month.
One of the finest forwards of the era, Sterling was like a live wire on the pitch, doing all he could to help his new team.
Sterling won three free-kicks, made some clever runs during counterattacks, and drew an excellent save from second-half goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega.
The England international was also confident with his penalty kick, calmly slotting his effort into the bottom-left corner.
Underperformed: Reece James
One of the best right-backs in the world, Reece James was not at his best against the team from uptown Charlotte, North Carolina.
Due to Chelsea’s morphing backline (three-man to four-man), James did not look as confident on the ball as he generally does.
Apart from winning three free-kicks in the first half, James did not do much of note. His clever crosses were missing and his pressing was also below par.
The England international probably needs a few more training sessions to get out of his holiday mood.
Performed: Christian Pulisic
Christian Pulisic was arguably Chelsea’s best player at the Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday night.
Playing on home soil, the USA international looked determined to make a statement. He got the opportunity to do so in the 30th minute when Batshuayi’s deflected shot fell his way.
Pulisic still had a bit of work to do, though, and he commendably kept his cool to tuck the ball home from close range.
Pulisic also played a key pass and came close to adding another goal to his tally in the 34th minute.
Underperformed: Conor Gallagher
Following an impressive loan spell at Crystal Palace, Conor Gallagher has returned to Chelsea.
He was splendid against Club America last week, but could not quite add to it with another impressive display against Charlotte.
The Englishman had some nice touches after coming on in the second half, but his misses ended up hurting the team. He had a great opportunity to score in the 78th minute, but his tame effort from the center of the box was saved by Sisniega.
Gallagher then fluffed his lines during the penalty shootout, hitting it straight at the keeper. The botched penalty ultimately turned out to be the decider in the pre-season friendly.
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