

Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez's goals got the Blues off to a good start in a competitive clash against one of the three qualified MLS teams. New signing Liam Delap made his debut as a substitute and helped set up Fernandez's strike, with Chelsea hoping to go far after their UEFA Conference League triumph and Champions League qualification, looking to re-establish themselves among the elite.
After a solid start to the tournament regarding attendance numbers over the opening weekend, a sparse crowd of just over 22,000 settled in at the stylish 71,000 capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Behind former Tottenham Hotspur stopper Hugo Lloris' goal in the first half, a couple of hundred LAFC 'ultras' helped provide an atmosphere with a drum beat and constant song.
Although the closed stadium roof offered refuge from the Georgia humidity and mid-afternoon summer, the attendance suffered badly because of the 3:00 pm local time kick-off.