Club World Cup: LAFC "proud of the effort" against Chelsea | OneFootball

By J. Sam Jones

ATLANTA – LAFC were up for the challenge.

They may not have scored in a 2-0 loss to one of the world's highest-spending clubs, but they stood their ground in Monday's Group D opener at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

That was especially true in the second half at Atlanta United's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

On the biggest stage they’ve ever been on, LAFC held their own.

“We competed,” midfielder Mark Delgado said post-game. “And we can definitely have chances as long as we stay together and we believe in what we can do.”

Playing fearless

There was no confusion before or during the match about LAFC's underdog status. Head coach Steve Cherundolo admitted as much in the lead-up to the game.

But LAFC never looked or played scared. There were plenty of moments where Chelsea flexed and showcased their quality, but the Black & Gold got stuck into tackles, put together decent spells of possession, attempted to hit on the break with some success and looked competitive.

They got into a brief dustup heading into the locker room at the break and then came out in the second half finding genuine chances. Chelsea had to put in real work to keep their advantage. Without hyperbole, you can say LAFC outplayed Enzo Maresca's side for notable periods as the game went along.

“It’s weird,” Delgado said. “Not winning, but still being proud of the whole group and putting up a good fight and competing out there and creating chances and actually having, you know, a bit of hope in the second half of getting one or two.

"Momentum shifted a bit. We made it a bit difficult for them. We definitely had a lot of chances that we felt like we created good moments. We just were very unlucky. But overall, proud of the effort.”

The odds of pulling out a result were always slim. Despite that, LAFC didn't coast. Sure, moral victories aren’t actual victories. No one is going to call the Black & Gold a Premier League-level contender after this.

But LAFC can and should keep their head held high.

Escapable group

Even with Monday's result, LAFC still have perhaps the best chance of any MLS team to advance out of their group. They’ll head up the road to Nashville SC's GEODIS Park on Friday to face ES Tunis in a match where the Black & Gold will be favored (6 pm ET | DAZN.com).

They’ll meet Brazilian giant Flamengo four days later in what could be an elimination match for the last spot out of Group D.

Those are tough but winnable matches. If they’re going to make it out, though, they’ll need to be cleaner on the ball.

“I think the opponent has a lot of quality on the other side of the field, and they were able to use that quality in at least two moments tonight to decide the game for them,” Cherundolo said. “But I think that the disappointing part of our performance, for me, was, I think, a little bit of in possession. I think we were a little unsure and sloppy in certain areas. And I think us taking care of the ball when in clear possession on the ball was not good enough, I think in the first half.

“I think the players adjusted to the speed of play fine in the second half. I think we had some really good moments going where just a little bit of lack of quality on the day was missing in order to get a goal. But overall, I think a performance we can build on, and we certainly need to build on it, because we have another opponent coming up next.”

Denis Bouanga had a Sisyphean task in front of him. He’s always going to be the focal point of LAFC’s attack and Chelsea – Reece James in particular – were keyed in on him from the jump.

Bouanga was stifled over and over again on his attempts to win duels against Premier League defenders. He largely stayed quiet, other than a pair of potentially game-changing moments that ended with key saves from Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez.

If LAFC are going to advance, they’ll need him to be a little – maybe a lot – sharper. They do have a new reinforcement that could help them out there, though.

Dilrosun’s debut delayed

LAFC acquired attacker Javairô Dilrosun on loan from LIGA MX powerhouse Club América last week, during the bonus Club World Cup transfer window allowed to participating teams. He’ll be with the team through July 24 at least, but LAFC have a purchase option.

Dilrosun wasn't even on the bench in this one, however. The 26-year-old Dutch forward could provide a spark the rest of the way as LAFC try to find their way out of their group. But we’ll have to wait a few more days before we get an idea of what kind of impact he can have.

3252 rolls deep

Beyond the result, one of the most well-traveled fan bases in MLS showed up in numbers again. A hundred-plus LAFC fans made the trip across the country to be at a match on a Monday afternoon.

“They were amazing,” Delgado said. “Honestly. They came out in a big group. We definitely noticed them and we definitely heard them the whole match.”

The 3252 traveled 2,179 miles for this one. It’s certainly not the first time they’ve made an impression far from home. They’ve developed a reputation for making themselves heard at any locale.

“I think it's just a passion that we have for the community,” said LAFC supporter Carlos Camaal. “We have a passion for the sport. We have a passion for the game. I mean, it's a beautiful game. You know, at the end of the day, no matter what, we're all in this together.

"We show unity in tough times. I know LA has been a little rough out there, but you know, we're here to support Los Angeles, to represent Los Angeles on the world stage.”