Another beautiful evening of soccer in Atlanta is in the books, as two titans of club football met for the FC Series at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday. Club America and Chelsea brought the crowds and the noise and turned the stadium yellow and blue before battling it out on the pitch. After an entertaining 90 minutes, it would be Chelsea that left the victors 3-0 in another tune-up for Enzo Maresca’s Blues. Here are the final whistle thoughts from the Benz!
Atmosphere
Atlanta United fans are well aware of the chaotic vibes Club America supporters bring to matches, having played them in Campeones Cup in 2019 and Champions League in 2020. Chelsea are no strangers to the Benz, either, as they last visited in the summer of 2023 for the Premier League Summer Series. Both fanbases collided to create an enjoyable, loud atmosphere in the Benz for the two clubs’ fourth all-time meeting.
As expected, it would be Club America’s fans who brought the majority and kept the music vibing for the full 90 minutes, but there was no lack of Chelsea blue throughout the seats. Atlanta’s worldwide soccer pedigree continues to grow as nights like these help prove not only why Atlanta was chosen as a World Cup host city, but also why U.S. Soccer has made their home here. These games always hold respectable attendance numbers and the fans are second to none.
Robert Sanchez
Why call out a player in what is essentially an international friendly? The way Enzo Maresca has this iteration of Chelsea playing – in its fledgling stage – involves a disciplined press when defending and a risky game of patience in the attack, starting with their keeper. Sanchez focuses on drawing in players and remaining steadfast in and around his box before playing it out of the pressure and allowing Chelsea’s speedy players to slice through the midfield with tons of space.
It isn’t perfect yet, but in three subsequent attacks, Robert Sanchez was able to hold steady against an impatient Club America side and play through them, each leading to a dangerous moment or shot in the attacking third.
That being said, Chelsea had many moments of sloppiness and poor passing sequences, leading to multiple turnovers. In the Premier League, they’ll get absolutely torn apart if they make similar mistakes. This was a preseason match, though, and Maresca’s ideas are visible.
The press
Club America struggled against the early Chelsea pressure, which directly resulted in Chelsea’s second goal. The inverse, however, is when Chelsea got tired, their press was ineffective and America began to create opportunities. They weren’t clinical enough to best Chelsea’s defense, but they showed a better account of themselves than the scoreline represented. Why does this matter at all?
Club America is coming into Leagues Cup soon, and they looked truly concerned against a well-constructed press. Weaker MLS and Liga MX opposition could take note as a way to potentially cause America problems when they enter the fray. That doesn’t mean they’ll roll over, but there’s certainly a weakness to be exploited.
If you were at the Benz or watching at home, let us know what you thought of the match!
I truly believe these columns should be renamed “The First Touch.”
I didn’t get to see it. Was the Benz full?
It wasn’t completely full, about half of the top deck was open but I’d estimate about 45k in seats. There was in influx of last minute ticket sales before kick