Charlotte FC vs Chelsea highlights: Late Rios penalty cancels out early Pulisic opener
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On the opposite end of the spectrum, Charlotte are in the middle of an intense playoff race in their inaugural MLS season so a friendly could serve as a nice change of pace for the team. However, in addition to the focus on having fun, the team is also approaching it as a learning experience. It will be another historic night in the Queen City, as Charlotte FC host and play against European giant Chelsea FC. The Blues are touring the USA as part of their preseason preparations for the approaching Premier League season. USMNT star Pulisic opened the scoring in the 30th minute after seizing on a blocked effort from Michy Batshuayi, while Sterling showed impressive flashes after coming on at the start of the second half. Christian Pulisic scored but was unable to prevent a Chelsea defeat against Major League Soccer side Charlotte as Thomas Tuchel's team lost on penalties after drawing 1-1.
Charlotte FC shock Premier League's Chelsea with PK victory in friendly MLSSoccer.com - MLSsoccer.com
Charlotte FC shock Premier League's Chelsea with PK victory in friendly MLSSoccer.com.
Posted: Thu, 21 Jul 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
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First-year manager Dean Smith’s club beat NYCFC 1-0 at home to open the season. Charlotte FC prepare for the second half of the MLS seasonon the verge of reaching the playoffs in their first season, which would makethem the eighth MLS franchise to accomplish that feat. Charlotte’s six homewins are tied for the most by any Eastern Conference team with New York City FCand tied for second league-wide. Charlotte is in league play sincesuffering a 2-1 loss to Orlando City in late April, a stretch that included awin over the East’s top team New York Red Bulls and the club’s first away winagainst the Houston Dynamo. While the achievements of Charlotte FC and Chelsea FC may differ in terms of scale and historical significance, both clubs have laid the groundwork for success in their respective leagues.
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American international Christian Pulisic got 45 minutes against Club America in Las Vegas on Saturday, coming on at halftime, and he starts from the get-go here in Charlotte. The USMNT star is fighting for a place in the crowded Chelsea attack, with the likes of Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Mason Mount, and Michy Batshuayi all vying for minutes. It's Ziyech to begin opposite Pulisic, with Batshuayi through the middle.
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However it was a more fragmented display by the Premier League side than before the break. Charlotte generated some chances, though, and a great opportunity presented itself with an out-swinging cross to the back post that was headed into the ground and expertly saved by Mendy. The constant Chelsea pressure finally broke the Charlotte defense in the 30th minute with a goal from Captain America.
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Still, the spread is just 1.5 goals, indicating that while many expect Chelsea to emerge victoriously, there is respect for the fight Charlotte are expected to put up. In contrast, Inter Miami was a 2.5 goal underdog against Barcelona before losing by six. In the United States, the match can be streamed on ESPN's exclusive streaming service ESPN+ which requires a subscription.
No word on the Chelsea lineup either, the team has not given an update since the initial Starting XI was posted then deleted on social media. Marcos Alonso and Hudson-Odoi are the wing-backs for Chelsea, while Reece James and Emerson play center-back flanking Thiago Silva. Pulisic had been quiet before the goal, with Chelsea choosing to attack mostly down the right. Still, the American seems to be always in the right place at the right time inside the 18-yard box. Charlotte’s win came after suffering a 3-2 defeat at Inter Miami CF last weekend, allowing three unanswered goals after Yordy Reyna gave them a 2-0 lead in the first half.
Charlotte fans were ecstatic and celebrated the biggest win for their club, although it functionally means nothing. Most of the players comprising the second half changes were players who were somewhat or outright competing to prove their worth to the manager and make their role in the squad established. They mostly failed to do so and likely suggested that they may not be quite ready to take the next step up based solely on the 45-minute input in Charlotte. This should be caveated by stating that the heavy rotation Tuchel employed for the second half may have been too many changes at the same time.
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But the momentum shifted when defender Trevoh Chalobah handled a shot from Charlotte's Brian Romero in added time for a penalty, before Daniel Rios slotted past Edouard Mendy. A ball over the top gave Michy another chance to shoot soon after but after the Belgian’s run took him inside the centre-back, the highly rated Kristijan Kahlina made a good save. Charlotte could have done better with an opportunity of their own before the interval. Conor Gallagher shoots across goal and the ball nearly falls to Raheem Sterling at the far post.
Sterling... so close!
There are more than 30,000 parking spaces within a minute walk of the stadium. Parking operators lease parking spaces on a match-by-match or seasonal basis near Bank of America Stadium. With just over 15 minutes to play, it took a near-post save to prevent Mason Mount adding to his winner from Saturday’s game, and Gallagher rather scuffed an attempt when he ran onto a Kenedy ball. There would be a far cleaner strike by Sterling on the run but the substitute keeper’s outstretched leg kept it out at the near post. On the debit side, Pulisic picked up an early yellow card for sliding through onto the shin of Jan Sobocinski, before Charlotte had their first chance. Yordy Reina was the striker of the ball and his shot took a deflection on the way to bouncing off the far Chelsea post.
As a rapidly growing city with a passionate fan base, Charlotte was a natural choice for MLS expansion. The announcement of Charlotte FC’s birth sent shockwaves through the soccer community, sparking excitement and anticipation for what was to come. From their first encounter to the most recent showdowns, we’ll uncover the thrilling highs, heart-wrenching lows, and everything in between. Get ready to relive the nail-biting goals, controversial decisions, and unforgettable matches that have defined the Charlotte FC vs. Chelsea FC timeline.
That set the stage for PKs, where Charlotte scored all five of their attempts and a viral social media moment ensued when Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher’s Panenka-style shot was easily saved by goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega. NYCFC was coming off back-to-back 2-0 victories over the New England Revolution and D.C. The club played to two straight draws before that after dropping four of five matches to begin the season under third-year manager Nick Cushing. Charlotte has yet to win on the road this season and was coming off its first home loss, a 3-0 setback at the hands of Minnesota United that ended a 14-match unbeaten stretch at home in all competitions dating to last season.
The match itself was encouraging to start—from a Chelsea supporter perspective—as the midfield controlled ball progression and overall supported the attack enough to keep constant pressure on Charlotte’s defense. Particularly effective players earlier on seemed to be Ziyech with a few dribbles through and Pulisic looked more than up for the match in his home country. James was lively, and Alonso got forward with ease from his left wingback role early on. This massively played into Chelsea’s favor and the impact the two center midfielders have within Tuchel’s was apparent.
In his pre-match press conference, Thomas Tuchel would not be drawn on who would play in this match, but he did give a few hints. It was thought likely based on Tuchel's comments that fans will see new signing Raheem Sterling from the opening whistle, but he starts on the bench, still likely to get into the match at halftime. It's too early for new defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who joined just days ago, to make an appearance. Attendance is announced at 52,673 - a great crowd on hand for this match.
Edouard Mendy was given his first match action of pre-season as part of the starting line-up and Pulisic, in his homeland, was also in the 11 that began the game. Only Thiago Silva and Hakim Ziyech were in the first-half side for both the Club America game at the weekend and this one. An equaliser from the penalty spot in the last seconds of open play, followed by a shoot-out that did not go the Blues way, denied us what looked set to be a second win of our USA-based pre-season.
The Blues are set to play their second of three matches, having defeated Club America, and have a clash against Arsenal coming at the weekend. Thomas Tuchel's squad have been based in Orlando since departing Los Angeles and will make the trip to Charlotte solely for their fixture before heading back to Orlando for training and the last match. Although this penalty was the final whimper from an uninspiring performance, positives were still there. Martínez used a crossing pass from Kevin O’Toole to send a right-footed shot from the center of the box to the bottom left corner of the net.
The Belgian's effort was blocked but it fell perfectly to Pulisic who was left with a simple finish. Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic's link-up has been good this evening. Pulisic goes close to getting his second after a sublime cross from Ziyech but the American cannot get enough on it. It is set to be a very different game second-half with loads of changes on the way. Charlotte win 5-3 on penalties as Kamil Jozwiak finds the back of the net. As you can imagine, Chelsea are heavy favorites against Charlotte FC, especially after how badly Barcelona dismantled fellow MLS side Inter Miami just the night before.
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