Bosnia And Herzegovina
Burkina Faso
Czech Republic
Indonesia
International Tournaments
South Korea

Preview: Chelsea vs. Club America - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 14 July 2022, 16:43
Chelsea will begin their preparations for the new campaign with a pre-season friendly against Mexican outfit Club America on Saturday night.

The Blues are building towards their 2022-23 Premier League opener against Everton, but America have already started their new season, picking up four points from their first three matches to sit sixth in the table.

Match preview

Chelsea won the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup last season, but they suffered disappointment in the FA Cup and EFL Cup finals, losing to Liverpool on both occasions, while the capital giants finished third in the Premier League and were knocked out by Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The Blues are now preparing for the 2022-23 campaign, and they will take on Club America and Charlotte FC in their opening two friendlies of the summer before facing Arsenal in the Florida Cup on July 23.

Thomas Tuchel's side will then tackle Udinese on July 29 before opening their Premier League campaign with a trip to Everton on August 6, while their first home game of the new season is against London rivals and potential fellow top-four challengers Tottenham Hotspur on August 14.

Chelsea recently confirmed Raheem Sterling as their first arrival of the summer, and it is believed that Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly could soon become the team's second signing of the window.

Romelu Lukaku has returned to Inter Milan on loan for the 2022-23 season, while Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen have left on free transfers, so there is work to do to boost the squad in the coming weeks.

As for America, the Mexican giants have won their domestic title on 13 separate occasions, which is a record, placing them one ahead of Guadalajara when it comes to championships.

The Eagles started their 2022-23 domestic campaign on July 3, playing out a goalless draw with Atlas before suffering a 3-2 defeat to Monterrey in their second match one week later.

America did manage to pick up their first three points of the season against Toluca last time out, though, with Richard Sanchez netting the winner in the 93rd minute.

Fernando Ortiz's side will face Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid in friendlies this month, with their next league contest coming against Tijuana on July 24, so the squad will need to be carefully balanced over the next couple of weeks to deal with their pre-season commitments.

Millonetas brought in five new players ahead of the new season, with the standout addition being Uruguay international Jonathan Rodriguez, who joined in a £5m deal from Al-Nassr.

Chelsea form (all competitions):

Club America form (all competitions):

Team News

Chelsea boss Tuchel is likely to hand a debut to Sterling following his recent arrival, although it seems likely that the England international will be used off the bench.

The Blues have a strong squad over in America, with the likes of Kai Havertz, Edouard Mendy, Reece James, Thiago Silva, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic potentially starting this contest.

Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour are two players that will be hoping to impress Tuchel enough to secure first-team roles at Stamford Bridge during the 2022-23 campaign.

Ben Chilwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi are also in the squad, having recovered from their injury problems.

However, there is no N'Golo Kante or Ruben Loftus-Cheek for the Blues, with the midfield duo missing the tour due to their COVID-19 vaccination status.

America boss Ortiz will make changes from the side that started their 1-0 win over Toluca on Wednesday, with Jurgen Damm, Bruno Valdez and Francisco Garcia all in line for spots in the XI.

There will be a host of changes throughout the contest, with a number of young players also expected to be given opportunities to impress over the course of the match.

Henry Martin led the line in the team's last league game, but he could drop to the bench here, with Roman Martinez potentially featuring at the tip of the attack.

Chelsea possible starting lineup:

Mendy; James, Sarr, T Silva, Chilwell; Jorginho, Kovacic, Gallagher; Pulisic, Havertz, Werner

Club America possible starting lineup:

Ochoa; J Sanchez, Lara, Valdez, Fuentes; Fidalgo, Sanchez; F Garcia, Valdes, Damm; Martinez

We say: Chelsea 2-1 Club America

America should be in the superior shape for this match, having already started their league campaign, while Chelsea have not been in action since beating Watford on the final weekend of the 2021-22 Premier League season. That said, we are expecting the Blues to shade a close contest on Saturday night.

Previews by email
Show more

Top News

9 February 2025 talksport.com Jose Mourinho not-so subtly took aim at Galatasaray after their opponents stunningly walked off the pitch following a controversial penalty. 9 February 2025 talksport.com An unruly fan almost incurred the wrath of Dion Dublin during the half-time break of Aston Villa's 2-1 win over Tottenham in the FA Cup. 9 February 2025 talksport.com Rangers have sunk to an unthinkable low as a botched stoppage time penalty sealed a 1-0 loss to Queen's Park at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Stuttering league leaders Walsall will aim to rediscover their spark when they welcome Gillingham for their rescheduled matchday 16 encounter in League Two. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong could reportedly perform a U-turn on his future and sign a new contract with the Blaugrana amid links with Liverpool. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have joined Chelsea, Manchester City and Leeds United in an unwanted FA Cup club with their shock 1-0 loss to Plymouth Argyle in the fourth round. 9 February 2025 talksport.com Nikola Katic put in a monster man-of-the-match performance to dump out Liverpool in the FA Cup. 9 February 2025 talksport.com Liverpool's hopes of winning a historic quadruple were shattered by a shock defeat to Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Plymouth Argyle produced the shock of the FA Cup so far after they beat Liverpool 1-0 at Home Park on Sunday, eliminating the Premier League leaders. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid defender Lucas Vazquez has been ruled out of Tuesday's Champions League knockout round playoff first leg against Manchester City due to "a muscle injury in the hamstring of his left leg". 9 February 2025 talksport.com Cristiano Ronaldo's former teammate got more than he bargained for after being hit by a bottle while celebrating a goal. 9 February 2025 talksport.com Lamine Yamal's life over the last 12 months have changed radically, so it's no surprise he's also doing that to others. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea are reportedly confident that they will pip London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the signing of Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi in the summer. 9 February 2025 talksport.com Kylian Mbappe wrote his name into the football history books with a landmark strike against Atletico Madrid. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly back in the running for Feyenoord's David Hancko, whom they were tipped to sign when Arne Slot first took charge. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal could allegedly be offered the chance to sign Liverpool attacker Diogo Jota in a shock deal during the summer transfer window. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Frequent foes in the French top flight, Paris Saint-Germain and Brest swap Ligue 1 for the Champions League on Tuesday evening, colliding in the first leg of their playoff tie at the Stade Francis-Le Ble. 9 February 2025 talksport.com Jamie Carragher and his son, James, have both reportedly been granted Maltese citizenship. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk At risk of suffering an unwanted first in the Champions League, Juventus host PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their playoff battle on Tuesday evening. 9 February 2025 talksport.com Conor Bradley has similar attributes to legendary Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard when he was an up and coming prospect. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Still winless in the Champions League since the departure of Ruben Amorim, Sporting Lisbon welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Estadio Jose Alvalade for Tuesday's playoff first leg. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United were reportedly willing to pay €70m (£58m) to sign Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez during the January transfer window, but the Spaniard made it clear that he was not interested in leaving Hansi Flick's side. 9 February 2025 talksport.com Lionel Messi doesn't need to play in front of his own supporters to get a standing ovation. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has acknowledged that his side missed the presence of Nicolas Jackson during Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United midfielder Casemiro could reportedly complete a move to Turkey's Super Lig before the country's winter transfer window closes on Tuesday. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has a few disciplinary concerns to worry about ahead of Tuesday's Champions League playoff first leg with Manchester City at the Etihad. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne will be bidding for a slice of history when the Citizens host Real Madrid in Tuesday's Champions League playoff first leg. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Five Real Madrid players are at risk of suspension heading into Tuesday's Champions League clash with Manchester City. 9 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk The last two winners of the Champions League must now fight for their right to qualify for the last 16 of the 2024-25 edition, as Manchester City and Real Madrid collide in Tuesday's colossal first leg at the Etihad. 9 February 2025 talksport.com Brandon Barker once 'destroyed' Trent Alexander-Arnold but the now free agent is gunning to play football again.