LAFC, a team playing in the Major League Soccer (MLS), is rated much lower than Chelsea, as the two teams are about to meet at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Chelsea is a giant team in the Premier League, having just won the UEFA Conference League 2024-2025.
"We have nothing to lose, especially against an opponent like Chelsea. We want to have a truly competitive match, want to give our all, even when we know our opportunities are really weak. We just want the fans and the team to be proud of us, said Hugo Lloris, who signed for LAFC in 2024.
Lloris said LAFC must "keep a high level of concentration" in the match against Chelsea. The former Tottenham goalkeeper said the pace of the game would be higher than in the MLS.
Los Angeles coach Steve Cherundolo said that veterans Lloris and former Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud, who also won the World Cup with France in 2018, have given him a lot of advice for his youth team.
According to Steve, Lloris and Giroud have brought leadership to LAFC, through concrete actions, not simply words. With experience in top-level competition in England, these two veterans bring a lot of useful knowledge about LAFC's opponents, including Chelsea.
The American coach said his team was fully prepared for Enzo Maresca's Chelsea challenge. We will prepare and plan for everything that can happen in the match, he said.
LAFC qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup with a dramatic win in the play-off against Mexico's Club America to replace Club Leon, a team banned by FIFA for violating regulations on ownership of many clubs.
"It's a pleasure to be here and we don't consider it a challenge or an obstacle. This is a real big opportunity for LAFC, Steve Cherundolo said.
The Chelsea vs Los Angeles FC match will take place at 2:00 a.m. on June 17. In Group D, there are also two teams, Flamengo (Brazil) and Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia).
