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Okay so yesterday I got sucked into thinking about that Club America versus Chelsea friendly everyone’s buzzing about. Ended up spending way too much time digging into possible lineups and what each coach might try. Thought I’d share the chaos that went down in my notebook.
Starting Point: The Squad Lists
First thing I did was pull up the projected squads from a few sites, trying to see who’s actually travelling and who’s nursing hangovers or whatever. For Club America, it was messy. Seems like they might rotate heavy? I saw names like Reyes, Caceres, Zendejas. But honestly, predicting Liga MX lineups weeks out feels like guessing lottery numbers. I just scribbled down the usual suspects based on recent league games.
Chelsea’s side was… slightly less confusing? New manager means wildcards though. I opened another tab for their pre-season tour squad. Names like Sterling, James, Thiago Silva obviously jumped out. But then youngsters like Casadei, Humphreys are there too. And Kepa! Still hanging around.
- Club America Guesses (442ish): Malagon; Reyes, Caceres, Lara, Campos; Fidalgo, Dos Santos; Valdes, Zendejas; Martin, Quinones. Shrug Could be totally wrong.
- Chelsea Guesses (343ish): Kepa; Humphreys (or Chalobah?), Silva, Colwill; James, Casadei, Hall, Chilwell; Sterling, Broja, Angelo. Pulisic? Nah, gone. Havertz? Gone. Mount? Gone. Weird times.
Messing With Shapes
Next part is where I started doodling like mad. Posed Club America in a pretty standard 4-4-2 block. They’re physical, they’ll try compact lines, hit on the counter through those quick wingers – Zendejas especially. Probably invite Chelsea on, see if the new Blues can break them down. Basic but effective.
For Chelsea, I know Pochettino loves that high press, energetic 4-2-3-1, but looking at that squad list… man, it’s thin. So I shifted shapes and sketched a 3-4-3. Back three with Silva anchoring. Wing-backs absolutely crucial – Reece James bombing down that right side is automatic. Who plays central midfield beside maybe Casadei? That bit looked scary. Maybe Hall drops deeper? Maybe Chukwuemeka?
Trying To Guess The Mind Games
Here’s what I think America does:
- Park the bus early. Stay compact, frustrate.
- Boot the ball long for Martin or Quinones to chase.
- Exploit wide areas on the counter, especially Chelsea’s left if Chilwell isn’t fit/sharp or they play a kid.
- Set pieces. Always set pieces.
And Chelsea?
- Dominate possession. Obviously.
- High press to win the ball early in America’s half. Gotta test their keeper and defence under pressure.
- Get Sterling isolated 1v1. Him against Reyes? Wheels vs wheels.
- Wing-backs provide ALL the width. Like, seriously, they have to.
- Try not to concede a dumb counter or set piece goal. Easier said than done.
The “Duh” Conclusions
By this point my page looked like a toddler attacked it. What did I figure out? Not a lot Chelsea are still figuring out who half these guys are, so expecting perfect tactics is dumb. Club America have played together more but it’s a friendly, they won’t die for it. Chelsea should win on paper, but paper means nothing.
My main takeaway? It’s gonna be chaotic. Probable Chelsea possession, probable America counters, probable weird subs, and definitely mistakes. Watch Reece James try to run the show. Watch Thiago Silva organize teenagers. Watch Henry Martin try to bully someone. Grab snacks, enjoy the mess, and don’t take “best tactics” too seriously – it’s July, it’s a cash grab, it’s just for fitness and it’s just money.