Chelsea and Liverpool treated American fans
to a showdown between two of the heavyweights of European soccer in the
International Champions Cup on Wednesday. However, the meeting in the
Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, was more of a defensive clash than a
display of offensive beauty.
Chelsea beat Liverpool 1-0 courtesy of a Gary Cahill header in the first half in what was the opening 2016 ICC game for each side. Blues goalkeeper Asmir Begovic and his defense proved to be the story of the game, though, and the Reds never found a way to break through after conceding the early goal.
It may have just been a preseason contest that won't affect the Premier League table in the upcoming season, but the teams' defenses kept the offenses in check with a dose of physical play. In all, there were six yellow cards and even a red, which underscored the fact it wasn't exactly a "friendly" contest.
Despite the loss, Liverpool finished with 65 percent of the possession and often dictated the tempo, per ESPN FC, but it wasn't enough to beat the Londoners' back line.
It didn't take long for Chelsea to seize the early momentum. The Blues converted in the 10th minute, when Cahill buried a beautiful header into the bottom-right corner of the net from Cesc Fabregas' ideally placed corner kick. The Rose Bowl Stadium captured the game's only goal:
