Charlotte FC vs. Chelsea result: Pulisic scores but plucky hosts win it in penalty shootout

Kyle Bonn

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Charlotte FC vs. Chelsea result: Pulisic scores but plucky hosts win it in penalty shootout image

Christian Pulisic scored on home soil, but Chelsea found the going tough against a determined and energized Charlotte FC.

The American took a lucky deflection and turned it into Chelsea’s only goal on the half-hour mark, securing the USMNT star a fine evening deployed as a No. 10.

Yet Charlotte FC left no breathing room for Chelsea midfielders, as interim head coach Christian Lattanzio engineered a positive home performance to make life difficult for the likes of Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz. “We were good for 80 meters of the pitch, but were not good enough in the final 20 meters,” said Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel after the match. “Today is on us, they showed courage and belief, man-marking us one-on-one. Whenever you give the stadium belief like we did anything can happen”

With the final kick of the game, 16-year-old Charlotte FC academy product Brian Romero won a penalty via a Trevoh Chalobah handball. That saw Daniel Rios strike from the spot and level the scoreline at 1-1. In these showcase friendlies, a “winner” is required, meaning the game went to a shootout.

All five Charlotte FC penalty takers scored, and goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega - the third keeper used by Charlotte in the match - saved a miserable Panenka attempt from Connor Gallagher that proved the difference.

Chelsea now head to Orlando, FL to face Arsenal in the club’s final tune-up of the summer.

The Sporting News followed the match live from Charlotte, NC to provide score updates, commentary and highlights as they happened.

MORE: The Sporting News brings you an exclusive look inside new MLS club Charlotte FC

Charlotte FC vs. Chelsea final score

  1H 2H Final
Charlotte FC 0 1 1
Chelsea 1 0 1

Goals:
30th min — CHE — Christian Pulisic
90+1 min — CLT — Daniel Rios (pen)

Charlotte FC vs. Chelsea live updates, highlights from friendly

PENALTY SHOOTOUT:

1st round: CLT — Rios (scores); CHE — Havertz (scores)
2nd round: CLT — Makoun (scores); CHE — Chilwell (scores)
3rd round: CLT — Walkes (scores); CHE — Gallagher (saved)
4th round: CLT — Mora (scores); CHE — Sterling (scores)
5th round: CLT — Joswiak (scores); CHE — xx

SHOOTOUT SCORE: Charlotte 5, Chelsea 3

Charlotte FC wins the match on penalties! Why, you ask? Why not! It's a wonderful moment for the home side who produced a fabulous 90 minutes and come out with a draw win. It's a pre-season friendly, but this will do wonders for the confidence of the players and the profile of Lattanzio.

FULL-TIME: Charlotte FC 1-1 Chelsea FC

It's an entertaining conclusion to an entertaining match. The hosts came to play and matched Chelsea toe-for-toe the entire way, sitting back and absorbing pressure when needed but also venturing forward on plenty of occasions.

And guess what...because these pre-season friendly matches come as part of a larger series...WE HAVE A PENALTY SHOOTOUT!

90+1 min: GOAL, CHARLOTTE! Finally, a reward for all the hard work by the hosts! An outstanding run by 16-year-old Brian Romero slicing through the penalty area, and his shot is blocked by the arm of Trevoh Chalobah. It's a clear penalty, and the official points to the spot.

Stepping up to take is Daniel Rios, and after Mendy is sent back to his line for some extra-curricular...HE SCORES! Bank of America Stadium goes berserk! It's a deserved equalizer for a host side that has matched Chelsea all evening.

84th min: Chance, Chelsea! Raheem Sterling again dazzles down the left, and he out-paces Walkes to the doorstep, but is stonewalled by another great stop for a Charlotte FC goalkeeper. This time, it's Sisniega who gets a leg out to shut down the near-post window for a great save.

79th min: Chance, Charlotte! Shinyashiki comes so close to an equalizer! The Charlotte FC super-sub rises high on a corner, and produces a bullet header, but it's agonizingly wide of the frame.

Raheem Sterling skins a man on a counter-attack down the other end, but can't get a shot off before he's dispossessed. Two more substitutes for Charlotte, as Chris Hegardt and Koa Santos come on.

78th min: Chance, Chelsea! It's a tragic miss from Gallagher! The short, square ball from his right was slightly behind, but the young Chelsea midfielder should do so much better, just weakly scuffing his shot into the arms of new goalkeeper Sisniega. That's one he'll want back.

74th min: Chance, Chelsea! Another INCREDIBLE save by a Charlotte FC goalkeeper, this time George Marks! The young goalkeeper stops an excellent effort by Mount. It's from point-blank range after a smart cross by Kenedy, and all Marks could do was make a reflex stop. Excellent job.

Attendance is announced at 52,673 - a great crowd on hand for this match. Coming on for Charlotte FC is Jordy Alcivar, who replaces McNeill. Also, Marks is replaced after his excellent save, with Pablo Sisniega coming into net. Christian Lattanzio said he wanted to get as many players on for this experience, and he's doing just that, with both Clemson graduates sacrificed.

69th min: Malang Sarr is a towering presence, and he rises high to meet a corner, but his header is into the bread basket of another recent Clemson graduate, George Marks.

Both Sterling and Mount are dropping very deep to help Chelsea build forward, which is stifling the Chelsea attack. Charlotte are up for this challenge.

64th min: Chance, Charlotte! What a job this second-half Charlotte side has done to go toe-to-toe with a Champions League power. The crowd ooh's and ahh's as the Charlotte midfield dances into and then out of pressure in midfield, with former Clemson star Quinn McNeill the most impressive. It results in a very close chance for Daniel Rios in front of net as a deflected cross floats just out of reach.

60th min: Charlotte will not go away, even with a completely new lineup. Kerwin Vargas wins a free-kick inches outside the top of the 18-yard box, going down under a heavy challenge. Vargas takes the set-piece himself, but blasts the shot well over. A good chance wasted, but Charlotte continue to have dangerous moments.

51st min: Chance, Chelsea! Havertz comes close! It's a great cross from Gallagher down the right, and it's just inches out of reach of Hzvertz. Ampadu then comes close with a weird effort on the follow-up but it's deflected behind for a corner.

46th min: As expected, wholesale changes for both sides as we start the second half. Chelsea, for the second straight match, swap out their entire Starting XI (except Mendy who remains in goal), with new frontman Raheem Sterling now on the field. Charlotte FC does the same, bringing on an entirely new XI, including the goalkeeper as former Clemson netminder George Marks gets a chance to shine.

Charlotte FC 2nd half lineup (4-3-3): Marks (GK) — Afful, Walkes, Makoun, Mora — Jones, McNeill, Joswiak — Shinyashiki, Rios, Vargas.

Chelsea 2nd half lineup (3-5-2): Mendy (GK) — Sarr, Colwill Chalobah — Chilwell, Ampadu, Mount, Gallagher, Kenedy — Sterling, Havertz.

HALFTIME: Charlotte FC 0-1 Chelsea

It's that man Christian Pulisic with the game's only goal, but the scoreline doesn't quite accurately reflect the play on the field. It was a very even first half that saw Charlotte show quality organization against some of the world's best players. For a short period before the goal, Charlotte actually looked the more likely team to score.

We'll see what changes are in store for the second half from both sides, but the first 45 minutes were entertaining, and the fans here in Charlotte got to see a goal from the USMNT captain.

43rd min: Ziyech lets fly with a speculative shot from deep, and it goes well over the bar. Game has devolved into a midfield battle as Charlotte is back to being tough to break down.

Thiago Silva puts in a poor tackle on Swiderski in midfield and concedes a foul, but takes the brunt of it physically as well. He needs treatment for what appears to be a hard whack to the head, but is ok and returns to his spot along the back line.

35th min: Chance, Chelsea! WHAT A SAVE by Kahlina! Michy Batshuayi was slotted through one-on-one, but as he looked to strike, a defender recovered, forcing him to take an additional touch. He did, freeing himself again, but Kahlina got just enough of a touch to send it skittering wide. Brilliant save!

Moments later, the Charlotte FC goalkeeper is forced to make another stop from a healthy effort by Marcos Alonso. He's standing on his head at the moment, Charlotte have broken down since the opener.

34th min: Chance, Chelsea! Pulisic almost has another! A Hakim Ziyech cross from deep down the left is right in Pulisic's path, but as he comes flying in with a karate kick, he just can't reach it. The mostly Chelsea crowd wanted that.

30th min: GOAL, CHELSEA! It had to be Christian Pulisic starting in his home country. Unlucky for Charlotte, as the American international pounced first on a broken play. Batshuayi created it through the middle, and his low shot deflected off Guzman right to Pulisic's feet. He couldn't miss with the goal gaping. Charlotte defenders wanted the offside flag but it never came.

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.

23rd min: Chance, Charlotte! Another near miss for the hosts! After a few Charlotte attackers let opportunities to shoot go, Yordy Reina lets fly and gets a healthy deflection off Reece James. Mendy could only watch as the ball curled towards goal, but clattered the corner of the woodwork and came out.

The crowd gives its loudest cheer yet, now very much into the match. This is well and truly a battle now. Chelsea supporters will be happy to have defensive reinforcements arriving soon.

And right on cue...

19th min: Chance, Charlotte! How did the hosts not score?? Fuchs sends in a glorious cross from the left, and Mendy misreads it, letting it go by him to Swiderski all alone at the far post. The ball bobbles up awkwardly, and as he heads it down, Mendy recovers and gets the slightest touch, barely keeping it out. There was a nervy second or two as the ball trickled towards the post but the goalkeeper's touch was effective enough.

17th min: An early yellow card comes out for Marcos Alonso after a weird scramble in the attacking penalty area. On the edge of the six-yard box, Alonso went to ground to try and poke the loose ball into the net, but he was late and cleated Sobocinski. The Polish defender needs treatment but is up after a delay.

13th min: The crowd has a chuckle as Swiderski nearly charges down Edouard Mendy on the ball, but Mendy cooly skips aside as the Polish striker flies by. A nervy moment for the Chelsea goalkeeper, but he handled the pressure with ease.

Down the other end, Fuchs picks Hudson-Odoi's pocket again.

11th min: Christian Fuchs still has it. He helps Charlotte get out of jail after a horrible pass from the goalkeeper almost let Chelsea in, then he blocks a Hudson-Odoi cross that deflects harmlessly into Kahlina's arms. Chelsea are attacking down the right flank early on, but Fuchs has so far been up to the challenge.

9th min: Chelsea continue to generate attacking pressure, but Charlotte are standing tall. Another shot from centrally is an easy collect for Charlotte goalkeeper Kahlina. Guzman Corujo has made a pair of excellent tackles on the end line to prevent crosses.

5th min: Chance, Chelsea! Chelsea create the game's first attacking third pressure, and Kovacic lets fly from the top of the penalty area. His shot is closed down and blocked by Jan Sobocinski. Chelsea come right back at it, and Callum Hudson-Odoi comes very close, fizzing a shot just wide of the right post.

3rd min: Christian Lattanzio's side has not backed down from this one early, pressuring the ball hard with every Chelsea touch. It results in a bad pass from Kovacic to Hudson-Odoi on the right flank. We'll see how long Charlotte FC can keep that up before Chelsea's athleticism takes advantage of tired legs.

1st min: At long last, we are UNDER WAY from Charlotte, NC! After a 65-minute weather delay, and with a crowd of fans still outside the stadium waiting to get in, the game has begun. Michy Batshuayi gets us going from the center circle.

Marcos Alonso and Hudson-Odoi are the wing-backs for Chelsea, while Reece James and Emerson play center-back flanking Thiago Silva.

+61 mins to kick: The new kickoff time is in just a few minutes as lineups are announced, but the seats at Bank of America Stadium are still very sparse. I went down to the gates to see the situation, and it's a nightmare. A massive herd of fans are stuck at the gates as ticket taking can't keep up. The stadium staff was handcuffed by the hour gate closure, and it shows.

+45 mins to kick: New Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield is in the house! Taking in the sights from his new home stadium.

+29 mins to kick: We have an official kickoff time of 8:35 p.m. ET, the clubs announce. As Fabrizio Romano would say, Here We Go! The Chelsea lineup, after being deleted off Twitter earlier, has also been re-posted and confirmed as it was initially. Pulisic remains a starter, with the awkward defensive configuration still in play.

+18 mins to kick: The rain has slowed to a light drizzle, and fans have finally been allowed back in their seats after an hour sequestered in the muggy, crowded concourse. The system has passed the stadium, and it appears the distance parameters for lightning strikes (usually either 5 or 7 miles) have been met. Charlotte FC has announced gates will reopen in a few minutes.

In another positive sign, the on-field countdown clock that was set for 30 minutes has just been knocked down to 20 minutes, and has begun to count down.

+1 mins to kick: Well, we've officially passed the initial kickoff time, with no word on the delay. There hasn't been a lightning strike for some time, but the 30-minute timer is sitting up on the scoreboard frozen without yet starting.

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.

22 mins to kick: Chelsea are not the only Premier League team in the United States dealing with inclement weather. Arsenal, set to take on another MLS side in Orlando City at 7:30 p.m. ET, is dealing with torrential rain at Exploria Stadium in Florida. They have delayed that game's kickoff to 8:15 (later pushed to 8:45).

Still no word on any potential delay here in Charlotte, but highly unlikely that it starts on time given lightning policies that require a 30 minute wait after every new lightning strike. Still, shouldn't last terribly long.

45 min to kick: The Charlotte FC lineup is finally out, after a bit of a delay, probably due to the staff being preoccupied with the weather. It's a very strong lineup for interim head coach Christian Lattanzio, essentially his full-strength Starting XI.

Leicester City's Christian Fuchs is in the lineup against a familiar foe, while young talent Ben Bender starts as well. Designated Player Karol Swiderski starts up front, with the electric Yordy Reyna alongside. Super-sub Andre Shinyashiki starts on the bench as he has for the last month-plus.

60 mins to kick: Chelsea lineup is in. American international Christian Pulisic is amongst the Starting XI for Thomas Tuchel, in a very strong lineup. We expected Raheem Sterling would start based on Tuchel's comments, but instead it's Michy Batshuayi up front to begin. Sterling will likely come in at halftime.

Also, there are four wing-backs in the lineup, so it's likely that Reece James and Emerson will line up alongside the lone natural center-back Thiago Silva in a back-three, with Callum Hudson-Odoi and Marcos Alonso will take up their wide positions.

62 mins to kick: With lineups imminent, the PA announcer has requested fans to exit their seats and head for the concourse due to impending weather. The sky has just turned inky black and the wind is whipping debris across the pitch. It's approaching fast, and will be ugly for a bit, but shouldn't last long (fingers crossed).

Let's hope it doesn't affect kickoff, but that depends on how fast the storm moves through. Either way, it'll be wet out there for the start of the match.

95 mins to kick: All eyes will be on the Chelsea attack today. There are only so many minutes to go around this season, even with the expanded substitutes in the Premier League this season. Thomas Tuchel admitted his forward room is jam packed, and he will be looking to establish some continuity on the field through the season to keep his best players in form. Solid preseason performances will go a long way for guys like Christian Puilsic, Hakim Ziyech, and Timo Werner towards solidifying a regular role.

112 mins to kick: Christian Pulisic is back in his home nation, and he's exploring sights throughout Chelsea's travel across the country. After the Club America match in Las Vegas, Chelsea have the Charlotte match plus another in Orlando against Arsenal before heading back home to London. All of that in eight days' time!

120 mins to kick: I am live on site in Charlotte to bring you all the action pre-match, during the game, and after the final whistle. Hope you can stick around!

Weather is glorious at the moment, but there are storms in the area potentially headed this way, so any weather updates will be in here as well.

Charlotte FC vs. Chelsea lineups

It's a very strong starting XI for the hosts, with former Leicester City stalwart Christian Fuchs leading the way at full-back. Designated Player Karol Swiderski begins up front, supported by young winger Yordy Reina. The only regulars not to appear from the opening whistle are Polish international Kamil Jozwiak, replaced by McKinzie Gaines on the right wing, and English center-back Anton Walkes, who is replaced by Jan Sobocinksi.

Charlotte FC interim head coach Christian Lattanzio said pre-match that "most of the lads, hopefully everyone, will get some minutes, for some 45 minutes and for some a little bit less" indicating that he will likely make wholesale changes at halftime.

Lattanzio also said that he has not ruled anyone out for the match, meaning everyone is theoretically available. It's likely a chance for young players like Ben Bender, George Marks, Quinn McNeill, and Christian Makoun who are fighting for consistent places to earn future playing time. Andre Shinyashiki, who has seen his playing time shrink under Lattanzio, will also see these minutes as critical for proving his worth as more than just a late substitute option.

Club captain Christian Fuchs will surely get a run-out, likely from the start, to give fans a look at the former Premier League player and to help the younger players stay strong against a talented opponent.

Charlotte FC starting lineup (4-3-3): Kahlina (GK) — Fuchs, Corujo, Sobocinski, Lindsey – Bronico, Bender, Ruiz – Reyna, Swiderski, Gaines.

Charlotte FC subs (15): Sisniega (GK), Marks (GK), Walkes, Makoun, Santos, Afful, Mora, Alcivar, Hegardt, McNeill, Jones, Romero, Santos, Shinyashiki, Vargas.

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.

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.

Marcos Alonso starts despite rumors of his imminent departure for Barcelona, while Cesar Azpilicueta, who also is thought to be heading to the Catalan club, begins on the bench. The defensive makeup is extremely wonky, with just Thiago Silva as the lone natural center-back. It remains to be seen how Reece James, Emerson, Alonso, and Callum Hudson-Odoi fit into the tactical makeup.

N'Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek did not travel due to their vaccination status, while Ross Barkley is injured. Kepa Arrizabalaga, Timo Werner, Harvey Vale, and Billy Gilmour are healthy scratches and will not play.

Chelsea starting lineup (3-2-3-1): Mendy (GK) — James, Thiago Silva, Emerson — Jorginho, Kovacic — Ziyech, Pulisic, Hudson-Odoi, — Batshuayi.

Chelsea subs (11): Lowe (GK), Colwill, Sarr, Chalobah, Kenedy, Chilwell, Ampadu, Gallagher, Mount, Havertz, Sterling.

How to watch Charlotte FC vs. Chelsea

  UK USA Canada Australia
Date Thurs, July 21 Weds, July 20 Weds, July 20 Thurs, July 21
Time 00:30 BST 19:30 ET 19:30 ET 09:30 AEST
TV channel  —  —  —  —
Streaming ChelseaFC.com, 5th Stand App ESPN+ ChelseaFC.com, 5th Stand App ChelseaFC.com, 5th Stand App

The club friendly between Charlotte FC and Chelsea from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC can be viewed globally on ChelseaFC.com and the 5th Stand App.

In the United States, the match can be streamed on ESPN's exclusive streaming service ESPN+ which requires a subscription.

Charlotte FC vs. Chelsea betting odds & lines

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. 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.

There is also a swing towards one team, likely Chelsea, to keep a clean sheet given that the "No" on Both Teams To Score is the predicted outcome (-138).

  UK
(bet365)
Charlotte FC win +1000
Draw +450
Chelsea win -400
Both teams
to score Y / N		 +100 / -138
Over / Under -175 / +135
Chelsea -1.5 +105
Charlotte FC +1.5 -125

Chelsea in Premier League 2022/23: TV channels, live streams

  UK USA Canada Australia
TV channel Sky Sports, BT Sport USA Network, Telemundo, Universo — —
Streaming NOW TV, Sky Go, Amazon Prime fuboTV, Peacock fuboTV Optus Sport

UK: Matches are carried across Sky Sports and BT Sport streaming and TV platforms, with select matches on Amazon Prime.

USA: Select matches are televised on USA Network (English) and Telemundo or Universo (Spanish), and all three channels can be streamed on fuboTV. The rest of the matches are streamed on NBC platform Peacock for subscribers.

Canada: Every Premier League game streams live and on demand exclusively via fuboTV.

Australia: Fans in Australia can stream matches live and on demand on Optus Sport. 

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn Photo

Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.