Tag: Chelsea FC

LOOK: Kenan Stadium’s new turf for Chelsea vs. Wrexham

We get first looks at Kenan Stadium’s new turf for the F.C. series between Chelsea vs. Wrexham.

The University of North Carolina is just days away from making history by hosting its first F.C. series between Chelsea vs. Wrexham at Kenan Stadium, and now we have first looks at the turf.

Chelsea will take on Wrexham Wednesday, July 19th. The preseason friendly is a part of the F.C. series, marking a historic moment for UNC as Kenan Stadium hosts its first international soccer match.

The 100,000-square-foot turf installation started July 12th, and by the 15th, fans got their first looks at what was to come. UNC displayed photos of the new look of Kenan Stadium, highlighting the dark green turf surrounded by Carolina Blue.

The sold-out event should deliver an electric atmosphere. These two historic clubs will meet for the first time on neutral grounds.

The game will kick off at 7:30 E.T.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Kenan Stadium to host soccer match between Chelsea and Wrexham

Kenan Stadium will host its first international soccer friendly as Chelsea and Wrexham will face off in July.

For the first time in history, Kenan Stadium will host an international soccer match. And it will feature two historic clubs.

North Carolina announced on Thursday that Chelsea and Wrexham will meet as part of the 2023 FC Series in Kenan Stadium on July 19th. The preseason friendly will mark the first time the two clubs will meet on neutral soil.

Wrexham is owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, and can clinch a spot in the English National League for the first time since 2008 with a win.

“Our tour of the United States will be an exciting part of the summer’s build-up to the new season and something we will all be looking forward to in July. To have the opportunity to play a team of Chelsea’s caliber at the Kenan Stadium, North Carolina, will be a terrific test for our players and form an important part of our preparations for the 2023/24 season,” Wrexham AFC manager Phil Parkinson said. “We’re looking forward to meeting some of the fans who have supported us so passionately from afar this season at a renowned athletics stadium.”

Meanwhile, Chelsea is having struggles in the Premier League holding just 39 points and being in the bottom half of the table. They were also eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League this week.

Still, Chelsea has a big fanbase in the United States and this will give fans from North Carolina a chance to see the club in the preseason tour.

“We are delighted to return to North Carolina as part of our US tour this summer, and play in what I’m sure will be a fantastic atmosphere at Kenan Stadium,” Chelsea FC President of Business Tom Glick said. “Our strong US fanbase support us incredibly all year round and we are looking forward to meeting them in Chapel Hill.”

Tickets for the match will go on sale Thursday, April 27th. Broadcast info and official start time will be announced at a later date.

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Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Christian Pulisic said he was ‘dumbfounded’ by Thomas Tuchel’s managerial decision in new book

Who let him write a book?!

The 2022 Premier League season has gotten off to just about the worst imaginable start for USMNT star and Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic. And if it wasn’t for Chelsea’s firing of manager Thomas Tuchel two weeks ago, the drama could have just reached astonishing levels.

While Pulisic is currently with the USMNT ahead of a couple pre-World Cup friendlies, an excerpt from his upcoming book — hilariously named, Christian Pulisic: My Journey So Far — was made public on Tuesday, and it painted a clear picture of the 24-year-old’s less-than-ideal relationship with Tuchel.

The excerpt specifically focuses on Chelsea’s Champions League-winning campaign and the second leg against Real Madrid. In the first leg, Pulisic had scored arguably his biggest goal with the Blues. And according to Pulisic, Tuchel assured him that he was going to be rested in the weekend’s Fulham match in order to start him in the second leg against Madrid.

But when Pulisic checked the lineup for that second leg, he was on the bench in favor of Kai Havertz. Pulisic, as you might have guessed, was not pleased.

There’s certainly an argument to be made that Tuchel’s management worked in that situation, as a pissed-off Pulisic came on as a sub and iced the game with an incredible assist to Mason Mount.

Still, it’s never great to mislead a player, and that sort of management from Tuchel ultimately led to disagreements with several Chelsea attacking players (Lukaku, Werner, Hudson-Odoi, Ziyech to name a few) … and his eventual ouster.

But man, someone is giving Pulisic some terrible advice. The fact that he’s putting out a book so early in his career is a questionable decision in itself, and on top of that, he’s airing grievances related to the team he currently plays for. Just think: had Tuchel still been the manager when this excerpt came out, Pulisic might’ve never seen the field again with Chelsea.

There was literally no upside for Pulisic in putting that story out there during his active career — you know, save that for the post-career memoir after winning the 2026 World Cup. It won’t endear him to newly appointed manager Graham Potter, and it won’t have other managers looking too fondly on Pulisic in the transfer market.

Fans almost couldn’t believe that the excerpt was real.

Pulisic should transfer away from Chelsea, says ex-USMNT star Dooley

Thomas Dooley thinks it might be time for Christian Pulislic to move on from Chelsea

Christian Pulisic’s future with Chelsea is cloudy if not downright murky, with irregular playing time casting a shadow on the American’s chances to stay with the London club.

While injuries factored into his availability this season, Pulisic wasn’t a consistent starter for Chelsea even when healthy.

He started 34 percent of Chelsea’s total games and played 38 percent of all available minutes. When he was healthy, Pulisic started just about half of the games for which he made the squad.

And while new American ownership certainly could factor into the construction of the roster and Pulisic’s visibility, it is possible that Chelsea may not be the best fit for the young American.

Former United States international Thomas Dooley, who played almost a decade in the German Bundesliga before joining MLS in 1997, thinks that Pulisic should be pursuing a pathway out of Chelsea and to a situation where playing time will be regular.

“Of course he should [leave Chelsea]. Either it is about money or prestige. Is it that much better to sit for a big club on the bench or at another club and play all the time? I don’t like to sit on the bench, no matter what. When the coach [Erich] Ribbeck came to Leverkusen with 14 national team players … and when that coach put me on the bench, I went to the management and asked them to let me go – even though the manager begged me to stay,” Dooley told Pro Soccer Wire.

“I went to Schalke, a team who just came up from the second Bundesliga because I wanted to play and not sit on the bench.”

Dooley would go on to help Schalke win the 1997 UEFA Cup over Inter. He played 81 times for the USMNT including at the 1994 and 1998 World Cup.

Currently, Dooley is the head coach of the Philippines national team, having spoken to Pro Soccer Wire recently about the challenges facing him in what is now his second tenure with the federation. The selection is off to a solid start in Asian Cup qualifiers with a draw and a win.

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Jets owner Woody Johnson’s bid to buy Chelsea FC rejected

Jets owner Woody Johnson will not be being Chelsea F.C. after his bid of $2.62 billion was not accepted.

Woody Johnson didn’t win the bid to buy Chelsea F.C. from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

Johnson’s bid, which was reported to be $2.62 billion, was not accepted by Abramovich’s sales advisors, according to the New York Post’s Brian Costello. The Saudi Media Group and Turkish businessman Muhsin Barak were among those who lost out on the bid as well, while the Rickett’s family – which owns the Chicago Cubs – was among the bidders who remain on the shortlist.

Johnson cited his ambassadorship to the United Kingdom from 2017-2021 during Donald Trump’s presidency as a major reason for his desire to own the club. The Jets have also played in London multiple times, and the NFL granted them international home marketing rights in the United Kingdom.

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The sanctions on Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, explained

What’s happening with Chelsea?

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. You may have come here wondering why Chelsea FC is all over the news right now. Wondering what’s up with that? We’re here to help.

The global reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been far-reaching and swift. We’ve seen sanctions aimed at crippling Russia’s economy. Western companies shuttered businesses in Russia. Sports governing bodies have banned Russia from competitions. And now, Russian oligarchs — the richest, most powerful people from Russia — have been targeted with sanctions due to their ties with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

That’s where the situation with Chelsea FC took a major turn on Thursday. Let’s break down what happened.

The soccer world reacted to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s plans to sell the club

End of an era for Chelsea.

Russia’s position in the global athletics community took a major hit when the nation launched an invasion in Ukraine last week. Russia was booted out of World Cup qualifying, lost Champions League Final hosting privileges and saw countless governing bodies refuse to play Russian teams.

And now, one of the world’s largest soccer clubs is going to face a seismic change.

On Wednesday, longtime Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich — a Russian oligarch worth upwards of $15 billion — announced that he would sell the club. The news came in wake of looming UK sanctions against Russian oligarchs that could have seen Abramovich lose his assets (one MP called for the government to seize control of Chelsea).

Under Abramovich’s ownership, Chelsea went from a mid-table club to a global soccer power. Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League twice (including last year), the Club World Cup, five Premier League titles and five FA Cup titles since Abramovich purchased the club in 2003.

Chelsea vs. Villarreal live stream, UEFA Super Cup, TV channel, start time, odds, how to watch online

Champions League winners Chelsea will meet Europa League victors in the UEFA Super Cup from Windsor Park on Wednesday.

Champions League winners Chelsea will meet Europa League victors in the UEFA Super Cup from Windsor Park on Wednesday. As the Champions League gets underway both clubs will be looking for a good start as they enter the group stage of the competition.

Chelsea was able to knock off Manchester City in the Champions League Final for only their second time in their history while Villarreal earned their first major title when they took home the Europa League hardware in this past campaign.

Tune into the UEFA Super Cup, here is everything you need to know including streaming options to catch the match this afternoon.

Chelsea vs. Villarreal

  • When: Wednesday, August 11
  • Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: CBSSN, TUDN/Univision
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)
  • Live Stream: Paramount+ (stream now)

Leagues Cup Lineups

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Mendy; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Rudiger; Hudson-Odoi, Kovacic, Kante, Alonso; Ziyech, Werner; Havertz

Villarreal possible starting lineup:
Asenjo; Gaspar, Foyth, Albiol, Pedraza; Yeremy, Morlanes, Trigueros, Dia; Moreno, Alcacer

UEFA Super Cup and Betting Lines

Super Cup odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds last updated Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. ET.

Chelsea (-150) vs. Villarreal (+450)

Draw: +275

Want some action on Soccer? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO, IN, NJ, and WV at BetMGM.

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See the staggeringly beautiful moment when Christian Pulisic realized he won Champions League

What a moment.

Christian Pulisic became the first American-born man to feature in — and then win — a Champions League final on Saturday.

Born and primarily raised in Hershey, Pa., the 22-year-old Pulisic came on in the 66th minute of Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Manchester City. He had a great scoring chance but slipped a shot wide. Still, Chelsea held on against a fevered attack.

As the final whistle blew, Pulisic fell to his knees in celebration. The United States soccer prodigy has struggled through injury this season and was considered by some a disappointment in his second year with the London-based club.

Yet he fought through. Here’s the moment he realized his team had won:

It really is an astonishing feat. As somebody who grew up not far from Hershey, Pa., traveling to some of the same fields (often alongside Amish buggies) where Pulisic played, I can say this: It’s a long, long, long way from the Champions League.

Pulisic’s father, Mark, played professional indoor soccer in Harrisburg and later coached the Harrisburg City Islanders, who played their home matches, yes, on an island in the middle of the Susquehanna River. Pulisic himself would eventually train with the squad.

It’s not exactly a well-worn path to the pinnacle of the sport.

Mark Pulisic, by the way, might have the greatest Dad Energy of all time here.

As Pulisic and his teammates celebrated, he slipped on a United States soccer sweatshirt with the intention of motivation future American players.

Jovan Kirovski was technically the first American to win a Champions League title, as he was on the Borussia Dortmund team that won in 1997, but he did not appear in the final.

Considering that the USMNT’s top goalkeeper, Zack Steffen was also involved in this game (as Manchester City’s backup), there’s certainly reason for optimism about American soccer moving forward.

Look at this touch and the resulting run.

Just brilliant.

What a moment.

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Chelsea fans rejoiced in the streets to reports of club pulling out of the Super League

That was fast.

The proposed European Super League appears to have had a long and storied history of about, uh, three days.

From the very moment 12 of Europe’s biggest soccer clubs — like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Juventus and Chelsea — announced plans to break away from UEFA’s Champions League structure to form its own Super League, fans almost universally responded to the news with absolute outrage.

There were protests in the streets. Soccer governing bodies threatened unprecedented sanctions against Super Team clubs and players. Governments even threatened to get involved.

Well, after three days of sustained outrage, Chelsea was the first domino to fall. Ahead of Tuesday’s match against Brighton, it was reported that Chelsea FC would file paperwork to withdraw from the Super League.

Once that news went public, the Chelsea protestors outside Stamford Bridge changed their tune from anger to jubilation. This was their reaction:

As that news spread, it was also reported that Manchester City would withdraw from the Super League as well.

That didn’t take long.

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