Lucy Bronze’s first competitive outing in a Chelsea kit wasn’t in Kingsmeadow or Stamford Bridge, but more than 3,000 miles from London in New Jersey’s Red Bull Arena. Her Blues trekked across the Atlantic Ocean for a U.S. swing which kicked off with a Monday night friendly against NJ/NY Gotham and concludes this Sunday in Washington, D.C., against WSL rival Arsenal. Unsurprisingly, the New Jersey crowd was out in full force for their NWSL side, but Bronze—who signed with Chelsea last month—received an ovation from the fans, too. Loud cheers trailed her name after being announced in the starting lineup, a testament to her global reach.
An American debut with an English club for a Lionesses star may sound like an oxymoron, but for Bronze, it was a fitting stage to start her Chelsea campaign. The 32-year-old is no stranger to competing in the States, having attended the University of North Carolina in 2009 to play for the famed collegiate program.
