Was it worth the wait for Chelsea supporters? No, it probably wasn't. Thomas Tuchel, however, will take plenty from the Blues' penalty shootout defeat to Charlotte FC in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The match was delayed by just over an hour because of a severe thunderstorm above the Bank of America Stadium. Supporters, as well as the players and coaching staff were advised to wait indoors until the storm passed.
Thankfully, they weren't kept waiting for too long and the game eventually started 65 minutes after it was initially planned to. Chelsea took a while to get going but there were early signs of some strong link-up play between the attackers.
READ MORE: Chelsea second half player ratings vs Charlotte: Colwill good, Kenedy lively, Sterling sharp
Christian Pulisic handed the Blues the lead in Charlotte in the first-half. It was a special moment for the American to score on his home soil, and he did so with a clever and delicate finish.
However, the hosts equalised with the last kick of the game. Trevoh Chalobah was adjudged to have handled the ball and Daniel Rios scored from 12 yards – and the match went to a penalty shootout, much to everyone's bemusement.
Charlotte won on penalties after Conor Gallagher missed his penalty. It was a defeat in the Blues' second match, but some things may have excited supporters and Tuchel alike. So, with that said, here are some moments you may have missed...
Sterling moment
Chelsea's new signing Raheem Sterling was introduced to Blues supporters for the first time in the second-half. The England international has big expectations on his shoulders following his recent £55million move from Manchester City.
He did not disappoint on his first outing. Sterling looked very sharp and showed his class with a few moments where he used his incredible turn of pace to excel past the Charlotte defenders.
There was one moment in particular that could be good – and very exciting – news for Chelsea fans. Gallagher had the ball on the right-hand side and almost found Sterling at the back post.
That might not seem like much, but those back post runs have become somewhat of a trademark for Sterling over the years. He could often be found running into those positions at Man City and finding the back of the net. More of the same, please, Raheem.
Tuchel's system change
It looked like a bog-standard 3-4-2-1 formation that Tuchel went with at the start, but it was very fluid. Off-the-ball, it was the three-back formation but when in possession, Chelsea would then change to a four-back system.
Reece James would slot from right centre-back to right-back, while Thiago Silva and Emerson Palmieri would cover the middle and Marcos Alonso would move to the left. This worked well for Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Hudson-Odoi started the match as a right wing-back, a position that isn't natural to him despite being used there on numerous occasions. When James would slot in at right-back, though, this would allow Hudson-Odoi to play as an out-and-out winger on the right-hand side.
Last season's kit
Many Chelsea supporters may have been left confused at the choice of attire on show in Charlotte. The Blues were in last season's yellow away kit.
The 2022/23 away kit is yet to be released to the public and Chelsea supporters are desperate to see what their team will be wearing on their travels next season. With just over a couple of weeks to go until the new Premier League campaign kicks off, everyone is eagerly waiting the announcement.
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