. Chelsea FC wrapped up their tour of the United States with a 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory against treble winners Barcelona, following what was a thoroughly entertaining 2-2 draw in normal time.
Belgian superstar Eden Hazard mesmerized the nearly 70,000 strong crowd at the FedEx Field in Washington D.C. on Tuesday night, scoring one of the goals of pre-season to give Chelsea FC the lead against Luis Enrique’s Barcelona.
Blues manager Jos Mourinho was once again happy with the work-out his side got and reserved words of praise for youngster Kenedy. The 19-year-old Brazilian had been with the Chelsea FC squad throughout the summer, but only made his d but yesterday – clearly making an impression on his manager.
“It was just what we needed”
With Jos Mourinho preparing his Chelsea FC team to take on rivals Arsenal FC on Sunday in the Community Shield at Wembley in the season’s curtain-raiser, the Blues boss was pleased by the work-out his team were given by Barcelona in a thrilling 2-2 draw.
“Barcelona were not worried about winning or losing,” Mourinho is quoted as saying by the Chelsea FC official website. “They were training – the same as us. It was not a tactical game. It was two teams looking for the best intensity, the best form.
“For me it was fantastic. I thanked Luis Enrique a lot for what they gave us. It was just what we needed.
“It was 2-2; it could have been 4-4. The penalties mean nothing for us, nothing for Barca but for the people it means a lot. The 70,000 or so people that were here go home happy. It was good promotion for soccer in the US and good for the promotion of our clubs.”
Fans in awe of Hazard and excited about Kenedy
Chelsea FC fans seemingly liked what they saw from the former Fluminense attacker, who worked tirelessly for the 45 minutes he was on the pitch. Kenedy appeared quick, physical, and very willing to do his defensive duties – the quintessential Mourinho player.
Meanwhile, fans were understandably blown away by Eden Hazard’s incredible solo effort in the 10th minute as he picked up the ball about 40 yards away from the goal, before turning and slaloming his way into the penalty area and finishing neatly past an immobile Marc-Andr ter Stegen.
There was, however, cause of concern for the Blues faithful with Diego Costa walking straight down the tunnel following what looked to be a repeat of his ongoing hamstring issues. Mourinho confirmed that it was no more than a ‘feeling’, but did indicate that more time would be need to make a better assessment.
What a first half! That Hazard goal one of the best I’ve seen live. Brilliant #cfctour
a Lee Parker (@Leeparker_tv) July 29, 2015
Hazard is so good I’m out of words.
a Mourinholic (@Mourinholic) July 29, 2015
In the absence of Messi, Hazard decided to give the fans their money’s worth.
a Rik Sharma (@riksharma_) July 29, 2015
Kenedy is playing with a LOT of confidence and extremely active up front.
a Jake Cohen (@JakeFCohen) July 29, 2015
Wow, Kenedy is a beast! Bullied Suarez there!
a Chelsea HQ (@Chelsea_HQ) July 29, 2015
Deary me. Costa suffered another hamstring problem??!!!
a Jason (@jayblues8) July 29, 2015
Jose confirms Costa has slight hamstring problem…got to be a concern
a Simon Johnson (@sjstandardsport) July 29, 2015
