Match report: New York Red Bulls 4 Chelsea 2

Loic Remy opened the scoring in an entertaining start to pre-season with Eden Hazard finding the net in the second half, but four goals after the break from the MLS outfit won the game.

Chelsea fielded vastly different sides in each half, with only three players asked to complete the 90 minutes. The others involved all played 45 apart from Academy players Ola Aina and Dominic Solanke who shared the second half.
The first period was a steady affair with few chances; Victor Moses hit the post, but the game opened up enormously after the break with Red Bulls making plenty of changes too over the course of the half.
They levelled not long after the restart and made it 3-1 with rapid strikes before a cleanly struck Hazard goal followed hard on the heels. Diego Costa had earlier been denied by woodwork but Sean Davis for the Americans completed the scoring with his second of the night, the Blues looking a touch rusty at the back on all the goals conceded.  
The team for the opening half contained many of last season’s regulars but also Moses and Bertrand Traore involved. Both played last season away on loan but today in New Jersey they were asked to operate as our two wide men with Oscar in the middle. Remy led the attack.
Chelsea ran out wearing for the first time our new adidas home kit with a fresh shirt sponsor. The partnership was celebrated further by Mr Tadanobu Nagumo, chairman and CEO of Yokohama Tyres, performing the coin toss ahead of kick-off. The company are also sponsors of the International Champions Cup tournament of which this game is part.
Jose Mourinho spoke in the build-up to the match of expecting tiredness in Chelsea legs after many double sessions in the first week of training, but there was sharpness on show soon after kick-off with Branislav Ivanovic and Traore both quick to win their 50-50 challenges, allowing Traore to slip the ball infield but Oscar was crowded out.
A similar weight of numbers at the back for Chelsea turned Red Bulls’ first foray towards goal into no more than a corner.
On six minutes, Moses had his first chance to run with the ball and glided through into a shooting position but aimed too close to the keeper. Traore from the other side of the area fired powerfully off-target. The wide attacking was prominent early on.
At the other end of the pitch, Courtois was able to watch a crisp shot from Sean Davis go wide of his near post.
Chelsea were quickly finding our feet and were taking control. Oscar was bundled down when accepting an Ivanovic pass which gave the Brazilian his first direct free-kick opportunity of pre-season. It cleared the bar but was close enough to raise a gasp from the vast majority in the arena supporting the Blues.
Another foul, this time by Davis (who is not the former Fulham and Spurs man) on Moses, earned the first booking. The set-piece was worked cleverly – Fabregas on to Ivanovic who crossed for fellow defender Zouma to head. It went wide but we were getting ever closer.
The opening goal came with 26 minutes on the clock. Oscar was released down the right into plenty of space. He played the simple but sensible ball inside to Remy who, although he had to take a few touches, showed the composure to wait until certain to find the net from 12 yards out.

Chelsea were a whisker away from doubling the lead soon after. A sumptuously weighted pass from Mikel was lifted over the keeper with equal craft by Moses but the Nigerian combination was denied by the width of the far post.

Moses caused more concern for the Americans five minutes before the interval with a cross from the right. It initially was too high for Remy but found Traore whose shot hit a defender. From the rebound, the 19 year-old selected to cross but Remy could only thigh the ball over the bar.
Before the end of the half Courtois made his first real save but from a shot too tame ever to trouble the big Belgian.
As anticipated there was a vastly different Chelsea side emerging from the tunnel. Only Oscar, Kurt Zouma and Azpilicueta remained. Youngster Aina was at right-back with Ruben Loftus-Cheek operating ahead of Matic and Ramires in midfield.  Red Bulls named a changed side from the one that played a cup match the night before (there was no Bradley Wright-Phillips for a start) and saved their mass to change until later, although there were two half-time switches.
Zouma soon headed an Oscar corner towards goal but it was blocked before Diego Costa was quickly into the action, chesting a loose ball but leaning back as he shot over.
It didn’t take Terry long either for a customary right-place-at-the-right-time appearance after a mix-up between Begovic and Zouma.
However Red Bulls were level on 51 minutes when Terry’s back pass was reached by Franklin Castellanos marginally before Begovic who challenged with his leg. The ball broke loose and the half-time substitute scored.
Ramires and Hazard led a charge forward from the Blues half but the Belgian couldn’t get his shot past his marker. On 61 minutes came the first booking for a foul on Hazard since the summer break. It won’t be the last.
Roy Millar, the home side’s captain, was the culprit and he was almost made to pay further but Diego Costa’s header from Oscar’s free-kick bounced up onto the bar. His follow-up shot was off-target.

Oscar lobbed a chance wide but it was the Americans who took the lead with 69 minutes played. Castellanos from the edge of the area crossed and Tyler Adams got in front of Aina to guide a header home. Solanke was introduced.
The third goal conceded was four minutes after. A cross from the left was almost cut out by Matic but instead there was briefly chaos as an overhead attempt at goal failed. Davis picked up the crumbs and finished with aplomb.
Hazard cut the deficit just over a minute later. Left unmarked, he killed Oscar’s low free-kick dead and smashed the ball into the bottom corner with his next touch.
However Red Bulls made it 4-2 on 77 minutes when Davis scored again. Ramires cut out Colin Heffron’s cross but didn’t get distance on his first-time clearance and the chance was taken.
Diego Costa twice went for goal, a good save denying a header from a Zouma cross and a shot from an angle on the run going across goal and wide. The game was now very open and unmarked Oscar diverted Hazard’s pass wide when he would surely have scored later into the pre-season.
In the closing minutes, Begivic made a good finger-tip save to keep the deficit down.
Chelsea first-half Courtois; Ivanovic (c), Cahill, Zouma, Azpilicueta; Fabregas, Mikel; Traore, Oscar, Moses; Remy.
Chelsea second-half Begovic; Aina (Solanke 71) , Zouma, Terry (c) Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic; Hazard, Loftus-Cheek, Oscar; Diego Costa.
Unused subs Chalobah, Clarke-Salter.
Scorers Remy 26, Hazard 75.
New York Red Bulls Reynish (Castano 71), Miller (Akinyode 71), McLaws (Thomas 71), Stolz, Obekop (Manoslavas 71), Ouimette, Davis, Plewa (Da Fonte h-t), Tsonis (Metzger h-t), Adams (Chesterton-Williams 71) Bedoya (Castellanos h-t).
Unused sub Heffron.
Scorers Castellanos 51.
Booked Davis 20, Millar 61.
Referee Roberto Sibiga
Attendance 24,076