Lesley Ugochukwu Scores Late Equalizer for Chelsea in 2-2 Draw with Wrexham
Chelsea’s Lesley Ugochukwu netted a late equalizer in a 2-2 draw against Wrexham in Santa Clara, California. Ugochukwu, typically known for his defensive skills, focused on attacking and scored his first goal for Chelsea.
Ugochukwu said, “I tried to put it in. I would say I am practising it as much as I can. It’s not every time that people see me in that situation but when I got there I tried to keep calm.” He credited his head coach Enzo Maresca for the guidance, saying, “To be calm with the ball, try to go forward and trust the process. Not rush it and I tried to do what I was asked to do at half-time, and I did my best.”
Ugochukwu also discussed the first few weeks of pre-season under Maresca, noting, “It was our first game, we just started two weeks ago. We work and improve game-by-game and that is what we want to do….He came with very good ideas, so we are still learning about how he wants us to play and everyone is putting in the effort to do what he wants us to do, and that is what we tried.”
Maresca’s system, known for its inverted full-backs, had James shift into midfield when in possession, partnering with Romeo Lavia. Carney Chukwuemeka and Christopher Nkunku played in more advanced central positions. At halftime, Maresca made ten substitutions, with Chukwuemeka being the only player to stay on the field. Academy graduate Josh Acheampong came on, and Wesley Fofana made his first appearance since June 2023. Chelsea continued to dominate possession in the second half.
The equalizer came in the 82nd minute. A well-executed move ended with Armando Broja laying the ball back to Ugochukwu, who calmly side-footed it into the bottom corner from 12 yards out. The Blues controlled the remainder of the match, with Acheampong coming close with a long-range shot. Ultimately, they had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
Doubts Revealed
Lesley Ugochukwu -: Lesley Ugochukwu is a football player who plays for Chelsea, a famous football club in England. He is usually known for his defensive skills but scored an important goal in this match.
Chelsea -: Chelsea is a well-known football club based in London, England. They play in the Premier League, which is one of the top football leagues in the world.
Wrexham -: Wrexham is a football club from Wales. They are not as famous as Chelsea and play in lower divisions of English football.
Santa Clara -: Santa Clara is a city in California, USA. The football match between Chelsea and Wrexham took place there.
Equalizer -: An equalizer is a goal that makes the score even. In this case, Lesley Ugochukwu scored a goal to make the score 2-2.
Enzo Maresca -: Enzo Maresca is the head coach of Chelsea. He helps the players with their training and strategies for the game.
Substitutions -: Substitutions are when players are switched during a game. This can be done for various reasons like giving rest to players or changing strategies.
Possession -: Possession in football means how long a team controls the ball during the game. Chelsea had the ball more often in the second half of the match.
