Roman Abramovich saw Chelsea ease to victory in New England, raising more than £3.1million to combat discrimination but any delight and self-congratulation was muted by what appeared to be a serious injury to Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Maurizio Sarri's worst fears about this post-season fixture were realised when Loftus-Cheek went down clutching an ankle within 20 minutes of coming on at as a half-time substitute.
He twisted in agony as he was treated on the pitch, was helped back to the dressing room by two of the medical team and left the Gillette Stadium on crutches with his left foot in a protective boot.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek's (centre) season could end sooner than expected due to an ankle injury
The initial assessments were not positive and Loftus-Cheek is unlikely to be fit in time for the Europa League final against Arsenal in Baku, in less than two weeks.
His participation in England's bid to win the UEFA Nations League in June must also be under threat with Gareth Southgate set to name his name on Thursday.
It is terrible misfortune for a player who has suffered more than his share of injuries during his young career.
Sarri did not comment after the match - he has not spoken in public during the three days in Boston – but did not attempt to hide his frustration on the touchline.
The Chelsea manager has been unimpressed by the timing of this match, a friendly contest devised by owner Abramovich and Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Revolution, and billed as the 'Final Whistle on Hate'.
Millions will go to groups committed to fighting anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination and a crowd of over 27,000 turned out to see the Premier League team play in Massachusetts against the Revolution.
Sarri had reservations before leaving London. 'Unfortunately we have to go to the United States,' he said, immediately after winning the Europa League semi-final in a shootout against Eintracht Frankfurt. 'I think in this moment we need to rest.'
When he turned up at the stadium and saw the state of the grass pitch - freshly rolled out, patchy and slow – his heart must have sunk even more.
The Italian did not join the 23 players and chairman Bruce Buck on a visit to a Holocaust Memorial on Tuesday because of a stomach upset and his attitude towards
