Chelsea vs. Barcelona: Score, Grades and Reaction from 2015 ICC

The International Champions Cup is a series of exhibition fixtures, but Tuesday's showdown between world football powerhouses Chelsea and Barcelona didn't feel so friendly. American fans were treated to a great match in which the Blues prevailed 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in regulation.

Although the clubs weren't completely at full strength, plenty of stars were on the pitch at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. Blues goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was rewarded for his performance during penalty kicks by being named Man of the Match.

Eden Hazard's goal in the 10th minute into the bottom left corner of the net, set up by Kurt Zouma, gave Chelsea the lead. Squawka Football showed how Hazard took on Barcelona almost by himself en route to lighting up the scoreboard first:

Supreme scorer Luis Suarez notched the equalizer in the 52nd minute to spearhead Barca's attack. Sandro Ramirez put Barcelona ahead in the 66th minute before defender Gary Cahill's tying goal in the 85th minute to force the shootout.

Suarez's crafty chip shot—courtesy of Fox Soccer—was nothing short of spectacular:

Suarez had some unusual history with Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, who was on the wrong end of a Suarez headbutt back in 2013 that cost the striker a 10-game suspension. Thankfully nothing similar boiled over between the two.

Bleacher Report UK had a suitable reaction to Suarez's tally:

But the biggest heroics on the losing side came from Ramirez. The 20-year-old forward stepped up on a front line without the likes of Neymar and Lionel Messi to find the back of the net for the apparent winner.

Chelsea responded in dramatic fashion when Cahill pressed forward on the attack to tie the score at two on a header from a set piece.

Friendly hardly described this match for Cahill. His extra effort was rewarded with a goal but also led to a smack in the face from Barca goaltender Jordi Masip when he tried to make a play on the ball.

Ray Hudson of beINSport reacted to the match-turning goal:

Loic Remy scored the final penalty for the Blues, who hung tough and won despite Barca having 69 percent of the possession, per ESPNFC.com.

The Blues were most pleased with the effort they showed in their stateside tour:

Ahead of Tuesday's fixture, Chelsea standout Cesc Fabregas, who transferred from Barcelona before last season, had comments that reflected how the Blues performed and the commendable job Courtois did in goal amid a flurry of 18 Barca shots.

"Barcelona have the best strikeforce in the world and against that you have to play as a unit, you have to play very well. But there are no doubts that we can compete against anyone," said Fabregas, per the London Evening Standard's Simon Johnson (h/t ESPN FC's Kevin Palmer).

The hype surrounding this matchup was uncommonly high since Chelsea are the reigning English Premier League champions while Barcelona took La Liga and Champions League trophies this past season. This clash of titans lived up to its billing and only plants the seed for more intense battles down the line.

Next up for Chelsea is the FA Community Shield match with Premier League rival Arsenal on Sunday. Then the Blues will take a trip home to Stamford Bridge, where they'll take on Serie A's Fiorentina in the International Champions Cup finale.

Barcelona will try to be a little sharper in taking on Fiorentina as well in its next match, which is also slated for Sunday.

Selected Player Grades

Luis Suarez: A

Suarez found the scoresheet again as he did in the opener against the L.A. Galaxy. Not having Messi and Neymar as part of a stupendous trio hasn't prevented Suarez from showcasing his world-class finishing ability, and he's made the most of his opportunity to shine in the U.S.

Gary Cahill: A+

Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press

The plus for Cahill is deserved because of how much he sold out to reach the header, score the goal late and push the match to penalties. Cahill went above and beyond, displaying his passion and the subtle stakes at play in this marquee match.