USMNT's Johnny Cardoso, Real Betis fall to Chelsea in Conference League final | OneFootball

For almost an hour, it looked like Johnny Cardoso would add his name to the list of Americans to collect hardware at the end of the European season.

Chris Richards and Matt Turner won the FA Cup with Crystal Palace earlier this month. Meanwhile, four Americans helped PSV Eindhoven claim the Dutch title.

But fatigue and the opponents' quality eventually set in, meaning Cardoso's efforts for Real Betis ultimately weren't enough against a heavily favored Chelsea squad.

Real Betis starts strong

Offensively, Spanish international Isco was the star for Betis. He provided a sublime assist to Abdessamad Ezzalzouli in the 9th minute to put Betis ahead 1-0.

And for long stretches of the game, the Chelsea defense struggled to chase Isco around the field, as the Blues were somnambulant for much of the first half, playing just three days after their meaningful Premier League finale.

Keep in mind that Betis was playing without Colombian international and former Columbus Crew star Cuchu Hernandez. He has provided a spark for the Betis attack since joining the Spanish side. However, since his transfer was in early February, Hernandez wasn't registered for the club's European campaign. That left Betis lacking up top, unable to extend their early lead.

Nevertheless, for more than 50 minutes, Real Betis clung to that 1-0 lead. Cardoso played his part, shining at times. He was smart with his positioning, rarely straying too far from the Betis back four, making sure the defense had coverage and support. For more than an hour, that was enough to keep the Chelsea attack at bay. At times, Cardoso even pushed forward into Chelsea's box, nearly helping Betis go up 2-0.

Chelsea wakes from its slumber

Alas, it wasn't meant to be for Cardoso and Betis. After a sluggish first half, the Blues hit their stride in the second half. An Enzo Fernandez goal in the 65th minute broke the ice for Chelsea and opened the floodgates. Cardoso and the rest of the Real Betis defense could do little to prevent the onslaught from coming, as Chelsea kept scoring for a somewhat misleading 4-1 scoreline.

For Chelsea, the victory made European history. The Blues are the first club to win all three major European trophies - the Champions League, Europa League, and the much newer Conference League. Chelsea has won all three competitions in the last seven years. It also gives the Blues some momentum heading into next month's Club World Cup. For Betis, the loss denied them the club's first European trophy.

Meanwhile, the Conference League final could end up being Cardoso's last as a Real Betis player. According to ESPN and other sources, Atletico Madrid has made him a top priority during the upcoming summer transfer window. Of course, Tottenham Hotspur has already agreed to a purchase option for Cardoso, meaning they could sign him this summer at a cost of roughly $28 million.

Despite the disappointment of losing in a final, Cardoso will have to rebound quickly. He is part of a watered-down USMNT roster this summer. Cardoso figures to be a key figure during this summer's Gold Cup. Even with just 18 international caps, he's one of the more experienced midfielders on the USMNT Gold Cup roster.