Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel was left fuming after his side lost 5-3 on penalties to Charlotte FC in a preseason match played in the early hours of Thursday.
The Blues were leading 1-0 until the last minute, when the Major League Soccer side were awarded a penalty.
Mexican Daniel Rios stepped up to convert and the friendly had to be decided via a penalty shoot-out.
Conor Callagher was the only player to miss his kick as Chelsea suffered a shock defeat.
When Tuchel was asked if the front three of Sterling, Kai Havertz and Mason Mount would be the one he takes into the Premier League season, he replied: “I didn’t see it today.
“So, it doesn’t matter what I have in my mind. All that matters is what we see on the pitch. And I saw four accelerations in the second half, and they all came from Raheem. This is what he delivers.
“If we keep on struggling to not feel these things and to not finish these things off it will not be the first time that we get punished.”
Chelsea will now return to their Orlando training camp, in a city where they face Premier League rivals Arsenal in the final game of their tour on Saturday night.