Major clubs all over Europe are finalising their plans for their pre-season campaigns. Increasingly in recent years, this has meant touring the world in order to promote their brand, as well as a useful team-bonding exercise for squads that have often been changed significantly over the summer.
The United States has increasingly been a popular destination for the continent’s best teams, with clubs showing a desire to tap into what is considered to be a huge potential market across the Atlantic.
Various pre-season tournaments have been held in the USA over the years have showcased some of the finest stars in the world game, and over the course of summer 2019 that will once again be the case.
ICC 2019 in the USA
| Date | Match | Time (UK / US ET) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 16 | Roma vs Chivas | 2am/9pm | SeatGeek Stadium, Chicago, MI |
| Jul 17 | Arsenal vs Bayern Munich | 3am/10pm | Dignity Health Sports Park, Los Angeles, CA |
| Jul 20 | Arsenal vs Roma | 9pm/4pm | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC |
| Jul 20 | Benfica vs Chivas | 11pm/6pm | Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA |
| Jul 20 | Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid | 1am/8pm | NRG Stadium, Houston, TX |
| Jul 23 | Arsenal vs Real Madrid | 12am/7pm | FedEx Field, Maryland, MD |
| Jul 23 | Bayern Munich vs AC Milan | 2am/9pm | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, KA |
| Jul 23 | Chivas vs Atletico Madrid | 2am/9pm | Globe Life Park, Arlington, TX |
| Jul 24 | Roma vs Benfica | 12am/7pm | Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ |
| Jul 26 | Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid | 12:30am/7:30pm | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
| Jul 28 | AC Milan vs Benfica | 8pm/3pm | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA |
The International Challenge Cup, which will take place in six countries and span the entire globe, will have 11 venues across the USA.
Heading across the Pond for that competition is perhaps the greatest club of them all, Real Madrid, who have a blockbuster fixture against Bayern Munich in Houston on July 21 as well as a cracker in store against Premier League giants Arsenal in Landover three days later.
The headline-friendly that Madrid will play, however, will be against local rivals Atletico in East Rutherford.
Arguably, this quartet of clubs are the greatest heading west.
There will be Serie A representation in the ICC this summer, too. AC Milan will twice feature in the States, while that is also the case with Roma, who have fixtures against Mexican outfit Guadalajara and Benfica.
It is not just the ICC that is taking place in the summer, though.
EA Ligue 1 Games
| Date | Match | Time (UK / US ET) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18 | Montpellier vs Saint-Etienne | 11pm/6pm | Audi Field, Washington DC |
| Jul 18 | Marseille vs Bordeaux | 1:30am/8:30pm | Audi Field, Washington DC |
| Jul 21 | TBC | 11pm/6pm | Audi Field, Washington DC |
| Jul 21 | TBC | 1:30am/8:30pm | Audi Field, Washington DC |
In Washington DC, the inaugural EA Ligue 1 games will take place, featuring US-owned sides Marseille and Bordeaux, as well as Saint-Etienne and Montpellier, who both enjoyed fine campaigns in 2018-19.
The tournament will take place between July 18-21 and will come just as the clubs are reaching the climax of their preparations for the new campaign, which begins in France on August 9.
Of course, teams are not simply drawn to the USA for pre-season competition, some set up their own standalone friendlies, too.
Exhibition matches in the USA
| Date | Match | Time (UK / US ET) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15 | Colorado Rapids vs Arsenal | 2am/9pm | Dicks Sporting Goods Stadium, Commerce City, CO |
| Jul 17 | FC Dallas vs Sevilla | 1am/8pm | Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX |
| Jul 17 | Minnesota United vs Aston Villa | 1am/8pm | Allianz Field, Minneapolis, MN |
| Jul 17 | Seattle Sounders vs Dortmund | 3:30am/10:30pm | CenturyLink Field, Seattle, WA |
| Jul 19 | Liverpool vs Dortmund | 1am/8pm | Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN |
| Jul 21 | Liverpool vs Sevilla | 11pm/6pm | Fenway Park, Boston, MA |
| Jul 24 | Liverpool vs Sporting CP | 1am/8pm | Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY |
| Jul 24 | DC United vs Marseille | TBC | Audi Field, Washington DC |
| Jul 31 | MLS All-Star Team vs Atletico Madrid | TBC | Orlando City Stadium, Orlando, FL |
Arsenal have done just this prior to the ICC, teeing up a match with the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, while the likes of Atletico Madrid, Marseille and Roma will all play similar matches around their respective competitive commitments.
Champions League finalists Liverpool, who have traditionally travelled to Asia to prepare for the season, have set up a succession of exhibition matches all over the country that will see them pit themselves against Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Sporting CP.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, are set to play Minnesota United in what is currently a one-off match in Minneapolis.
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