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Tottenham to face Galaxy, Red Bulls

Spurs (Getty Images)

Tottenham is set for a return trip to the United States, and they'll play against Major League Soccer's two biggest spenders while they are here.

Spurs announced that they will play the Los Angeles Galaxy at the Home Depot Center on July 24 before heading across the country to Red Bull Arena to play the New York Red Bulls as part of the inaugural New York Invitational Cup on July 31. The matches give U.S. fans a chance to see American goalkeeper Brad Friedel along with standouts Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart as Tottenham conducts part of its preseason in America.

Tottenham last came to the United States in July, 2010, when they played the Red Bulls in Thierry Henry's first match with the MLS side. Henry scored for the Red Bulls, while current Galaxy forward Robbie Keane and Gareth Bale tallied for Tottenham in their 2-1 victory. Tottenham also played the San Jose Earthquakes on that trip, with the two playing to a 0-0 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium.

"The Club is proud of its reputation for playing entertaining soccer and we believe this attacking style is responsible for the significant rise in the number of fans across the USA in recent years," Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said in a club statement. "This tour presents us with a great opportunity to give something back to those fans and also introduce new supporters to the Tottenham Hotspur way of playing soccer." 

What do you think of the friendlies?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Few people in Britain care about Seattle Sounders. But if you ask ECS, they’re already good enough for the BPL.

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  2. Not that I have any inside info, but I’d wait for the World Football Challenge. These are matches with MLS sides. A game in Baltimore would bring two Euro sides together.

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  3. I think you’re right that the Galaxy, Red Bulls or even Seattle could bring in good numbers. It might not be very flattering for the MLS though, especially if our club(s) head over there during our preseason / EPL midseason. It might look like the Santos Laguna vs. Sounders matchup. Fugly.

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  4. I saw them at redbulls arena in 2010 it was a reserve side. I wasnt a big tottenham watcher then but Bale was a beast that game. the most dangerous winger i ever saw up close.

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  5. It would be nice to see teams like RSL and Dallas play quality Premiere League opposition. Tired of watching the Red Bulls and Galaxy represent the MLS as the standard bearers.

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  6. For the Dynamo Charities Cup matchup with Valencia, at least, the game is a charity match.

    BBVA Compass probably pulled some strings there as they sponsor both La Liga and the Dynamo stadium.

    As far as the match in Portland… I think the Timbers owned is just loaded. And they can plan on a sellout in spite of weather.

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  7. I don’t know. I think the big players are excited to come play a few friendlies here. Just look at how excited Bale, Walker and van der Vaart are in the above picture when told about this news….

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  8. MLS needs to make a decision. Either a) move to a fall-spring calender so you can actually play these friendlies in the offseason or b) play friendlies in December/Jan/February/March. There are plenty of Euro-squads who have extended winter breaks who would love to come here and play MLS teams in some decent weather.

    The current way of doing things is stupid and I have a hard time believing it can be that profitable for the MLS (these teams demand a mint for coming to the US).

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  9. I feel that an LA tour in the UK would actually post some good numbers and bring in solid dollars. Possibly even more than their postseason expeditions down under. As much as the limeys like to talk down MLS, I suspect they’ll be curious to see how a marquee MLS team does against BPL opposition.

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  10. July 24 is a Tuesday. Does the ‘no more than 7500 tickets on a schoolnight” not apply to the summer semester? That would make sense

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  11. This summer it will mostly be bench riders. Most of the star players will have just finished Euro 2012 and will not make the trip.

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  12. Selling these games out is how te rich get richer in this league.
    You might be against it but your club would take it in a heartbeat

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  13. I’d prefer Tottenham in preseason to Valencia in postseason, though I am not a friendly enthusiast really.

    Some MLS teams have gone to Europe but the problem is that the teams on our schedule (eg, Scandinavians) are usually frozen that time of year (and would probably prefer to come here), and the teams in season would probably offer us their reserve sides.

    The one tournament they used to offer that MLS teams would contest was La Manga in Spain but I don’t know what happened to out involvement there.

    And you could tour the Southern Hemisphere, like LA, except probably only LA has the cachet to really sell tickets.

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  14. “Summer friendly season,” or “An extraneous opportunity for bench riders to get in 20 minutes and older players to injure their groins.” Not a fan.

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