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LA Galaxy to play Manchester United at Rose Bowl in July

Robbie Keane

Photo by David Bernal/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

The LA Galaxy are no strangers to playing top European teams, but they will face an opponent that fits that category for the very first time this summer.

The Galaxy announced on Tuesday that they will host Manchester United in a friendly at the Rose Bowl on July 23. The match will be the first between the two clubs and is part of United’s return to North America after back-to-back tours in 2010 and 12011.

“We are excited to take on Manchester United at the Rose Bowl this summer,” said LA Galaxy President Chris Klein in a statement. “We look forward to playing a storied club at a storied venue. As the top club in North America it is important for us to play big games and bring big events to the city of Los Angeles.”

The friendly will be part of Manchester’s preseason tour in the United States and is its first in Los Angeles since 2003. The game, which comes in the middle of the MLS season and shortly after the World Cup ends, will also mark the first time that the English club sports its Chevrolet-branded jerseys.

“Playing LA Galaxy at the world-famous Rose Bowl will be an important part of the team’s preparations for the 2014-15 football season,” said Manchester United group managing director Richard Arnold in the same statement. “The club has been visiting Los Angeles since 1950 and this match provides a great opportunity for us to engage with our fans in this region. The popularity of soccer in the US continues to strengthen and Major League Soccer and LA Galaxy have been fundamental to this.

“Our previous matches against MLS opposition have proved popular with fans and players alike and we are delighted to be returning to the U.S.”

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What do you think of the Galaxy hosting Manchester United in a friendly? Excited about the game and planning on attending? Hoping United schedules more friendlies with MLS clubs this summer?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. why is Galaxy wasting time playing a mid-table EPL club? it is sad that they cannot get a Champions League caliber squad over to LA

    Reply
    • Amusing. If a MLS player wanted to go to ManU now it would be, “Don’t you want to play for a Champions League team?” I say that but they’d probably get a pass because one element of the CL obsession is Overdog Love, and ManU needs a few Newcastle-like years in the wilderness to break loose of the Overdog label.

      Reply
  2. Let’s just hope the stars align to ALLOW the LA Galaxy to field their best team. As you recall. last July, the MLS chose OG, Keane (injured) and LD to play in the MLS All-Star team which precluded them from playing in the Champions Tournament against Real Madrid the night before The GALAXY LOST 3-1, with Villarreal scoring the lone LAG goal (but a good one)
    In previous years, Bruce Arena criticized the MLS for scheduling MLS games so close to these exhibitions, and forcing him to play the LAG Stars only a few minutes cameo appearance. hardly what the fans want.
    Yes these are exhibitions, but unless the MLS teams are given some rest before and after these matches, they are hardly representative of the real teams.

    Reply
    • Oh Please. That Man U side is nothing special. Once they sweep the skeletal remains of Vidic and Ferdinand out the door, it’s possible that Omar will (quite sadly) be the best and most experienced CB on the pitch (assuming he hasn’t slipped into hiding and remained in Brazil permanently… trying to be positive)

      As for the scoreboard…. knowing the Rose Bowl, it will probably read UCLA 45, Washington St. 28.

      Reply
    • What’s not to love about the Rose Bowl in July? 110 degree heat? Drinking 3.2 beer out of leftover cups from the January Rose Bowl Game? The llingering perfume of stale urine? Watching Steve Cherundolo hobble off, and Jonathan Bornstein stumble on?

      Sheesh… some people are impossible to please! La ti da, your majesty!

      Reply
  3. Well, at least ManU gets to play on real grass at the Rose Bowl, a week later they will get Field Turf at Michigan Stadium vs Real Madrid.

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  4. You do realize that anyone that plays in the World Cup will be on vacation and not at this game?
    So maybe Giggs, Mata, Young, Fletcher, Ferdinand and the kids?

    Reply
      • Chich will be there. Zero chance United or Soccer United Marked lets him miss this.

        United probably delays his inevitable transfer until just after this match.

    • As long as they don’t throw fat Clint Mathis out there the way they did a few years ago against Real Madrid, things could be worse.

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  5. Well, the sponsorship works, ManU is suffering a severe loss of power this season. Get Mary Barra in to testify about that.

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  6. Playing meaningless friendlies is starting to get old, I need top level competitive soccer or at least a U-20 WC, I’m will to give FIFA my money for the most unattractive games let it be North Korea or Iran as long the game actually means something!

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  7. Two things:

    1. I wonder who will be coaching United.

    2. Chris, Chris, Chris. “The top club in North America?” I’m a Galaxy fan and the team has done well the last few years, but until you win the CONCACAF Champions League, saying this just makes me laugh at you.

    Reply
    • He probably thinks of North America as just the US and Canada, in which case he’s right, based upon the past few years anyway.

      Reply
      • Mexico is in North America. Some will say it is Central American. But Central America is not a continent. It’s a region of North America.

    • I assume he’s using North America as an analog for our league. If that’s the case, LA has been the the top in our league over the last few years. Obviously, North America includes Mexico and the Caribbean, so if he meant to imply LA is the best in geographic North America, he’d be wrong.

      Reply
  8. This is all contingent on them making champions league which looks like a long shot. Otherwise they’ll be qualifying for Europa during the summer. Someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

    Reply
      • Actually, if EPL qualifies as a UEFA Fair Play winner and ManU is the highest placed Fair Play club not in an UEFA tournament it will be selected to start play in the first qualifying round of the Europa league.

        First leg of the first qualifying round starts on July 3rd. That could cut ManU’s US tour short.

    • You’re wrong, currently.

      ManU doesn’t automatically qualify for Europa if they don’t make champions’ league.

      They didn’t win either of their domestic Cups and they’re siting 7th in the league table. Only the team that finishes 5th qualifies for Europa.

      Reply
  9. That is just wrong. I thought they were done here, after playing Rooney against the Sounder scrubs.

    Reply

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