If you thought your summer soccer plans were going to be limited to MLS and the Gold Cup, think again.
Major League Soccer recently announced the staging of the World Football Challenge from July 14th through August 6th and now sources have revealed the names of some of the clubs being lined up to compete in the competition.
Manchester United, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Club America, Chivas Guadalajara and Juventus are all being lined up to take part in the eight-team competition, which will consist of a round-robin two-game format. A second Italian club is expected to round out the eight-team field, with Inter Milan and Napoli identified as targets.
The teams will play each other in matches throughout North America, while also facing MLS clubs in friendlies. Manchester United has already been announced as the MLS All-Star Game opponent.
What do you think of the potential lineup? Excited about the competition, or are you more focused on the Gold Cup and MLS play this summer?
Share your thoughts below.
Thanks SG! I agree with you on all points too. Rah rah Bundesliga! 🙂
I think Ajax has kinda lost its luster of the years.
It’s pretty clear you don’t know the Bundesliga well then. Dortmund has already locked the vast majority of their stars down with extended contracts within the last couple months, including their coach. All of them love playing there and have showed zero interest in moving. With 80,000+ crowds every week and guaranteed CL football next season, why would they? If you answer money, then you assume every single player is a mercenary, which is simply untrue. The only possible flight risk seems to be Neven Subotic. They’re gonna do just fine.
Also, Ribery has been one of Bayern’s better players recently (not saying much, I know, but he’s the last one you would call out of form right now).
this is also good because it exposes those players, some who may never have set foot in america before, to the united states and its way of life. who knows it could help convince certain players to come play in MLS down the road.
no one should be complaining. we are lucky to be relatively close to europe and south america and to have a massive untapped fan-source in the american people. its easy for those top teams to come over for a summer tour. those teams and MLS make a quick buck. we have the chance to enjoy the high-quality game that they bring. our players will have a chance to train and play against them. its a win win for everyone.
You said “you are beyond help”, which suggests I have some sort of disorder that needs helping. That I do classify as an insult.
Please point out where I said anything about the “majority of Americans”. My entire comment was “I” statements, as in what I would personally prefer, and my follow up only included my own opinions and preferences. Additionally, as others have pointed out, these teams rarely bring their A game to these friendlies anyway, so it would be a watered down version of something I don’t enjoy in the first place.
I’m glad you’re excited and I hope you enjoy. Just don’t call me daft for something I didn’t actually say.
Also, I’d pick Nuri Sahin any day of the week.
I agree with Anne on basically everything. Ive been following the bundesliga for a while and there’s a reason it’s the most financially successful leagues in the World. There is alot of quality and stadiums always full no matter who plays. I would have loved to see Dortmund or Bayern represent Germany. The youth over there is insanely good right now. And homegrown talent over there stays in their own league for the most part. ManU has been drooling over German players but have yet to lock one up. Either way I’d watch Bayern and Dortmund over all the aforementioned clubs.
I will be glad when people stop paying for these games so we can stop having them (this includes me since my club includes friendlies in STH packages). I have been to a few of these types of exhibitions and am consistently underwhelmed – and that is even though my club is playing. 45 minutes of half effort by the starters followed by 45 minutes of three-quarter effort by some reserves and trialists. Trophies not friendlies, indeed.
City and Inter Milan already have committments in Dublin, Ireland the last weekend of July. They are playing in a tournament with Celtic and the Irish league all-stars.
Have you seen Barca’s bench? They can probably play and beat most clubs in the world.
Plus U-20 World Cup, in which the US has a realistic shot
Ribery is out of form (possible coming back, though), and if the sky is blue, Robben will be injured. It’s unfortunate, but that is the way it will most likely be if they came.
Dortmund would be the cream of the league if they came, but I doubt they will be able to keep the team together.
Who says it’s an insult? You stated your opinion, and I think it’s daft to think that a majority of Americans would want to see a Bundesliga team more than Man U, Barca, Real, etc. You have your personal reasons, which I can respect. IMO the best quality of the Bundesliga is the parity of the teams, so while it might be interesting in relative terms, I’d pay to see Real or Barca play live more often than I’d pay to see Mainz or Hamburg. I just can’t get excited about seeing Nuri Sahin when I could see Ronaldo or Xavi live. Sorry if you take offense, but “to each their own.”
It’s playing through the Copa America, right? At least part of it, so I can’t imagine many of the participants will be involved.
I would choose Gold Cup and MLS over this if I had to.
Maybe because it’s higher quality? Also, why can’t one watch both? Europe in the morning and MLS in the evening – let along that MLS plays in summer when most teams are on holiday.
As part of an immigrant family, I’ve followed AC Milan longer than MLS has existed, but that’s not to say that I haven’t watched/attended MLS game. Soccer’s meant to be seen live, anyway.
RSL is almost up to form and that’s a scary thought for MLS. In CONCACAF it means they will be hard to beat in the final. They are deep and fear no side, with the exception of a loaded Euro club like Barca.
Looks like it will be fun to watch! Would have loved to see a German team thrown in, perhaps Bayern or Dortmund.
RSL would beat Azul if they play them again… that rain match was a mess last year. RSL has now learned how to win in a monsoon… see opening night victory over SJ.
What on earth is “a round-robin two-game format.” Sounds to me like saying each club will play two games as part of the competition, not 7 games!
Seriously its not round robin unless everyone plays everyone a equal number of times, and although i know there are no major tournament for non americas teams, but we’ve never had 7 pre season games in a foreign country before. And i doubt they would fit in the MLS schedule. And it would cost the MLS a fortune!
It would be fun to see but Barca would take it by two goals. RSL would come out of a challenge like that a much better team though. After the demolition of LA on Sat. there won’t be many other teams that can challenge RSL in MLS play.
Ther was a familiar tournament last summer much like this. Chelsea, AC Milan, Club America, and Inter Milan participated. I just remember Club America beating both Inter and Ac Milan and chelsea winning the tournament in the Final against Club America….This should be an interesting tournament, but I think it would be better if Chivas and America faced each other, cant beat The Super classico Mexicano or even a Real vs Barca classico.
I had that thought too, thanks for mentioning it RB. I’m really excited for the Women’s World Cup.
Thanks KCB. That would be kind of… hilarious, and a wee bit pathetic to be honest. I’d be more excited to see my personal hero, Schweinsteiger, as long as he was back in form. Ideally I’d love to see Dortmund blaze through with all their pure youthful joy in simply playing football. That squad cost a fraction of what a single Bayern player does, but they play as a family, and I just love it.
“If you thought your summer soccer plans were going to be limited to MLS and the Gold Cup, think again.”
I actually thought mine would be limited to those plus the Women’s World Cup in Germany, plus possibly some of the U-17 World Cup in Mexico. But OK…
People like to euro-pose and not support their own domestic league, which feed their own national team. I will never understand a USMNT fan that would rather watch an EPL game over an MLS one.
Thanks for asking politely Ralph, unlike some people. I explained a bit in the comment above, but I came into the Bundesliga via the German national team. A lot of the qualities that made the NT so exciting at the WC permeate through the league. It’s sometimes messy and chaotic, and the football is certainly not spectacular every day, but there’s a fantastic spirit about it, from the fan ownership of the clubs to the massive Süd Tribune at the Westfalenstadion to the prevalence of home-grown German talent throughout the league. The unpredictability is thrilling to me. I would rather watch Dortmund and Mainz duke it out any day above watching Barca or Man United win again (yawn).
I once read an article about how you can have brilliance or parity in football, and to have more of one you have to sacrifice some of the other. I choose more parity. That’s just how my personality is.
Why? RSL beat Cruz Azul 3-1 at home, and lost 5-4 in Mexico. That would be a 7-6 aggreate if they were at that stage. RSL has developed into a pretty good road team, and they are unbeatable at home.
They have already shown they can beat Cruz Azul, and play them tough in Mexico.
Word, lucky to get a friendly in the season tix package. For RSL we got two Champs league games and a playoff ticket. Not complaining though.
That’s a really lovely insult, alexalex, thanks a lot. My personal preference is the Bundesliga for a lot of reasons that are not purely football. Barcelona might play “pretty” football but their ideology puts me off something fierce, and I have no interest in watching boring old United or money-only City. That’s a personal preference and I never said it was anyone else’s. To give you some idea of what I personally prefer in my football, my chosen club team is not Bayern Munich (as I know you’re assuming), but FSV Mainz 05, a small club with a big heart. Sorry if that isn’t fancy enough for you.
Because “to each their own” was a stupid statement in the first place.
Yeah, season ticket holder. Friendly was part of the package. They charged us more for the game this year too, even though they didn’t have an opponent.
They promised us a “top 5” team, but when I asked the ticket rep who they meant by “top 5” he couldn’t name off the five.
All the rumors are Man U v. Sounders, though, on July 20 or 21.
They should also bring a top Brazilian or Argentine team. South American soccer is more entertaining.
He’s probably got season tickets.
agreed.
You already have tickets?
Obviously, not the same “Don” as above.
Eh. I wouldn’t mind seeing Euro clubs but won’t be happy when they are smashing MLS sides. More fodder for the haters.
I’m liking the idea behind this event and especially if becomes an annual event. It also says a hell of alot of good things about the American Soccer scene. Doesn’t matter if your club is making the trip the tentative line up sounds good so far and this really isn’t different from the pre-season tournaments taking place in Europe before the start of a season, aside from the fact that many of the teams participating will make a nice buck from a pre-season training tour. That’s just good business.
DCU, MLS, I dont ask for much, but if you would play Barcelona this summer I would be beside myself with excitement and would be lining up for tickets right away.
I’ll back you up Anne. Rather see Dortmund or Bayern. Can you imagine watching Robin and Ribery slaughtering outside backs of an MLS team? As long as it’s not SKC, that would be fun to watch.
Why do people get so excited about off-season tourists visiting the USA? They rarely, if ever, bring their A-game. Like paying to watch scrimmages.
I’m excited to sell my Sounders/Man U friendly tickets to the highest bidder.
I can’t imagine why I would want to pay to watch one of these exhibition games in person.
Great seats folks, right near the North End goal. Get them while they are hot!
cant see them beating Monterrey or Cruz Azul in the final.
Just out of curiosity what do you like about German football that you don’t like about Manchester/Spanish/Italian sides? I consider myself to be pretty impartial…but realistically, I’d take Man U/Barca/Real Madrid over any German side
If you are more excited to see any German team (besides MAYBE Borussia Dortmund) play rather than the clubs Ives listed in you own backyard, you are beyond help IMO.
Unpopular opinion here probably, but I’m the opposite of excited about this lineup. I can’t stand either Manchester side, Spanish and Italian football are not my cup of tea, and there isn’t a single German team. I might be tempted to see Real Madrid if they come within an hour of where I live, but besides that I will be giving this a pass. I’m really looking forward to seeing the USA play in the Gold Cup in June, though.
Oh well. I always knew I had to go to Germany to see German football – good thing I’m doing exactly that!
i see what ur doing here nam
How about Real Madrid versus Real Salt Lake, a preview of the Club World Cup final.
Where are the dutch teams?
Barca vs RSL would be epic!