By DAN KARELL
A star-studded cast of teams have agreed to return to the United States for the second edition of the International Champions Cup.
Defending champions Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Manchester City are among the eight teams invited for the 2014 ICC, with games taking place across the country. The tournament is set to take place from July 26-August 4 with the final being played once again at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.
This year’s tournament will feature two four-team groups, with each team playing three group games. The winners of each group will meet in the final.
Liverpool, AC Milan, Inter Milan, AS Roma, and Olympiacos will also join the tournament. Confirmed venues for the matches will be in New York, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., and Miami. An additional venue is expected to be announced at a later date.
Unlike the 2013 ICC, there will be no Major League Soccer teams competing in the tournament. The LA Galaxy participated in last year’s event.
According to an SI.com report, the teams are subject to change due to where they finish in their respective leagues. For example, if any of the teams involved qualify for the 2014/2015 UEFA Champions League or Europa League and have to play in qualifying matches, those will take precedent over the ICC.
In addition, as this tournament is happening so soon after a World Cup, there’s a chance that many of the star players from each team could be absent as they rest ahead of another European season.
Real Madrid won last year’s tournament with a 3-1 victory over Chelsea in the final.
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