Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By DAN KARELL
Many of the world’s best players and teams will be making their home in the USA for the next two weeks as they prepare for their upcoming seasons, and tonight will feature the first batch of intriguing friendlies.
The Los Angeles Galaxy take on Manchester United tonight, while Sporting Kansas City faces Manchester City in a pair of high-profile match-ups featuring MLS sides.
Clubs such as Manchester United, Manchester City, Real Madrid and AS Roma are all making the trip across the ocean to take on each other and a few MLS teams as part of their pre-season training programs. Tottenham already started things off last Saturday with a friendly match against the Seattle Sounders and the international friendlies will continue through Aug. 12, when Real Salt Lake hosts Club Tijuana.
Some of the highlights of this summer’s friendly schedule include Real Madrid vs. Man United in the Big House, Man City vs. Sporting KC at Sporting Park, and the MLS All Stars vs. Bayern Munich in Portland.
Here’s a look at this summer’s friendlies in the USA and how to catch them on TV:
TONIGHT
7 p.m. – Toronto FC vs. Tottenham – ESPN 2 – BMO Field, Toronto
7:30 p.m. – Liverpool vs. AS Roma – NBC Sports Network – Fenway Park, Boston
7:30 p.m. – Columbus Crew vs. Crystal Palace – TheCrew.com – Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH
8 p.m. – Atletico Nacional vs. AS Monaco – beIN Sports USA – Marlins Park, Miami
9 p.m. – Sporting Kansas City vs. Manchester City – ESPN 2 – Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kan.
9 p.m. – FC Dallas vs. Aston Villa – Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
10:30 p.m. – LA Galaxy vs. Manchester United – Fox Sports 1 – Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
THURSDAY
8 p.m. – AC Milan vs. Olympiacos – BMO Field, Toronto
FRIDAY
7 p.m. – Philadelphia Union vs. Crystal Palace – PPL Park, Chester, Pa.
SATURDAY
4 p.m. – AS Roma vs. Manchester United – FOX – Sports Authority Field, Denver
5 p.m. – New York Red Bulls vs. Arsenal – ESPN 2 – Red Bull Arena, Harrison, N.J.
6 p.m. – D.C. United vs. Fulham – Everbank Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla.
6 p.m. – Inter Milan vs. Real Madrid – Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, Calif.
8 p.m. – Chicago Fire vs. Tottenham – ESPN – Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Ill.
9 p.m. – Houston Dynamo vs. Aston Villa – BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston
SUNDAY
4 p.m. – Manchester City vs. AC Milan – Fox Sports 1 – Heinz Field, Pittsburgh
6 p.m. – Liverpool vs. Olympiacos – Fox Sports 1 – Soldier Field, Chicago
7 p.m. – San Jose Earthquakes vs. Atletico Madrid – Candlestick Park, San Francisco
TUESDAY
7 p.m. – Inter Milan vs. Manchester United – NBCSN – FedEx Field, Landover, Md.
9 p.m. – AS Roma vs. Real Madrid – Fox Sports 1 – Cotton Bowl, Dallas
JULY 30
7 p.m. – Manchester City vs. Liverpool – Fox Sports 1 – Yankee Stadium, New York
JULY 31
8 p.m. – Bayern Munich vs. Chivas de Guadalajara – ESPN – Red Bull Arena, Harrison, N.J.
AUG 2
1 p.m. – AS Roma vs. Inter Milan – Fox Sports 2 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
3 p.m. – Manchester City vs. Olympiacos – Fox Sports 2 – TCF Bank Stadium
4 p.m. – Real Madrid vs. Manchester United – FOX – Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Mich.
6:30 p.m. – Liverpool vs. AC Milan – NBCSN – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
AUG 6
9:30 p.m. – MLS All Stars vs. Bayern Munich – ESPN2/UniMas – Providence Park, Portland, Ore.
AUG 12
10 p.m. – Real Salt Lake vs. Club Tijuana – Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah
la galaxy na popo
la galaxy no go come next season
manchester united go perform next season
Just friendly matches for Europe to remind MLS where they are at and where they need to go.
LA Galaxy? Really? Empty bucket Arena? When Arena is scared of a team in MLS or friendly he goes to his empty bucket and a diamond midfield when he feels he has the upper hand. Either way let’s see Arena go. Time for the modern compact play assault the penalty area era to arrive. Sounds like a lot of complaining? Only really want the best for the Galaxy, but it has to begin with leadership at the top, then the new coach, and a new attitude about approaching the game in a more efficient manner than the old empty bucket. Enough already…the Galaxy need to progress and stop trying to replicate the past with the empty bucket.
// Galaxy 0-3 at the half..
Wyndalda wondering what’s happened to LD?
Galaxy look really bad. /// A lot of 2nd stringers in the second half and they look scareddddd///
Would like to see some kid come in and show MU what’s up. But the level is so far apart.
7-0
Went to Roma – Liverpool and it was total zzzzzz. I went in with few expectations considering these are meaningless preseason matches full of B/C/even D, perhaps, team players (and it’s on a baseball field…), but I was still disappointed. I really only wanted to be mildly entertained but I wouldn’t have paid $10 for this. Coutinho was the only bright spot.
[I should add that I went on someone else’s dime so no loss there]
Watching the KC – Man City game, it’s pretty good. KC down 1-2 at the half. Tell you what though, I could do without Lalas at halftime.
how much $$$ do these tours generate? How much press?
are they better than their tours in Asia? How do such tours reflect the growth of MLS? is it contradictory to the league to have these tours in middle of the season
why cant these tours come in say December or January
Trolling?
you already know why these friendlies/tours don’t occur in dec/jan. don’t be disingenuous.
Not sure if trolling or actually that ignorant?
BREAKING! Bayern announced their players coming to the U.S. Traveling to New York will be Lewandowski, Martinez, Shaqiri and Green along with lower first-team players. The roster playing Chivas will be augmented with some Reserve team and U19 players.
Joining them in Portland for the game against the MSL all-stars will be Neuer, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Boatang, Müller and Götze.
Oh, Robben and Dante too.
Green is a lower first team player
tuned in late. where’s MB?
Has to be a good sign that more people seem to care about a real game, than these Tottenham exhibition games.
I think the Sounders will draw 17k more in the game before and after.
Looking at BMO stadium…just not many there.
Seattle was sold out… Also I think they said this one was too but that can’t be the case
Not sure how Seattle could have been sold out.
55k in a 67k stadium ?
I looked it up, you are wrong. The full stadium was offered and they were 17k short of a sellout. Portland was sold out and LA (if Monday the open stadium game ) should be too.
Sb 12k obviously
Ahh ok I remember them saying a week before that they were about to sell out but guess it never did. I agree that people should see meaningful mls games over these