That time is fast approaching - time to hit the beach, take the top off the convertible and go for a cruise, or go to a soccer match against a Euro team trying to fleece you for all the money you got! Here is a list of games that I have so far! Wednesday, May 11 Columbus Crew vs. Veracruz (friendly), 7:30pm, Mapfre Stadium, Columbus Wednesday, May 18 San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Sociedad (friendly), time TBD, Avaya Stadium, San Jose Tuesday, May 24 Houston Dynamo vs. Real Sociedad (friendly), time TBD, BBVA Compass Stadium Saturday, May 28 Detroit City FC vs. FC United (friendly), time TBD, Keyworth Stadium, Detroit Saturday, June 25 Minnesota United vs. Club Leon (friendly), time TBD, Target Field, Minneapolis (tickets) Sunday, July 24 PSG vs. Inter Milan, 5pm ET, Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon (tickets) Wednesday, July 27 Real Madrid vs. PSG, 7:30pm ET, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio (tickets) Bayern Munich vs. AC Milan, 9pm ET, Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois (tickets) Liverpool vs. Chelsea, 11pm ET, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California (tickets) Thursday, July 28 MLS All-Star Team vs. Arsenal (friendly), 9pm, ESPN, Avaya Stadium, San Jose, CA
Saturday, July 30 Chelsea vs. Real Madrid (International Champions Cup), 3pm ET, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan, 5pm ET, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC (tickets) Liverpool vs. Milan, 10pm ET, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA (tickets) PSG vs. Leicester (International Champions Cup), midnight ET, Los Angeles, CA Sunday, July 31 Chivas de Guadalajara vs. Arsenal (friendly), 4pm ET, Stubhub Center, Carson, CA (tickets) Wednesday, August 3 Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich, 7:30pm ET, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (tickets) Chelsea vs. AC Milan, 9pm ET, US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis (tickets) Sunday, August 13 Celtic vs. Inter Milan (International Champions Cup), 7pm ET, location TBD
Interesting notes: Is the PSG vs Inter game in Eugene the first ever soccer game at Autzen Stadium? Could the Real Madrid vs PSG game draw over 100k? What about Chelsea vs Real Madrid from the Big House? I also noticed much fewer MLS vs Euro games this year. I suppose that's for the best - they were exciting at first, but the novelty has worn very very thin.
June 2nd Brazil - Panama - 7pm - DSG Park - Commerce City, CO then: http://coloradocup2016.com/ July 9th Mainz 05/Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Liga MX Team TBA - U.S. Air Force Academy - Colorado Springs, CO July 15th Mainz 05, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Liga MX Team TBA, Liga MX Team TBA - Sports Authority Field - Denver, CO (4 45 minute scrimmages involving all 4 teams)
Seems like MLS Teams are playing mercifully fewer of these games this summer. There only seem to be 3 currently on the dock. Hopefully we're on the way to getting rid of these entirely, save the occasional special circumstance. I'm still somewhat annoyed The Quakes are taking time away from our schedule to play a friendly against Real Soceidad. Barcelona, or one of the Madrids I could understand, but Soceidad? Why? I just don't see the competitive or monetary benefit.
Did we need this topic? We already have http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/friendly-foreign-invasion-2016-the-beat-goes-on.2027147/
Some earlier games - Minnesotta United 2 - Club Leon 4 18,505 Detroit City 3 - FC United 3 6,245 Houston Dynamo 3 - Real Sociedad 3 13,675 Earthquakes 2 - Real Sociedad 1 15,697 Columbus Crew 1 - Veracruz 0 10,799
Here is what's coming up Wednesday, July 6 Charleston Battery vs. Rangers (friendly), 7pm, MUSC Health Stadium, Charleston, South Carolina (tickets) New York Red Bulls vs. Club America (friendly), 8pm, Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey (tickets) Saturday, July 9 US Women’s National Team vs. South Africa (friendly), 1pm, Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois (tickets) Club America vs. Santos Laguna (friendly), 3pm, Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas (tickets) Club Leon vs. Monarcas Morelia (friendly), 7pm, Dell Diamond, Round Rock, Texas (tickets) Sunday, July 10 Chivas de Guadalajara vs. Tiburones Rojos del Veracruz and Tigres vs. Pachuca, 6pm-11pm, Stubhub Center, Los Angeles, CA (tickets) Tuesday, July 12 Carolina Railhawks vs. West Ham United (friendly), 8pm, WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, North Carolina (tickets) Colorado Springs Switchbacks vs. Mainz (friendly), time TBD, Switchbacks Stadium, Colorado Springs, Colorado Wednesday, July 13 Charlotte Independence vs. Swansea City (friendly), 7:30pm, Ramblewood Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina (tickets) Mainz vs. Club Universidad de Guadalajara Leones Negros (friendly), 9pm, U.S Air Force Academy, Colorado Wednesday, July 13 Philadelphia Union vs. Crystal Palace (friendly), 7pm, PPL Park, Philadelphia, PA (tickets) Friday, July 15 TBD vs. Southampton (friendly), time TBD, location TBD, Baltimore, MD Saturday, July 16 Richmond Kickers vs. Swansea City (friendly), 7pm, City Stadium, Richmond, VA (tickets) FC Cincinnati vs. Crystal Palace (friendly), 8pm, Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH (tickets) Tuesday, July 19 Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Crystal Palace (friendly), 7pm, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada (tickets) Real Salt Lake vs. FC Internazionale (friendly), 8 pm Mountain, Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, UT (tickets) Wednesday, July 20 Minnesota United vs. Bournemouth (friendly), time TBD, National Sports Centre Stadium, Minnesota) Sunday, July 24 PSG vs. Inter Milan (International Champions Cup), 5pm ET, Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon (tickets) Wednesday, July 27 Orlando City vs. Stoke City (friendly), time TBD, Titan Soccer Complex, Melbourne, Florida (tickets) Real Madrid vs. PSG (International Champions Cup), 7:30pm ET, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio (tickets) Bayern Munich vs. AC Milan (International Champions Cup), 9pm ET, Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois (tickets) Liverpool vs. Chelsea (International Champions Cup), 11pm ET, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California (tickets) Thursday, July 28 MLS All-Star Team vs. Arsenal (friendly), 9pm, ESPN, Avaya Stadium, San Jose, CA (tickets) Saturday, July 30 Chelsea vs. Real Madrid (International Champions Cup), 3pm ET, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (tickets) Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan (International Champions Cup), 5pm ET, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC (tickets) Liverpool vs. Milan (International Champions Cup), 10pm ET, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA (tickets) PSG vs. Leicester (International Champions Cup), midnight ET, Stubhub Center, Los Angeles, CA (tickets) Sunday, July 31 Chivas de Guadalajara vs. Arsenal (friendly), 4pm ET, Stubhub Center, Carson, CA (tickets) Monday, August 1 Liverpool vs. AS Roma (friendly), 7:30pm local time, Busch Stadium, St. Louis (tickets) Wednesday, August 3 Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich (International Champions Cup), 7:30pm ET, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (tickets) Montreal Impact vs. AS Roma (friendly), 7:30pm ET, Stade Saputo, Montreal, Canada (tickets TBD) Chelsea vs. AC Milan (International Champions Cup), 9pm ET, US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis (tickets) Sunday, August 13 Celtic vs. Inter Milan (International Champions Cup), 7pm ET, location TBD
I started that thread and I don't really add the US team vs. foreign team friendlies. I figure those will be discussed elsewhere. I mostly add the orphans - foreign team vs. foreign team - that wouldn't be captured otherwise.
West Ham's back line was individually and collectively pretty bad. A better team than the Railhawks would have hung about 4 on them in the first half. But after the Railhawks scored their first goal, it was like West Ham said, OK, let's stop ********ing around. The West Ham centerback who scored the OG picked off a pass about 15 yards into the Railhawks' half, dribbled a couple of times, and drilled his finish. Then Andy Carroll (more on him later) scored a very sweet goal with a really deft touch. The quality of their front 6, even when mostly messing around in pre-season mode, was something to see. The Hammer fans really pissed us off. They started one of their songs when it was obvious the national anthem was about to start, then kept singing it a good 30 seconds into the anthem. Then there was a flyover (presumably from Seymour Johnson Air base) and some of the West Ham fans were mocking it. There was a lightning delay so I was wandering around the stadium and happened to walk by the tunnel between the two locker rooms when Andy Carroll walked out wearing nothing but a speedo.
Richmond Kickers 2 - Swansea 0 7,128 Crystal Palace 2 - FC Cincinnati 0 35,061 the largest soccer crowd in Ohio history, though this record will soon be smashed by a Real Madrid friendly at Ohio Stadium.