Manchester United will go west to prepare for the 2010/11 season, with new matches announced today for Toronto, Philadelphia, Kansas City and Houston.
The squad, headed by Ryan Giggs and including stars such as Paul Scholes, Edwin van der Sar, Darren Fletcher, Antonio Valencia, John O’Shea, Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov, will be bolstered by a number of the promising young players, such as Federico Macheda and the da Silva twins.
First stop is a training camp in Chicago, home of new shirt sponsors Aon. This will be followed by a visit to the Rogers Center in Toronto for a match against Celtic on 16 July, then a return to the Lincoln Financial Field, where United played in 2003 and 2004, against Philadelphia Union on 21 July. Four days later, the Kansas City Wizards provide the opposition at the Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City. The US matches are completed in Houston on 28 July with a game against the MLS All-Stars in the Reliant Stadium.
Two days later, as already announced, the squad will play the Club’s first ever match in Mexico to open Chivas’ new 45,000 seat stadium in Guadalajara.
Sir Alex Ferguson said: “It’s great to be going back to North America. I enjoyed the last two tours there in 2003 and 2004 immensely. The quality of the facilities is outstanding and there is a real enthusiasm in the crowds. It’s especially pleasing to be going in a World Cup year, when the interest in football will be at its height.”
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Tour Fixtures, July 2010:
16: Glasgow Celtic; Toronto
21: Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia
25: Kansas City Wizards; Kansas
28: MLS All-Stars; Houston
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