Man Utd announce USA pre-season tour

United are heading to the USA for the second year in a row, after a tour there last year saw them take on Barcelona, Manchester City and Real Madrid, amongst other sides. 

Although all the details are not yet finalized, this time they will face MLS side San Jose Earthquakes, Mexican team Club America, and Premier League rivals Liverpool. 

United will kick off the tour at the University of Phoenix's 63,400 seater stadium in Arizona on July 19, before travelling to Santa Clara to take on the Earthquakes at the Levi's Stadium on July 22. 

The date for the Liverpool clash is not yet announced, but the game is expected to take place after the other two fixtures. It is rumoured that the 'Big House' stadium in Michigan could be the venue for the International Champions Cup game against their rivals. 

The 'Big House' seats a whopping 104,000, and was the venue for United's tie with Real Madrid back in 2014. 

United are expected to set up their base at UCLA's Westwood campus, with Jose Mourinho known to be a big fan of the location. The Portuguese manager has taken Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan to the campus in the past. 

Manchester United's Vice Chairman Ed Woodward called the tour an "ideal environment" to start their pre-season preparations. "The tour is a central part of the team's preparation for a long and intense campaign and this is the second consecutive year that we will travel to the US," he said. 

"The training facilities are world class and the games will be played in front of passionate crowds, making it an ideal environment for the players to gear up for the new season."

"The club, manager and team always receive a great welcome when visiting America, with our millions of US fans always keen to get closer to Manchester United."

 

2 April 2018