April 12, 2006
FC BARCELONA TO TOUR
USA THIS AUGUST
Ronaldinho, Messi and
Eto’o to play in Los Angeles, Houston and New
York
NEW YORK (Wednesday, April 12, 2006) – Soccer
United Marketing (SUM) announced that FC Barcelona,
led by Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho, will play three
games this August as part of the club’s first
U.S. Tour since 2003. Barcelona, a UEFA Champions League
semifinalist and runaway leader in Spain’s La
Liga, will travel from coast to coast, playing its first-ever
matches in three of the four largest cities in the United
States: Los Angeles (Sunday, Aug. 6) and Houston (Wednesday,
Aug. 9) versus Mexican clubs, and in New York against
the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer (Saturday,
Aug. 12). Further details of the games in each
city will be announced at a later date.
“This summer’s FC Barcelona Tour promises
to be one of the greatest soccer events ever to be played
on U.S. soil,” said MLS Commissioner and SUM CEO
Don Garber. “Everyone who loves soccer will get
to see the magic of Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o and
Lionel Messi with their own eyes. Major League Soccer
and Soccer United Marketing are honored to bring Barcelona’s
exhilarating style of play to our fans. For many, this
FC Barcelona Tour will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
FC Barcelona, coached by Dutch midfield legend Frank
Rijkaard and recognized for its spectacular brand of
attacking soccer, features some of the world’s
greatest players, including FIFA World Player of the
Year Ronaldinho (Brazil), 18-year-old sensation Lionel
Messi (Argentina), and African Player of the Year Samuel
Eto’o (Cameroon). Also in the club’s
ranks are a host of players who will represent their
countries in the 2006 FIFA World Cup: Rafael Marquez
(Mexico), Carles Puyol (Spain), Deco (Portugal) and
Mark Van Bommel (Holland).
Online
ticket registration and deposits, which allows fans
to guarantee their seat for the FC Barcelona Tour, kicks
off on Wednesday, April 12 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Tickets
for the FC Barcelona Tour will be available to the general
public through MLS clubs in each city (Chivas USA, Houston
Dynamo, New York Red Bulls), with packages featuring
MLS matches. Details of these ticket packages will be
announced by the respective MLS club in the coming weeks
on MLSnet.com and the respective club web sites.
“It is a good moment for FC Barcelona to promote
its image in the great country of the U.S.,” said
FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta. “We are sure
that, with the cooperation of MLS, Barca will become
more recognizable among the North American public. We
also believe that the presence of our team – and
our star players – will assist the promotion and
growth of soccer in the United States.”
With just six games remaining, FC Barcelona holds an
11-point lead in the race for their 18th domestic Spanish
championship. The reigning Spanish La Liga champions
are also preparing for a UEFA Champions League semifinal
series against Italy’s AC Milan. The first
match will be played on April 18 in Milan, Italy with
the decisive return leg to be played at the Nou Camp
in Barcelona on April 26. The Champions League
final will be held on May 17 in Paris, France.
The Spanish giants will be making their first trip to
the United States since 2003 when they played a three-game
summer tour on the East Coast of the United States.
FC Barcelona played at Gillette Stadium (2-2 vs.
Juventus) in Foxboro, at RFK Stadium in Washington,
D.C. (2-0 win over AC Milan) and at Lincoln Financial
Field in Philadelphia (3-1 loss vs. Manchester United).
Following the three matches this August, the team
will return to Spain to continue its preseason ahead
of the kick-off to the 2006-07 La Liga season.
Source: Soccer United Marketing |
