The new Yankee Stadium will be host to some of soccer’s best when two European powerhouses come to the United States to face off in a World Football Challenge match. Real Madrid of Spain’s La Liga and AC Milan of Italy’s Serie A are prepared to do battle on August 8, 2012. As both teams have just completed very successful seasons in their respective leagues this friendly match should be anything but that.
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is looking to make the most of the WFC as he has scheduled four games for his men, a tournament high for all teams participating in the competition. His team recently finished their season in spectacular fashion, tallying their 32nd league title, defeating Atletico Bilbao 3-0 on Wednesday, May 2, 2012. Stars Christiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain, and Mesut Ozil each contributed a goal to the win and have been passing the ball exceptionally well as of late. We can expect to see them utilize this in the upcoming tournament.
AC Milan was unable to secure a championship this year but finished a close second behind Juventus in Serie A competition. AC Milan has claimed the Champions league title seven times, second only to Real Madrid. In his second year with the club, forward Zlatan Ibrahimovich has led the team netting 28 goals in 32 appearances. They will open their WFC play with a match against Chelsea FC in Miami on Saturday, July 28, 2012.
This fixture will mark only the second soccer match to ever be played in the Yankees’ new stadium as Chelsea FC and Paris Staint-Germain are set to face-off there on Sunday, July 22, 2012. Chelsea, coming off of a UEFA Championship win over Bayern Munich are looking to continue their dominance outside of the league. These games continue a tradition that began on June 28, 1931, when Glasgow Celtic took on the New York Yankees soccer club at the original Yankee Stadium.
The World Football Challenge, a partnership between Major League Soccer and Creative Artist Agency works to bring some of the most successful soccer teams in the world to showcase their talent at major venues across North America. The event takes place July 18 through August 11 and features teams Chelsea FC, Juventus FC, Liverpool FC, Celtic FC, and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as MLS sides D.C. United, LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders FC, and Toronto FC. This experience is an exclusive opportunity for Americans to witness the fast paced action of these international superstars. Last year, over half a million fans throughout the region enjoyed this event and this year promises to yield a similar result.
This is a great opportunity to witness world class talent as these players are preparing for the 2014 FIFA World Cup set to be held in Brazil. The tournament is set to commence June 12, 2014 in Sao Paulo and will culminate with the championship match in Rio de Janeiro.
Tickets for Real Madrid and AC Milan go on sale beginning Thursday, June 7, as a package with the Chelsea vs. Paris Saint-Germain match. Remaining tickets, if available, will go on sale at a date that is still to be determined.
