Barcelona to Play in Seattle

August 5th will See Visit of Catalan Giants

May 8

FC Barcelona, having progressed to the European Champions League Final, have announced another big date. In Seattle.

They are to be Sounders FC’s opponents in the third extra game of the season ticket package, to follow the visit of the side they conquered in that semi-final, Chelsea, and the MLS final already announced.

Barça (as they are colloquially known) are one of the world’s most popular and successful clubs and are almost certain to win the Spanish League, known as La Liga, and are also in the Copa del Rey Final, the Spanish Cup. They will tour the US Pacific coast, taking on the LA Galaxy on Saturday, August 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, and the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday, August 5 at Qwest Field in Seattle (7:30 p.m. PT). A third US tour game will be added and announced later.

Tickets to see the Catalan giants, whose honours include 18 La Liga trophies, a record-setting 24 Copa del Rey championships and two UEFA Champions League titles, will go on sale to the general public in the coming weeks. We will bring you details as soon as we have them.

FC Barcelona’s squad comprises international superstars such as Lionel Messi (Argentina), Rafa Marquez (Mexico), Xavi (Spain), Carles Puyol (Spain), Thierry Henry (France), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Dani Alves (Brazil), Eiður Guðjohnsen (Iceland) and Andrés Iniesta (Spain) – who scored the goal that propelled Barça into the Champion’s League final last Wednesday, where they will meet Manchester United at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on May 27.

Barça are in the midst of one of their best campaigns in recent history, and in a position to win all three of their major tournaments: Spain’s La Liga, UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey. After defeating Real Madrid 6-2 away from home in La Liga’s “El Classico” this past weekend, they stand at the top of La Liga with 85 points within range of their 19th domestic title. The club also advanced to the prestigious Copa del Rey final and will face Basque club Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, May 13.

Sigi – “It’s a Great Opportunity for the Team”

Sigi Schmid was delighted with the news. He said, “Something like that is not a distraction from that standpoint, it’s just something that brings a smile to your face. When you think that you’re going to have an opportunity to play against Chelsea, you’re playing against Barcelona, two teams that all of the guys were watching play in the Champions League. For a lot of guys being able, today (Steve) Zakuani scored a very Thierry Henry type of goal in training, so we were joking around about that and saying ‘maybe you can exchange jerseys with him’. But it’s a great opportunity for this organization. It’s a great opportunity for the team. It’s a great opportunity for the fans in this city to be able to see a team like that up close.

Just to digress a second, for me, I think I said it once to you guys. When I was seven years old I had the chance to watch Real Madrid play. And it was a memory that always stayed with me and I never forgot that day. So for the kids out there and the fans to be able to come into our stadium and watch Chelsea, to come in our stadium and watch Barcelona, it’s a day they’ll never forget.”

Barcelona’s Tie-in with Soccer United Marketing

In the second year of a five-year partnership, FC Barcelona, MLS and its commercial arm Soccer United Marketing (SUM), proudly see this year’s tour as a continuation of the cooperation fostered in Barcelona’s visits in 2006 and 2008.

Barcelona President Joan Laporta said “After an historic season and based on our unforgettable experiences in past tours, we at FC Barcelona are excited to take our great players and performances to our fans in the United States once again. Together with MLS and SUM, we look forward to great competition from the Galaxy and Sounders, and leaving our mark on the West Coast of the U.S.”

Soccer United Marketing President Doug Quinn added, “We’re pleased to have FC Barcelona return to the United States this summer. Arguably, they are the most exciting team in international soccer today. Their partnership with MLS and their upcoming tour reflect their commitment to soccer and their fans in the region. We look forward to memorable matches with great stadium atmosphere featuring MLS clubs against an opponent whose year could be remembered as one of the best of all time.”

History of Barcelona US Tours

This will mark Barça’s third tour on American soil in partnership with SUM. In 2006, the FC Barcelona USA Tour registered the highest average attendance for any club tour in US history, averaging 80,734 in three matches.

Barcelona played in front of three sold-out crowds: at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (vs. CD Guadalajara, 1-1 on Aug. 6 in front of 92,650), at Houston’s Reliant Stadium (vs. Club America, 3-3 on Aug. 9, with a crowd of 70,550), and at Giants Stadium in E. Rutherford, NJ (vs. NY Red Bulls, 4-1 on Aug. 12, in front of 79,002).

In 2008, their tour visited two cities and averaged 40,000 fans. On August 3, they defeated one of Mexico’s most historic clubs, CD Guadalajara, 5-2 at Chicago’s Soldier Field. Three days later, on August 6, Barça defeated MLS’ New York Red Bulls 6-2 at New Jersey’s Giants Stadium.

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