A parade of foreign clubs will once again arrive into the U.S. summer soccer scene, and the plans are starting now to be announced. Tottenham Hotspur, still a top contender for a top four Premier League finish, will make its way stateside this year.
In fact, Spurs have become quite familiar to U.S. audiences, not just on TV, either. This will be the third visit in five years for the North London outfit.
Tottenham will face Seattle on July 19 at CenturyLink Field, then travel east for a match against the Chicago Fire seven days later at Toyota Park, the club announced Monday.
One important thing to remember about this year’s touring sides: many will be without some of their top men, who will be resting up after World Cup duty.
Whereas players might take time off in June or early July in a more typical summer, this year will see the best of the best in Brazil. They’ll be done in late June or early July, depending on how far their country progresses. Then they’ll need time off, which means joining their clubs a little later than the rest of the squad.
Either way, Spurs will have plenty of quality.
“Pre-season preparations are always key ahead of a new campaign,” Spurs manager Tim Sherwood said through the club’s website. “We all know that the US has first-class facilities, while Major League Soccer is growing each year. … The MLS opposition we face will be in the middle of their seasons and playing in their home stadiums so we can expect strong tests from both Seattle Sounders and Chicago Fire. This can only help as we plan for the new season.”