The Premier League continues with its expansion plans and this summer it will land in the United States, after officially announcing the creation of a summer tournament (from 22 to 30 July) on North American soil: the Summer Series.
There will be six participating clubs, although they don’t have title aspirations this season, they are nonetheless appealing: Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton, Chelsea, Fulham and Newcastle.
The Blues in particular, who have had a poor season but are still in the Champions League quarter-finals and still have Christian Pulisic, ‘Captain America’, in their ranks.
The six Premier League teams will take part in nine matches to be played between Saturday 22 and Sunday 30 July at stadiums in Atlanta (Georgia), Harrison (New Jersey), Orlando (Florida), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) and Landover (Maryland).
The fixtures, dates, times and stadiums for each match have been determined. The tournament will kick off on Saturday 22 July, when Chelsea take on Brighton at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
This will be the first time the Premier League has hosted an official pre-season tournament in the United States. Undoubtedly, an important step towards further dominance in the US market.
“We are delighted to be bringing six clubs to the USA in July for the first ever Premier League Summer Series tournament,” Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said.
“Our clubs have incredible supporters in the US, who passionately follow their teams throughout the season. We have seen this dedication first-hand from the tens of thousands who have attended our Mornings Live fan events and are excited to be building on this by bringing live Premier League action to five cities this summer.
“We are currently enjoying one of the most competitive Premier League seasons of all time at both ends of the table and I am sure we will see some thrilling matches during the tournament.”
Pulisic and others to watch in the Premier League Summer Series
One of the main figures to watch in the Premier League Summer Series will be Christian Pulisic, should he remain with Chelsea, at least for the summer.
The Blues could also bring goalkeeper Kepa, veteran Brazilian defender Thiago Silva, Argentine World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez and strikers Raheem Sterling and Joao Felix.
Fans in the United States will also be able to see goalkeeper Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martinez with Aston Villa, Ecuadorian defender Pervis Estupinan with Brighton, who also have Argentinian Alexis Mac Allister.
At Fulham, American Antonee Robinson can also be seen, while at Newcastle, the most attractive players are Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron and Swedish striker Alexander Isak.