Watch the announcement from Dodger Stadium above
CARSON, Calif. (Wednesday, May 29, 2013) – The LA Galaxy will play at the iconic Dodger Stadium for the first time in club history on Saturday, August 3 when they take part in a doubleheader at the stadium as part of the Guinness International Champions Cup. The doubleheader will feature Premier League side Everton, Italian Serie A champion Juventus and nine-time European champion Real Madrid of Spain, in addition to the two-time defending MLS Cup champion Galaxy. Those four clubs will comprise the West region of the International Champions Cup. These will be the first-ever soccer games to be played at Dodger Stadium, which has been the home of the Dodgers since 1962.
With this historic doubleheaders, some of the soccer world’s top international stars, such as Gianluigi Buffon, Landon Donovan, Marouane Fellaini, Tim Howard, Robbie Keane, Andrea Pirlo, Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo will descend on Dodger Stadium this August for an unforgettable night of soccer in Southern California.
“After having played in many of Southern California’s legendary venues, the Galaxy are thrilled to be able to take part in the first-ever soccer games to be played at Dodger Stadium, one of the more scenic and storied sports venues in the world,” LA Galaxy President Chris Klein said. “Every summer the Galaxy work to bring some of the world’s most prominent clubs to Los Angeles and this year will be no different as we are proud to host some of the top teams from England, Italy and Spain in what will be a tremendous sporting event.”
Dodger Stadium has seen many legendary baseball moments through the years, while hosting more than 147 million fans since it opened its doors. Dodger Stadium has also played host to events such as the 1984 Olympic Games baseball competition, the 2009 World Baseball Classic Final, a Mass conducted by Pope John Paul II, concerts by the biggest names in the business like The Beatles, Michael Jackson and U2 as well as a basketball game and championship boxing match. These will be the first professional soccer games played and come January, 2014, the stadium will host its first National Hockey League game between the Kings and Ducks.
"We are excited to host our first professional soccer games and four world class teams," said Dodgers' President Stan Kasten. "This will be a very special event for Southern California sports fans as we get the opportunity to see some of the world's greatest soccer stars perform at Dodger Stadium."
The Galaxy will open their Champions Cup schedule on Thursday, August 1 when they face Real Madrid at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. One day before that game, Everton will play Juventus at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Real Madrid will play in the first game of the August 3 Dodger Stadium doubleheader against either Everton or Juventus at 5 p.m. (PT) while the Galaxy will play in the second game of the night, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Please visit www.lagalaxy.com/ICC for more information on these games, including all of the latest ticketing news.
The four teams from the West Region will face one of the four teams from the East region – which is comprised of AC Milan, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Valencia – in a pair of doubleheaders to close out the tournament on August 6 and 7 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.
To learn more about the Guinness International Champions Cup, please visit the tournament’s official website at www.internationalchampionscup.com.
