No ordinary exhibition game
Plenty for Barcelona, Manchester United to play for in Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — FC Barcelona and Manchester United have met 11 times in their illustrious histories.
Those showdowns were part of major tournaments such as two UEFA Champions League finals. But don’t expect the players to treat it lightly when they meet July 25 at Levi’s Stadium as part of a summer exhibition called the International Champions Cup.
So said two former fullbacks from the storied clubs Wednesday at a news conference on the footsteps of Levi’s Stadium.
Juliano Belletti and Denis Irwin joined Earthquakes and 49ers officials to discuss the marquee matchup of a 10- team tournament that runs July 11- Aug. 5 across the United States.
The Quakes, one of three Major League Soccer teams participating, are scheduled to play host to Mexican power Club America on July 14 at Avaya Stadium and then face Manchester United on July 21 at a site that won’t be announced until sometime in May.
While Bay Area fans welcome their local MLS team playing big- time exhibitions, much of the excitement rippling through the region centers on the Man United- Barcelona pairing.
“It’s a proper game,” said Irwin, who won seven English Premier League titles in his 12 years for United.
Then he added, “There’s no such thing as a preseason match anymore.”
Belletti, who scored the winning goal in the 2006 Champions League final for Barca, said the players don’t come to America for a holiday. It’s about building chemistry and incorporating newly signed players into the team’s fabric.
“As a player, you have to enter the field with respect,” he said in Spanish. “You have to approach it” with a winning attitude.
Later, speaking in English with a reporter, Belletti amplified on why the U. S. summer tours have become a big part of the Europeans’ seasons.
“It is more special for the players than the fans,” said Belletti, who was a member of Brazil’s team that won the 2002 World Cup. “If you start well, you can finish well in the season.”
Unlike MLS, most soccer leagues play from August through May. Players generally take a month off in June and then report to training camps in July. More and more European clubs train in the United States for about a month.
Officials like coming to America to expand their global reach the way the NFL plays some games in England.
Scheduling a game against Manchester United provides a different feeling than facing the reserves on the home practice field.
“It changes everything for Barcelona,” Belletti said of a team that is trying to win its 23rd La Liga title.
Manchester United coach Louis van Gaal had a big role in planning the summer tour this year. United played in five U. S. cities last year that culminated with a 3- 1 victory over Real Madrid in front of a record crowd of 109,318 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Van Gaal wanted to spend a majority of the preseason on the West Coast, which worked perfectly for the timing of one- year- old Levi’s Stadium. Team officials said the Red Devils plan to train in the Bay Area for about a week. They plan to open some training sessions to the public.
While players work on fitness and impressing coaches, the summer tournament provides extra motivation.
“It’s not as if you go through the motions,” said Irwin, who played for Ireland in the 1994 World Cup held in the United States.
Full stadiums and televised games enhances the environment to be sure. But nothing gets the soccer blood boiling more than history.
Man United is England’s most successful club with a record 20 Premiership titles. The team also has won 11 FA Cups and three UEFA Champions League titles.
Such stars as David Beckham, George Best and Bobby Charlton have played at Old Trafford.
Manchester United has a 4- 3- 4 record against Barcelona in games that count, including the 2009 and ’ 11UEFAChampions League final.
But “no matter where they play — a European Cup match or a preseason game — they’re still going out to win,” Irwin said.
Although the site of the July 21 game against San Jose has yet to be determined, event promoter Charlie Stillitano of Relevent Sports said it would be accessible to Quakes’ fans.
The issue, he said, is finding a stadium big enough to hold the game. The tournament used Cal’s Memorial Stadium last year, with a sellout of 60,000 fans watching Inter Milan defeat Real Madrid 2- 1 on penalty kicks.