The fifth and final game of Chelsea FC’s pre-season tour of the United States of America was just announced, a few minutes ago. It will be on the evening of Wednesday August 2nd, and it will see the Blues taking on Borussia Dortmund at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.
According to a club press release: “It has been confirmed that the Chelsea men’s team will be playing in five cities in the United States of America over the summer, when we will get our preparations for the start of the 2023/24 season into full swing across the Atlantic.”
This will mark the first time that Chelsea stages a match in the city of Chicago, and it will be huge for back-up goalkeeper Gabriel “Gaga” Slonina, who they acquired from the Chicago Fire last summer.
Slonina grew up in Addison, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. For Dortmund, this will be the third time that they have played at Soldier Field, with the first coming way back in 1954, as part of BVB’s seven-match tour of the USA.
They also played Manchester City, in the iconic Chicago lakefront venue, in 2019.
Chelsea FC Summer 2023 USA Tour
Wednesday July 19
Chelsea vs Wrexham – Time TBA at Kenan Memorial Stadium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
*Saturday July 22
Chelsea vs Brighton – 7pm ET at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
*Wednesday July 26
Chelsea vs Newcastle – 8:15pm ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Sunday July 30
Chelsea vs Fulham – 2:45pm ET at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland
Wednesday Aug 2
Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund – 8:30pm ET at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
“We are delighted to visit Chicago as part of our U.S. tour in July and play in an iconic venue at Soldier Field. We are proud of our strong fanbase in the U.S. and we look forward to meeting our fans in Chicago this summer,” said Tom Glick, President of Business at Chelsea FC.”
Pre-Sale for tickets opens up at 9AM CT, Monday. General public tickets go on sale the next morning at 9AM CT.
Added BVB Managing Director Carsten Cramer:
“After playing against Manchester United in Las Vegas a couple of days earlier it‘s a privilege for us to then clash with Chelsea FC, another Premier League heavyweight. Having met just recently in the knock-out stage of the UEFA Champions League, there‘s still a score to settle against them.
Also, returning to Chicago and Soldier Field is special to us, almost like a home away from home as we‘re going to play here for the third time already over the decades.”
This match should provide a chance for fans to see USMNT stars Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna in action, provided Pulisic hasn’t left Chelsea by then.
Although he has been strongly linked in a move away from the club this summer, he is pictured in the club’s branding for their USA preseason tour, so that is a signal.
Chelsea at Arsenal FYIs
Kick: Tue May 2, 8pm local, Emirates Stamford
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea Arsenal
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
We’ll have much much more on Chelsea versus Borussia Dortmund as the event draws closer.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.
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