SAN JOSE, Calif. –
The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that their match against Manchester United on July 21 as part of the International Champions Cup North America Presented by Guinness will be played at Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. Kickoff for the match is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. PT and marks the Earthquakes first-ever match in the venue.
“The Earthquakes have competed in nearly every major venue in the Bay Area and now we are excited to play at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley,” said Earthquakes President Dave Kaval. “To be able to play a well-known and respected team such as Manchester United at this great venue is a tremendous opportunity for our club and our fans."
A presale for Earthquakes season ticket holders will be held beginning
Wednesday, May 27 at 9:00 a.m. PT.
Tickets for the general public will go on sale on
Friday, May 29 at 9:00 a.m. PT
through the
Cal Athletic Ticket Office
. Fans can sign up at
www.internationalchampionscup.com
for access to the presale. Additionally, fans that are on the Earthquakes season ticket waiting list will also have access to the presale. Season ticket holders will receive an email with a link to the presale.
The Earthquakes have historically fared well against international competition, holding a 9-8-8 record in all international friendlies since 1996, and are currently on a 10-game unbeaten streak dating back to 2004. In addition to friendlies, the Quakes have played in competitive international tournaments, including the 2014 Copa Euroamericana at Candlestick Park, where San Jose held the defending La Liga champions, Atletico Madrid, to a 0-0 draw through 90 minutes before falling 4-3 in penalty kicks.
“We are thrilled to bring the International Champions Cup back to Berkeley for the second consecutive year, as Cal Berkeley is a tremendous partner,” said Charlie Stillitano, Chairman of Relevent Sports. “The city of Berkeley demonstrated its passion for world-class soccer during last year’s sold-out match between Inter Milan and Real Madrid. Bringing another outstanding club like Manchester United to play the local Major League Soccer team in the San Jose Earthquakes will make for an extremely exciting and raucous atmosphere.”
The 2015 International Champions Cup North America will run from July 11 – August 5 and feature 17 matches played across 12 regions throughout the world. Each team will play four contests and the club with the most points at the end of the tournament will be crowned champion. Each win in regulation will result in three points and a tie will go straight to a shootout; the winning team in a shootout will receive two points and the losing team will receive one. The results from in-season Major League Soccer contests involving tournament participants will be used as part of official tournament scoring.
In total, 10 teams from across the globe, including England (Manchester United F.C., Chelsea F.C.), Portugal (FC Porto), France (Paris Saint-Germain), Mexico (Club América), Spain (Barcelona), Italy (ACF Fiorentina) and the United States (San Jose Earthquakes, Los Angeles Galaxy and New York Red Bulls) will compete in the 2015 International Champions Cup North America. The participating teams have won a total of 91 domestic league titles, 98 domestic cup titles, six CONCACAF Champions League titles and 10 UEFA Champions League titles. The teams feature nine of the 2014-2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or nominees, as well as 31 of the top 100 players in the world as chosen yearly by renowned English magazine FourFourTwo.
About the International Champions Cup
The International Champions Cup is an annual summer soccer tournament organized by Relevent Sports, featuring the best clubs from around the world. A staple property of Relevent Sports and RSE Ventures, the International Champions Cup brings the best in soccer to iconic sports venues across North America, Australia, Europe and China.
Last year, the International Champions Cup featured premier European clubs including Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester City, AC Milan, Roma, Inter Milan and Olympiacos. The tournament, played across 13 North American cities, saw Manchester United go undefeated en route to the championship. The International Champions Cup also featured the largest attended soccer match in United States history, when 109,318 fans packed the “Big House” at the University of Michigan to witness Manchester United defeat Real Madrid. The inaugural tournament in 2013 featured eight clubs – Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Valencia, Everton and the L.A. Galaxy. It concluded with Real Madrid’s victory over Chelsea in front of nearly 70,000 fans.
Since its inception in 2013, more than one million fans have packed stadiums to watch clubs compete in the International Champions Cup, along with more than 700 million households watching worldwide. In 2015, the tournament will expand to Asia and Australia, as it continues to grow rapidly and attract fans from all over the world.
