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The San Jose Earthquakes announced that they will play Manchester United in a summer friendly on July 22 at Levi’s Stadium. The two teams had met previously in 2015, with the Red Devils winning 3-1 at Avaya Stadium.
“Having an opportunity to face a renowned club such as Manchester United is both a great source of entertainment for our fans and an exciting challenge for our team,” said Earthquakes President Tom Fox in a club statement. “We’re happy to offer this match as a Bonus Game for our Season Pass Holders, who will be able to attend at no additional cost.”
Pre-sale tickets will be available starting April 9th and will go on sale to the public on April 12th. Prices will start at $25.00 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, according to information provided on the Levi’s Stadium website.
The Santa Clara stadium, with a capacity of nearly 70,000, has played host to the Earthquakes on two other occasions, both MLS regular season matches: against the Seattle Sounders in 2014 and Orlando City SC in 2015. In the game against Orlando, Earthquakes captain Chris Wondolowski scored his 100th career MLS goal.
“The 49ers have enjoyed a tremendous partnership with our friends at the Earthquakes since opening Levi’s Stadium and we’re looking forward to having them back for their third match in their other home stadium,” said 49ers President Al Guido in a press release. “Manchester United is also returning to play at Levi’s Stadium for the third time so we expect them to be comfortable in their surroundings as well. We sincerely thank Relevent Sports for putting together such a compelling matchup for Bay Area soccer fans.”
Manchester United played against Barcelona in 2015 and Real Madrid in 2017 at the home of the San Francisco 49ers, and both games were well attended. Relevant Sports, which organizes the annual summer International Champions Cup, is organizing the game against the Earthquakes, but it does not appear it will be a part of the tournament. Instead, the game will is being announced as part of Manchester United’s Red Devils’ 2018 Tour.
“The Quakes are an experienced team with a promising season ahead,” said Relevent Sports Executive Chairman Charlie Stillitano in a statement. “So, it’ll be thrilling to see them faceoff against Manchester United, one of the most prestigious teams in the world – especially in a city like San Jose that has such a passionate fanbase.”
The Quakes have an 11-10-8 record in international exhibitions stretching back to 1996, including an 8-2-4 record in the past 14 contests. San Jose lost its first international friendly of 2018 back in March when it dropped a 1-0 decision to Liga MX side Club Leon following Landon Donovan’s goal.