Arsenal To Play New York Red Bulls In Preseason Friendly On July 26

Hoping to further promote the game of soccer and their respective brands, Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls and Barclays Premier League affiliate Arsenal announced plans to play in a preseason friendly this summer. While the focus during the upcoming months of June and July will be placed solely on the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, New York and Arsenal won’t square off until two weeks after the highly-anticipated tournament. Excited about the opportunity to play one of the top club’s in England, Red Bulls star Thierry Henry – who spent quality time with the Gunners and boss Arsène Wenger from 1999 to 2007 – said recently that it will be fun to host a team that is still very much in his heart.

“It goes without saying that hosting Arsenal at Red Bull Arena will be a special moment for me both on a professional and personal level,” Henry, who scored a club-record 226 goals during his time at the Emirates, said recently. “As I have said before, the club is in my heart and this will be another terrific chapter in my relationship with Arsenal Football Club. Along with my teammates, I am excited to host Arsenal in New York – one of the greatest cities in the world – and hope that Red Bulls and Arsenal fans will be able to enjoy the match.

The match – which will be played at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey on July 26 – will be Arsenal’s first contest on American soil since 1989, when they took part in an exhibition match against Argentine club Independiente. Wenger, who took reigns of the club in 1996, has enjoyed a strong season thus far with the Gunners. Through 31 matches, the Premier League member is just six points shy of table-leading Chelsea and six points north of Everton for the fourth position. Looking forward to stretching Arsenal’s international notoriety, Wenger says he’s looking forward to playing in the United States and seeing his former player.

“This will be a great chance to play in front of supporters who have not seen the team play before,” the 64-year-old coach said. “The New York Red Bulls will be midway through their season, so they will provide a good test. Obviously it will be good to play against Thierry. He is a very special player in our Club’s history and I know my players and the supporters will enjoy this very much.”