Rapids announce international friendly with Arsenal

The Colorado Rapids have announced that they will be taking on Arsenal F.C. in an international friendly this summer. There is also a press conference this afternoon at 2 p.m. at Union Station in Denver that will be streamed live on www.coloradorapids.com/live, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

The match is scheduled for Monday, July 15th at 7 p.m. at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park and tickets are available here.

Rapids Executive Vice President & General Manager Pádraig Smith said the club is “excited to be hosting one of Europe’s most iconic teams in Arsenal. They are one of the top clubs in the world and we’re looking forward to testing ourselves against them on the field and providing sports fans in Colorado with the opportunity to be part of this outstanding matchup.”

International friendlies are typically an opportunity for fans to see their favorite foreign teams here at home, but you don’t usually see their big stars making the trip. Likewise, it’s an additional mid-week game for the Rapids, so it’s also an opportunity for younger players and guys who don’t get much playing time to get some minutes.

Arsenal Managing Director Vinai Venkatesham sees the match as a great way to “kick off our summer tour to the United States. We of course have very close links to the Rapids through our mutual ownership and we are looking forward to playing each other in a match which will provide both teams with a competitive challenge, in front of many American Arsenal supporters.”

Arsenal is currently 4th in the Premier League and the game will be during preseason, with the 2019-2020 EPL season starting on August 10th. This game is the first of four matches that Arsenal will play in the U.S. this summer and the only one against an MLS team.