Barcelona To Visit United States In Summer To Play Manchester United, AC Milan, Club America

The deluge of top European teams visiting the United States each summer to play preseason friendlies will continue in 2011 as the FC Barcelona website confirmed three friendlies to be played in the U.S. against some of the world's biggest teams. After opening their preseason in Spain and then playing friendlies in Munich, Germany and Split, Croatia, the Catalan giants will head across the Atlantic to the U.S. for friendlies against Manchester United, AC Milan and Club America.

The last time Barcelona toured the U.S. was in 2009 when they played primarily on the West Coast, including a sold out match with over 90,000 fans versus the Los Angeles Galaxy at the Rose Bowl. This time, Barcelona won't be on the West Coast, but who knows which other clubs might play around the United States in 2011. Last year, Real Madrid visited the U.S., along with Premier League clubs Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Bolton Wanderers. Summer trips to the U.S. for preseason friendlies have become the norm and Manchester United and AC Milan confirmed as playing in the summer of 2011 indicates that the two clubs will likely play additional matches in the country.

While summer friendlies in the U.S. generate media coverage and excitement for soccer in the country, the matches rarely live up to the hype. Mass substitutions and unavailable players are common in the friendlies and when Barcelona visits the U.S., they will likely play without Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano and Dani Alves, who will be playing for Argentina and Brazil in Copa America until July 24.