HOUSTON – Manchester United F.C. and Manchester City F.C. will face off in the first-ever soccer match between the two teams outside of the United Kingdom, Lone Star Sports and Entertainment and Relevent Sports announced this evening. The match, which is part of the International Champions Cup, will take place on Thursday, July 20 at 8:30 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium.
"We're honored to bring one of the biggest rivalries in the sport," said Chairman of Relevent Sports Charlie Stillitano. "It has just been a remarkable experience to see these two teams battling it out with arguably the two-most famous managers in the world."
During this evening's event, Houston Texans wide receiver Braxton Miller, six-time MLS All-Star and Houston Dynamo legend Brian Ching, two-time All-Star and Houston Astro legend Jose Cruz, 12-time NBA All-Star and Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon and Chairman of Relevent Sports Charlie Stillitano helped welcome the two teams to Houston alongside Houston Texans and Lone Star Sports and Entertainment President Jamey Rootes.
"This is what tonight is all about. Stars shining brightly at NRG Stadium. That would not be possible without my good friend Charlie Stillitano and our friends at Relevent Sports," said Houston Texans and Lone Star Sports and Entertainment President Jamey Rootes. "On behalf of the 6.6 million Houstonians that make up the most diverse city in America, I want to thank you for this great opportunity."
Legends from Manchester United and Manchester City, Denis Irwin and Paul Dickov, also addressed the crowd.
"It is a great privilege for me to be here to represent Manchester United enlarging this ICC game here in Houston on July 20," said Manchester United legend Denis Irwin. "What you are going to get here on July 20 is two teams with a great rivalry."
"The Manchester Derby has always had a special place on the calendar for City and United fans alike," added Manchester City legend Paul Dickov. "The first Manchester Derby outside of England should be the pinnacle of an incredibly exciting tour for the club and a great chance to bring our players closer to American fans."
The 2017 International Champions Cup presented by Heineken® will run from July 19 – 30 and feature 12 matches played across 11 cities throughout the United States. In total, eight teams from around the globe, including England (Manchester United F.C., Manchester City F.C., Tottenham Hotspur F.C.), Italy (Juventus F.C., AS Roma), France (Paris Saint-Germain F.C.) and Spain (FC Barcelona, Real Madrid C.F.) will compete in this year's tournament. Each team will play three 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.
