HARRISON, NJ (March 22, 2012) – The New York Red Bulls will face English Premiership club, Tottenham Hotspur, on Tuesday, July 31, at Red Bull Arena as part of the inaugural New York Invitational Cup. Kickoff time and broadcast information will be announced at a later date.
Red Bulls Full Season Ticket Holders will have this match included in their plans as “Event 18” (out of 20). Season Ticket Holders will have access to an exclusive team meet-and-greet, as well as an open practice and autograph session. Fans can purchase tickets for the Tottenham match through an exclusive three-game pack starting at 12:00 PM by logging onto www.newyorkredbulls.com or calling 1.877.RBSOCCER.
“Tottenham has been one of the top EPL teams over the past several years and we are thrilled to play host to them at Red Bull Arena,” said Chris Heck, New York Red Bulls President, Business Operations. “We are also excited to bring an elite international club as a reward for our season ticket holders and the supporters for both clubs. There will be several exciting events prior to, during and after the match that will have the direct involvement of fans and we are looking forward to revealing more details later this spring.”
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to take part in the inaugural New York Invitational Cup. We enjoyed an excellent match against the Red Bulls during our last tour to the US and we expect this game to be equally competitive,” said Tottenham Hotspur Chairman Daniel Levy. “In recent years, we have seen a significant rise in the number of Spurs fans across the USA and especially in and around New York and New Jersey. This match presents us with a great opportunity to give something back to those fans and also introduce new supporters to the Spurs way of playing soccer.”
Tottenham, also known as Spurs, is currently fourth in the 2011-12 Barclays Premier League standings with 54 points. The London-based club boasts a number of top international players including Welsh midfielder Gareth Bale, Dutch midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart and Croatian midfielder Luka Modric. In addition, former U.S. Men’s National Team standout goalkeeper Brad Friedel plays for Spurs.
Tottenham came to Red Bull Arena on July 22, 2010 as part of the New York Football Challenge and won, 2-1, behind goals from Robbie Keane and Bale. New York forward and former Arsenal FC star Thierry Henry made his Red Bulls debut in that match and scored in the first half. The Red Bulls have a 1-1-1 record all-time against English Premier League sides and are 42-26-15 in international play.
Red Bull Arena has hosted a number of top club and international squads since it opened in March 2010, when the Red Bulls faced Brazilian side, Santos, in the stadium’s Grand Opening. The U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams, Ecuador, Colombia, Czech Republic, Turkey, Manchester City (England) and Juventus (Italy) are among the teams that have played at Red Bull Arena. New York’s home opener at Red Bull Arena will take place Sunday, March 25 against the Colorado Rapids at 4:00 PM ET and will be televised nationally on ESPN. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 1.877.RBSOCCER or log onto www.newyorkredbulls.com.
