Arsenal on tour: Gunners to come to US in summer 2019

Ah, summer. The days are longer, the weather warmer, the life generally a bit more languid. Unless you’re a major European soccer team, that is. There’s no World Cup this summer, and no European Championship, but that doesn’t mean players get the summer completely off. Teams will be jetting around the world, cashing in on meeting their fans all over the globe, and playing vitally important completely pointless needlessly costly sorta fun exhibition games in various locales.

One of those teams, of course, is Arsenal. After their last visit to the States, in 2016, the club has spent the last couple summers in Asia and Australia, but this coming summer, the Gunners are, reportedly, headed back to the States for a few games.

According to Arseblog, who are pretty well connected and sourced, Arsenal will potentially be playing games in “LA, Seattle, and New York”. According to me, who has no connection, no sourcing, and only a tenuous grasp on reality, if that is the case, I can see Arsenal basing themselves in Portland for their West Coast stay.

Why do I think this? There’s a couple reasons. Arsenal, of course, just signed a big ol’ shirt manufacturing deal with adidas. adidas, of course, has their north American headquarters...right here in Portland! July, when this would be happening, is also shirt launch time, typically, so it’s not terribly farfetched to think that said launch event, kicking off a big new endorsement deal, might take place while the club is in the US, and, well, why not do it at adidas HQ?

The other reason is that there’s previous history of clubs doing the same thing. Both Manchester United and Manchester City have made Portland their base for west coast jaunts before, United because of their Nike connection and City to play a friendly against the Timbers in 2010.

Nothing has yet been announced about dates, actual fixtures, venues, or anything, but we will definitely keep you informed as we learn more.