Manchester United, the English football giants, are back in San Diego for the second year in a row, bringing their star-studded squad for a summer friendly against Real Betis from Spain's La Liga. The match will be held at Snapdragon Stadium on Wednesday evening, kicking off at 7 p.m.
"San Diego is a fantastic city, and we're thrilled to be back, bringing some excitement to the football fans in the region," said United's centre-back Harry Maguire.
Manager Erik ten Hag, who recently signed a contract extension keeping him at the helm until June 2026, is bringing a talented squad to the US ahead of the Premier League season. He fielded 23 of his 29 available players in their opening summer series match, a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday.
United boasts an array of attacking talent, led by the likes of Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Rasmus Højlund, and Antony. The defence is equally impressive, with Premier League experience and quality in players like Victor Lindelöf, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, and the promising young Leny Yoro, all of whom featured against Arsenal.
It remains unclear who will take the field for Wednesday's match and for how long. Last year, Manchester United fielded a largely under-21 team in their Snapdragon Stadium exhibition, ultimately losing 3-1 to Wrexham AFC. This year's trip to San Diego is once again sandwiched between bigger matches, with United facing Liverpool this weekend in Columbia, South Carolina.
Real Betis are looking for a new goalscorer following the departure of Willian José to Spartak Moscow during the off-season. They have had a mixed summer exhibition series, beating Austria Salzburg 5-1 in Spain but losing 1-0 to Liverpool in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Regardless of who takes the field, Wednesday's friendly provides fans with a fantastic opportunity to see European clubs in action as they prepare for the start of their respective seasons. Manchester United begin their Premier League campaign on August 16th against Fulham, while Real Betis kick off their La Liga season a day earlier against Girona FC.
The Red Devils, who recently lifted the FA Cup after an impressive victory over their rivals Manchester City, will be looking to improve on their disappointing eighth-place finish in the Premier League last season. The summer tour provides a valuable opportunity for the team to sharpen their skills and prepare for the challenges ahead.
"It's definitely an opportunity to sharpen up and prepare ourselves for next season, given the expectations we have as a club and players," Maguire said.
Maguire has noticed the growing popularity of football in the United States during his two consecutive summer trips. This is particularly evident in San Diego, home to the hugely popular San Diego Wave FC women's team and a Major League Soccer team, San Diego FC, set to debut next season. On Tuesday, the club held a coaching session for 32 young soccer players at The Preuss School UC San Diego.
Last year's match drew a record crowd of 34,248 fans to Snapdragon Stadium, causing traffic chaos in the hours following the game. The match was also memorable for a dramatic moment when Wrexham's "Super" Paul Mullin collided with Nathan Bishop and suffered a punctured lung, forcing him out of the game. Play was halted for eight minutes while medical staff worked to get Mullin oxygen.
Mullin's injury and subsequent recovery were documented in the hugely popular American docuseries, "Welcome to Wrexham."
"Watching the growth of football in the United States has been very exciting as a footballer, obviously, with the growing support from fans and with the World Cup coming in two years," Maguire said.
Manchester United vs. Real Betis (Exhibition)
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Snapdragon Stadium
Originally Published: July 30, 2024 at 12:57 p.m.