1 Goalkeeper (GK) Geoff Barnett, in place of the injured Bob Wilson
2 Right Back (RB) Pat Rice
3 Left Back (LB) Sammy Nelson, in place of Bob McNab
4 Midfielder (MF) Peter Storey
5 Centreback (CB) Frank McLintock; sub: 14 John Roberts
6 CB Peter Simpson
7 MF George Armstrong
8 MF Alan Ball; sub: 12 Eddie Kelly
9 Forward (FW) John Radford
10 FW Ray Kennedy
11 FW Charlie George.
Miami Gatos 2-3 Arsenal, the Gunners coming from 1-0 down at the half. The Gatos were a North American Soccer League franchise that played from 1972 to 1976, known after that 1st season as the Miami Toros -- the Cats becoming the Bulls. Goals by George, Radford and Kennedy. Attendance: 4,725.
May 23, 1973, Varsity Stadium, Toronto.
1 GK Bob Wilson
2 RB Pat Rice
3 LB Bob McNab
4 MF Eddie Kelly
5 CB Richie Powling
6 CB Peter Simpson
7 FW Peter Marinello
8 MF Brian Chambers
9 FW John Radford
10 FW Charlie George
11 MF George Armstrong
(No substitutions were used. Peter Storey and Ray Kennedy did not play.)
Toronto Select 0-1 Arsenal. Charlie George scored the game's only goal. Attendance: I can't find a reference.
Four days later, in a game that was in the CONCACAF region but not on the North American continent, Arsenal beat Devonshire Colts in Bermuda, 4-0. It was the same lineup, with Charlie scoring again, as did Marinello (in what turned out to be his last appearance for the club), and Radford twice.
Other CONCACAF, but not North American countries or country equivalents where Arsenal have played include Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Curacao and Aruba in 1965; and Trinidad & Tobago again in 1982 and 1985. Arsenal have never played in Mexico, nor in any nation that could be called "Central America."
Their only visits to South America have been Summer tours of Brazil in 1949 and 1951. They've played in Africa in South Africa in 1964 and 1993, and in Egypt in 1982. Their visits to Asia have included Japan in 1968 and 2013; Singapore in 1975, 1977, 1990, 2015 and 2018; Thailand in 1975 and 1999; Malaysia in 1975, 1999, 2011 and 2012; the United Arab Emirates in 1976, 2019 and 2022; Kuwait in 1977; China in 1981, 1995, 2011, 2012 and 2017; Indonesia in 1983 and 2013; Saudi Arabia in 1984; and Vietnam in 2013. They went to Australia in 1977 and 2017.
August 6, 1989, Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida.
Left to right: Michael Thomas, David Rocastle, Lee Dixon
2 RB Lee Dixon
3 LB Gus Caesar (in place of Nigel Winterburn)
4 MF Michael Thomas
5 CB David O'Leary
6 CB Tony Adams
7 MF David Rocastle
8 MF Kevin Richardson
9 FW Alan Smith
10 MF Paul Merson
11 MF Steve Morrow (in place of Brian Marwood or Martin Hayes)
Independiente 1-2 Arsenal. Club Atletico Independiente, of Avellaneda in the province of Buenos Aires, were the defending champions of Argentina, as Arsenal were the defending champions of England. This was for the Zenith Data Systems Challenge Trophy, a phony "world championship." "Rocky" Rocastle scored from open play in the 1st half, and from a penalty in the 2nd half.
For the 2nd time, Arsenal decided that the best place in America to visit during the Summer was Miami. Attendance: 10,042, the vast majority of them Hispanics rooting for the South American team. Each team had someone sent off: Independiente, a player; Arsenal, oddly enough, physio Gary Lewin.
And then Arsenal did not return to North America for a quarter of a century. Joe Robbie Stadium has gone through several name changes, and is now Hard Rock Stadium.
July 26, 2014, Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey, outside New York.
1 GK Wojciech Szczesny; 46th minute sub: 26 Emiliano Martinez
3 LB Kieran Gibbs, played entire game
7 FW Tomáš Rosický; 71st minute sub: 37 Chuba Akpom
8 MF Mikel Arteta; 46th minute sub: 34 Francis Coquelin
10 MF Jack Wilshere; 71st minute sub: 56 Jon Toral
16 MF Aaron Ramsey; 46th minute sub: 24 Abou Diaby
18 CB Nacho Monreal, played entire game
19 MF Santi Cazorla; 71st minute sub: 53 Kristoffer Olsson
25 RB Carl Jenkinson; 46th minute sub: 39 Héctor Bellerín
35 MF Gedion Zelalem; 46th minute sub: 20 Mathieu Flamini
45 CB Isaac Hayden; 46th minute sub: 48 Ignasi Miquel
New York Red Bulls 1-0 Arsenal. Attendance: A sellout of 25,219, including myself. If the game had been played at the 41,922-seat Citi Field in Flushing, Queens; at the 49,638-seat new Yankee Stadium in The Bronx; or even at the 82,566-seat MetLife Stadium, at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, it would still have sold out. That's how much of a following The Arsenal have in America, and particularly in the New York Tri-State Area.
Bradley Wright-Phillips, son of Arsenal legend Ian Wright, scored the only goal. Diaby had a goal disallowed for offside -- incorrectly, I thought. (Some things never change: Even in meaningless games on other continents, The Arsenal get screwed over by the officials.) It is ironic that the Arsenal player most known for not playing due to injury had come the closest to scoring in an Arsenal uniform than any player I've ever seen, and would hold that title until 2024. I had seen Thierry Henry score, and in that very stadium, but for the Red Bulls.
Several Arsenal players who featured in the 2014 World Cup did not make the trip: Germans Per Mertesacker (4) and Mesut Özil (11); Frenchmen Laurent Koscielny (6) and Olivier Giroud (12); Englishmen Theo Walcott (14) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (15); and Chilean Alexis Sánchez (17).
As a result, the club was short at certain positions. Rosický, normally a midfielder, played the 1st 70 minutes up top. Monreal, normally a left back, was moved to centreback. Zelalem, only the 3rd American ever to play for Arsenal (after Frank Simek in 2003 and Danny Karbassiyoon in 2004), became the 1st player from a CONCACAF nation to play for Arsenal in a CONCACAF nation, let alone his own.
Thierry Henry and Jack Wilshere
3 LB Kieran Gibbs, played entire game
7 FW Tomáš Rosický; 71st minute sub: 37 Chuba Akpom
8 MF Mikel Arteta; 46th minute sub: 34 Francis Coquelin
10 MF Jack Wilshere; 71st minute sub: 56 Jon Toral
16 MF Aaron Ramsey; 46th minute sub: 24 Abou Diaby
18 CB Nacho Monreal, played entire game
19 MF Santi Cazorla; 71st minute sub: 53 Kristoffer Olsson
25 RB Carl Jenkinson; 46th minute sub: 39 Héctor Bellerín
35 MF Gedion Zelalem; 46th minute sub: 20 Mathieu Flamini
45 CB Isaac Hayden; 46th minute sub: 48 Ignasi Miquel
New York Red Bulls 1-0 Arsenal. Attendance: A sellout of 25,219, including myself. If the game had been played at the 41,922-seat Citi Field in Flushing, Queens; at the 49,638-seat new Yankee Stadium in The Bronx; or even at the 82,566-seat MetLife Stadium, at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, it would still have sold out. That's how much of a following The Arsenal have in America, and particularly in the New York Tri-State Area.
Bradley Wright-Phillips, son of Arsenal legend Ian Wright, scored the only goal. Diaby had a goal disallowed for offside -- incorrectly, I thought. (Some things never change: Even in meaningless games on other continents, The Arsenal get screwed over by the officials.) It is ironic that the Arsenal player most known for not playing due to injury had come the closest to scoring in an Arsenal uniform than any player I've ever seen, and would hold that title until 2024. I had seen Thierry Henry score, and in that very stadium, but for the Red Bulls.
Several Arsenal players who featured in the 2014 World Cup did not make the trip: Germans Per Mertesacker (4) and Mesut Özil (11); Frenchmen Laurent Koscielny (6) and Olivier Giroud (12); Englishmen Theo Walcott (14) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (15); and Chilean Alexis Sánchez (17).
As a result, the club was short at certain positions. Rosický, normally a midfielder, played the 1st 70 minutes up top. Monreal, normally a left back, was moved to centreback. Zelalem, only the 3rd American ever to play for Arsenal (after Frank Simek in 2003 and Danny Karbassiyoon in 2004), became the 1st player from a CONCACAF nation to play for Arsenal in a CONCACAF nation, let alone his own.
I had seen Özil play for Real Madrid against AC Milan at Yankee Stadium on August 8, 2012, and Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski play for Germany against the U.S. team at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington on June 2, 2013, that latter game being my first time seeing an active Arsenal player, albeit not playing for Arsenal, which is what this 2014 game was all about. The first former Arsenal player I ever saw playing for anybody was Freddie Ljungberg, for the Seattle Sounders against the Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena, on April 3, 2010.
This game, and the 2012 Emirates Cup 1-1 draw between the clubs, may be as close as we come to Henry, who with only 9 seasons in an Arsenal shirt falls just short of qualifying, ever getting an official testimonial.
July 28, 2016, Avaya Stadium, San Jose, outside San Francisco.
33 GK Petr Cech; 67th minute sub: 26 Emiliano Martinez
2 RB Mathieu Debuchy; 46th minute sub: 24 Héctor Bellerín)
3 LB Kieran Gibbs; 46th minute sub: 18 Nacho Monreal
10 MF Jack Wilshere; 46th minute sub: 17 Alex Iwobi
14 FW Theo Walcott; 67th minute sub: 68 MF Chris Willock, his Arsenal debut
15 MF Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; 67th minute sub: 32 FW Chuba Akpom
16 CB Rob Holding, his Arsenal debut, played entire game
28 MF Joel Campbell; 69th minute sub: 31 FW Jeff Reine-Adelaide
34 MF Francis Coquelin; 46th minute sub: 29 Granit Xhaka, his Arsenal debut
35 MF Mohamed Elneny; 67th minute sub: 40 Gedion Zelalem
37 CB Krystian Bielik; 46th minute sub: 21 Calum Chambers
MLS All-Stars 1-2 Arsenal. Campbell and Akpom the Arsenal scorers.
Özil, Koscielny and Giroud did not play, because they featured in Euro 2016. Özil at least made the trip. Mertesacker did not, because he was injured. Sánchez, now wearing 7, did not make the trip, because he featured in the Copa America.
Attendance: Listed as exactly 18,000, which, if true, would be a sellout. Just 2 days later, Liverpool and AC Milan played just a few miles away at Levi's Stadium, the new home of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, and sold out at 68,500. I have no doubt that Arsenal, never mind the MLS All-Stars, could have sold that out, too. Avaya Stadium is now named PayPal Park.
July 28, 2016, Avaya Stadium, San Jose, outside San Francisco.
33 GK Petr Cech; 67th minute sub: 26 Emiliano Martinez
2 RB Mathieu Debuchy; 46th minute sub: 24 Héctor Bellerín)
3 LB Kieran Gibbs; 46th minute sub: 18 Nacho Monreal
10 MF Jack Wilshere; 46th minute sub: 17 Alex Iwobi
14 FW Theo Walcott; 67th minute sub: 68 MF Chris Willock, his Arsenal debut
15 MF Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; 67th minute sub: 32 FW Chuba Akpom
16 CB Rob Holding, his Arsenal debut, played entire game
28 MF Joel Campbell; 69th minute sub: 31 FW Jeff Reine-Adelaide
34 MF Francis Coquelin; 46th minute sub: 29 Granit Xhaka, his Arsenal debut
35 MF Mohamed Elneny; 67th minute sub: 40 Gedion Zelalem
37 CB Krystian Bielik; 46th minute sub: 21 Calum Chambers
MLS All-Stars 1-2 Arsenal. Campbell and Akpom the Arsenal scorers.
Özil, Koscielny and Giroud did not play, because they featured in Euro 2016. Özil at least made the trip. Mertesacker did not, because he was injured. Sánchez, now wearing 7, did not make the trip, because he featured in the Copa America.
Attendance: Listed as exactly 18,000, which, if true, would be a sellout. Just 2 days later, Liverpool and AC Milan played just a few miles away at Levi's Stadium, the new home of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, and sold out at 68,500. I have no doubt that Arsenal, never mind the MLS All-Stars, could have sold that out, too. Avaya Stadium is now named PayPal Park.
July 31, 2016, StubHub Center, Carson, California, outside Los Angeles.
13 GK David Ospina; 68th minute sub: 26 Emiliano Martinez
14 FW Theo Walcott; 46th minute sub: 32 Chuba Akpom
15 MF Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; 65th minute sub: 40 Gedion Zelalem
16 CB Rob Holding, played entire game
17 MF Alex Iwobi; 65th minute sub: 68 Chris Willock
18 LB Nacho Monreal; 46th minute sub: 3 Kieran Gibbs
19 MF Santi Cazorla; 46th minute sub: 28 Joel Campbell
21 CB Calum Chambers; 46th minute sub: 37 Kristian Bielik
24 RB Héctor Bellerín; 46th minute sub: 2 Mathieu Debuchy
29 MF Granit Xhaka; 46th minute sub: 35 Mohamed Elneny
34 MF Francis Coquelin; 65th minute sub: 31 Jeff Reine-Adelaide
13 GK David Ospina; 68th minute sub: 26 Emiliano Martinez
14 FW Theo Walcott; 46th minute sub: 32 Chuba Akpom
15 MF Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; 65th minute sub: 40 Gedion Zelalem
16 CB Rob Holding, played entire game
17 MF Alex Iwobi; 65th minute sub: 68 Chris Willock
18 LB Nacho Monreal; 46th minute sub: 3 Kieran Gibbs
19 MF Santi Cazorla; 46th minute sub: 28 Joel Campbell
21 CB Calum Chambers; 46th minute sub: 37 Kristian Bielik
24 RB Héctor Bellerín; 46th minute sub: 2 Mathieu Debuchy
29 MF Granit Xhaka; 46th minute sub: 35 Mohamed Elneny
34 MF Francis Coquelin; 65th minute sub: 31 Jeff Reine-Adelaide
Club Deportivo Guadalajara 1-3 Arsenal. Holding, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Akpom the Arsenal scorers against the team popularly known as Chivas. A rare match in which no players wearing Numbers 1 through 11 started, for either side.
Attendance: 24,000. This may have been the 1st time that a Mexican team has played in California and had their fans outnumbered. Three days earlier, Chelsea beat Liverpool at the Rose Bowl in nearby Pasadena, in front of 53,117. Arsenal would have done at least that well.
Attendance: 24,000. This may have been the 1st time that a Mexican team has played in California and had their fans outnumbered. Three days earlier, Chelsea beat Liverpool at the Rose Bowl in nearby Pasadena, in front of 53,117. Arsenal would have done at least that well.
The StubHub Center is now named Dignity Health Sports Park.
Goals scored by Arsenal in North America, December 11, 1886 to July 27, 2016: 6.
Goals scored by Arsenal in North America, July 28 to 31, 2016: 5.
July 15, 2019, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colorado, outside Denver.
33 GK Matt Macey
21 CB Calum Chambers; 62nd minute sub, 31 Sead Kolašinac
25 RB Carl Jenkinson
30 FW Eddie Nketiah; 78th minute sub, 9 Alexandre Lacazette
41 MF Robbie Burton
45 MF Tyreece John-Jules; 78th minute sub, 14 Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
49 CB Zech Medley
52 MF James Olayinka; 62nd minute sub, 28 Joe Willock
60 LB Dominic Thompson; 62nd minute sub, 20 Shkordan Mustafi
77 LW Bukayo Saka
35 RW Gabriel Martinelli; 78th minute sub, 10 Mesut Özil
Colorado Rapids 0-3 Arsenal. This trip was a bright moment in the dark interlude of the management of Unai Emery, after the stupidity of forcing Arsène Wenger out. I mean, come on: Martinelli (in his Arsenal debut) on the right, Saka on the left? Still, the opponent was only an MLS team, so the best XI didn't need to be fielded. And Emery's choices of where to put them worked this time: Saka scored in the 13th minute, Olayinka in the 29th, and Martinelli in the 61st. Attendance: 18,061, a sellout.
July 17, 2019, Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, outside Los Angeles.
1 GK Bernd Leno; 46th minute sub, 26 Emiliano Martinez
5 CB Sokratis Papasthathopoulos (usually referred to a just "Sokratis")
7 RW Henrikh Mkhitaryan; 64th sub, 24 Reiss Nelson
9 FW Alexandre Laczette; 81st minute sub, 30 Eddie Nketiah
10 MF Mesut Özil; 81st minute sub, 45 Tyreece John-Jules
14 LW Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang; 81st minute sub, 77 Bukayo Saka
15 RB Ainsley Maitland-Niles
18 LB Nacho Monreal; 46th minute sub, 31 Sead Kolašinac
20 CB Shkodran Mustafi; 81st minute sub, 21 Calum Chambers
28 MF Joe Willock; 64th minute sub, 41 Robbie Burton
34 MF Granit Xhaka
Arsenal 2-1 Bayern Munich. In UEFA Champions League play, Bayern had done to Arsenal what they do to everyone else, which is beat them through cheating. This time, they beat themselves, on an own goal by Louis Poznanski in the 49th minute. Robert Lewandowski equalized in the 71st, but Nketiah won it in the 88th. Attendance: 26,704, a sellout.
July 20, 2019, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina.
26 GK Emiliano Martinez; 46th minute sub, 1 Bernd Leno
18 LB Nacho Monreal; 80th minute sub, 10 Mesut Özil
20 CB Shkodran Mustafi; 80th minute sub, 49 Zech Medley
21 RB Calum Chambers; 63rd minute sub, 5 Sokratis Papasthathopoulos
24 MF Reiss Nelson; 80th minute sub, 35 Gabriel Martinelli
25 RW Carl Jenkinson; 80th minute sub, 34 Granit Xhaka
30 FW Eddie Nketiah; 46th minute sub, 9 Alexandre Lacazette
31 LW Sead Kolašinac; 80th minute sub, 15 Ainsley Maitland-Niles
41 MF Robbie Burton; 80th minute sub, 60 Dominic Thompson
52 MF James Olayinka; 63rd minute sub, 7 Henrikh Mkhitaryan
77 MF Bukayo Saka; 63rd minute sub, 28 Joe Willock
Arsenal 3-0 AFC Fiorentina. The team from Florence Italy had only finished 16th in the preceding Serie A season, and were no match for even a heavily-substituted Gunners squad. Attendance: 34,902, meaning they only opened the lower level of the stadium. Anybody predicting that, just 4 years later, Charlotte FC (admitted to MLS 5 years later) would set a single-game MLS attendance record would not have been taken seriously.
July 23, 2019, FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland, outside Washington.
26 GK Emiliano Martinez
5 CB Sokratis Papasthathopoulos
7 LW Henrikh Mkhitaryan; 74th minute sub, 24 Reiss Nelson
9 FW Alexandre Lacazette; 74th minute sub, 30 Eddie Nketiah
10 MF Mesut Özil; 74th minute sub, 77 Bukayo Saka
14 RW Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang; 74th minute sub, 41 Robbie Burton
21 CB Calum Chambers
25 RB Carl Jenkinson
28 MF Joe Willock; 46th minute sub, 18 Nacho Monreal
31 LB Sead Kolašinac
34 MF Granit Xhaka
Real Madrid 2-2 (3-2 after penalties) Arsenal. Real Madrid are the most successful team in the history of soccer. They are the closest thing soccer has to the Yankees, the Boston Celtics, the Montreal Canadiens. And, as I found out in the aforementioned game with AC Milan at Yankee Stadium in 2012, they don't treat any game like a "friendly." They play to win, every time. By cheating, if they have to. And it was rough: Both teams had a man sent off in the 1st half, in Arsenal's case Sokratis, and finished with 10 men.
There was a handball in the box in the 10th minute, and Lacazette converted the penalty. Aubameyang made it 2-0 a few minutes later. Former Tottenham star Gareth Bale scored early in the 2nd half, and Marco Ascensio tied it just 3 minutes later.
The match went to penalties. Reiss Nelson went 1st for Arsenal, and made his shot. Bale went first for Real, and was stopped by Martinez. But Xhaka was stopped by Keylor Navas, and Isco made his shot. Saka and Raphaël Varane and Saka made their shots. Monreal hit the post, Vinícius Júnior made his for Real, and Burton shot over the goal, to give Real the victory.
Attendance: 52,856. That seems low, giving the popularity of both teams. But the Landover stadium is not easy to reach, and is considered one of the worst stadiums in the NFL. It is now named Northwest Stadium.
Because of the rearrangements forced by COVID, there would be no Summer tour, anywhere, in 2020, and only 2 preseason friendlies. Arsenal entered the Florida Cup, which would have been conducted in Orlando on July 25 and 28, 2021, the other teams being Everton, Internazionale Milano, and Colombian side Millonarios. But a COVID outbreak among the Arsenal team canceled the tournament. A new Florida Cup was set up for Summer 2022, with Arsenal facing hosts Orlando City of MLS, Chelsea, and Mexico City team Club América.
July 16, 2022, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland.
30 GK Matt Turner
5 MF Thomas Partey; sub, 19 Nicolas Pépé
6 LB Gabriel Magalhães; sub, 97 Reuell Walters
7 RW Bukayo Saka; sub, 15 Ainsley Maitland-Niles
8 MF Martin Ødegaard; sub, 25 Mohamed Elneny
9 FW Gabriel Jesus; sub, 14 Eddie Nketiah
11 LW Gabriel Martinelli; sub, 24 Reiss Nelson
12 CB William Saliba; sub, 22 Pablo Marí
17 CB Cédric Soares; sub, 16 Rob Holding
20 RB Nuno Tavares; sub, 2 Héctor Bellerín
34 MF Granit Xhaka; sub, 23 Albert Lokonga
Arsenal 2-0 Everton. Goals by Jesus in the 33rd and Saka in the 36th. Attendance: 39,245. It sounds like they only opened the lower level. It also sounds like Everton fans don't travel as well as their neighbors, Liverpool FC.
July 20, 2022, Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Florida.
32 GK Aaron Ramsdale; 46th minute sub, Matt Turner
11 LW Gabriel Martinelli; 46th minute sub, 9 Gabriel Jesus
14 FW Eddie Nketiah; 74th minute sub, 24 Reiss Nelson
15 MF Ainsley Maitland-Niles; 46th minute sub, 8 Martin Ødegaard
16 CB Rob Holding; 59th minute sub, 12 William Saliba
17 RB Cédric Soares; 46th minute sub, 2 Héctor Bellerín
19 RW Nicolas Pépé; 59th minute sub, 7 Bukayo Saka
20 LB Nuno Tavares; 84th minute sub, 6 Gabriel Magalhães
22 CB Pablo Marí; 46th minute sub, 4 Ben White
25 MF Mohamed Elneny; 59th minute sub, 5 Thomas Party
23 MF Albert Lokonga; 59th minute sub, 34 Granit Xhaka
Orlando City 1-3 Arsenal. Goals by Martinelli in the 5th, Nketiah in the 66th, and Nelson in the 80th. Attendance: 19,738, a sellout. Exploria is a locally-headquartered tourism company. The stadium has since been renamed Inter&Co Stadium. Inter&Co is a Brazilian "digital bank."
July 23, 2022, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida.
32 GK Aaron Ramsdale; 72nd minute sub, Matt Turner
4 RB Ben White; 72nd minute sub, 17 Cédric Soares
5 MF Thomas Partey; 72nd minute sub, 25 Mohamed Elneny
6 CB Gabriel Magalhães
7 FW Bukayo Saka; 72nd minute sub, 27 Marquinhos
8 MF Martin Ødegaard; 78th minute sub, 15 Ainsley Maitland-Niles
9 FW Gabriel Jesus; 57th minute sub, 14 Eddie Nketiah
11 FW Gabriel Martinelli; 72nd minute sub, 19 Nicolas Pépé
12 CB William Saliba
34 MF Granit Xhaka; 78th minute sub, 23 Albert Lokonga
35 LB Oleksandr Zinchenko; 46th minute sub, 20 Nuno Tavares
Arsenal 4-0 Chelsea. Goals by Jesus in the 15th, Ødegaard in the 36th, Saka in the 65th, and Lokonga in the 92nd. Attendance: 63,811. This stadium was formerly known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Citrus Bowl, and was used in the 1994 World Cup.
July 19, 2023, Audi Field, Washington, District of Columbia.
1 GK Aaron Ramsdale; 46th minute sub, 31 Karl Hein
2 CB William Saliba; 64th minute sub, 12 Jurriën Timber
4 RB Ben White; 80th minute sub, 32 Auston Trusty
6 CB Gabriel Magalhães; 65th minute sub, 18 Takehiro Tomiyasu
7 RW Bukayo Saka; 46th minute sub, 29 Kai Havertz
9 FW Gabriel Jesus; 65th minute sub, 26 Folarin Balogun
14 LW Eddie Nketiah; 46th minute sub, 8 Martin Ødegaard
15 LB Jakub Kiwior; 64th minute sub, 3 Kieran Tierney
19 MF Leanrdo Trossard; 56th minute sub, 11 Gabriel Martinelli
20 MF Jorginho; 65th minute sub, 41 Declan Rice
21 MF Fábio Vieira; 65th minute sub, Marquinhos
MLS All-Stars 0-5 Arsenal. Goals by Jesus in the 5th, Trossard in the 23rd, a penalty taken by Jorginho in the 47th, Martinelli in the 84th, and Havertz in the 89th. Attendance: 20,621. Balogun had already added his name to the list of Americans playing for Arsenal; now, Trusty did as well. This result was great for Arsenal, not so much for MLS: At least when their All-Stars hosted Arsenal in 2016, it was close.
This game marked the Arsenal debuts of Rice, Havertz, Trossard, Kiwior, and a horrible away kit that nonetheless proved lucky for Arsenal: Lemon-yellow with wiggly black stripes all over the place.
July 22, 2023, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey.
1 GK Aaron Ramsdale
2 CB William Saliba; 71st minute sub, 20 Jorginho
6 CB Gabriel Magalhães
7 RW Bukayo Saka; 71st minute sub, 21 Fábio Vieira
8 MF Martin Ødegaard
11 LW Gabriel Martinelli; 58th minute sub, 9 Gabriel Jesus
12 CB Jurriën Timber; 58th minute sub, 4 Ben White
14 FW Eddie Nkietiah; 71st minute sub, 19 Leandro Trossard
18 LB Takehiro Tomiyasu; 46th minute sub, 3 Kieran Tierney
29 MF Kai Havertz; 71st minute sub, 10 Emile Smith Rowe
41 MF Declan Rice; 58th minute sub, 5 Thomas Partey
Manchester United 2-0 Arsenal. Bruno Fernandes, the latest in a long line of diving pricks signed by Man U, scored in the 30th minute. Jadon Sancho scored in the 37th, and Arsenal were done and dusted. Despite the fact that the game had a definitive result, after the 94 minutes were played, there was a penalty shootout, which Man U won, 5-3.
This was the Arsenal's 2nd visit to the New York Tri-State Area. I did not attend on this occasion. I figured, I had my chance, and I made the most of it, so let others who didn't get to see them at Red Bull Arena 9 years earlier get their chance now. Besides, it's one thing to spend all that money and risk watching them lose to the Red Bulls; it's another thing to spend all that money and risk watching them lose to Man U, the most disgusting sports team in the English-speaking world.
Attendance: 82,262. My 2014 prediction that Arsenal could sell out the Meadowlands remains unfulfilled, since Man U remain the more popular team, in America as well as in England, as stomach-churning a proposition as that is.
July 26, 2023, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California.
1 GK Aaron Ramsdale
2 CB William Saliba; 70th minute sub, 15 Jakub Kiwior
4 RB Ben White
5 MF Thomas Partey; 70th minute sub, 20 Jorginho
6 CB Gabriel Magalhães; 84th minute sub, 16 Rob Holding
7 RW Bukayo Saka; 84th minute sub, 45 Amario Cozier-Duberry
8 MF Martin Ødegaard; 62nd minute sub, 21 Fábio Vieira
9 FW Gabiel Jesus; 79th minute sub, 14 Eddie Nketiah
12 LB Jurriën Timber; 70th minute sub, 3 Kieran Tierney
19 LW Leandro Trossard; 79th minute sub, 11 Gabriel Martinelli
29 MF Kai Havertz; 46th minute sub, 10 Emile Smith Rowe
Arsenal 5-3 Barcelona. The Gunners beating the notorious Catalan cheats is rare, even in a game that doesn't count for anything, and there was a considerable amount of rough play in this "friendly." Arsenal fell behind in the 7th minute, on a goal by Robert Lewandowski, but Saka tied it in the 13th. Arsenal were awarded a penalty in the 22nd, but Saka missed. Rapinha gave Barça back the lead in the 34th, but Havertz tied it in the 43rd.
Trossard gave Arsenal their 1st lead in the 55th, and he scored again in the 78th. Ferran Torres scored for Barça in the 88th, but Arsenal attacked right from the kickoff, and Vieira put the game away a minute later. Attendance: 70,223, a sellout.
July 24, 2024, Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California.
31 GK Karl Hein
4 RB Ben White; 78th minute sub, 51 Josh Nichols
5 MF Thomas Partey; 62nd minute sub, 20 Jorginho
12 CB Jurriën Timber; 62nd minute sub, 60 Omar Rekik
14 CF Eddie Nketiah; 62nd minute sub, 9 Gabriel Jesus
21 RW Fábio Vieira; 62nd minute sub, 64 Charles Sagoe Jr.
24 RW Reiss Nelson; 62nd minute sub, 19 Leandro Trossard
49 LB Myles Lewis-Skelly; 62nd minute sub, 35 Oleksandr Zinchenko
53 MF Ethan Nwaneri; 84th minute sub, 44 Jimi Gower
56 MF Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand; 45th minute sub, 8 Martin Ødegaard
76 CB Ayden Heaven; 62nd minute sub, 15 Jakub Kiwior
Arsenal 1-1 (5-4 after penalties) AFC Bournemouth. Yes, Arsenal had a Jesus and a Heaven on the pitch in the same game. Vieira scored in the 18th minute. Bournemouth equalized in the 73rd. The attendance was given at only 13,000, so unless the upper deck was purposely closed off at this 27,000-seat stadium, that's incorrect.
July 27, 2024, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California.
31 GK Karl Hein
4 CB Ben White; 63rd minute sub, 51 Josh Nichols
8 MF Martin Ødegaard; 71st minute sub, 29 Kai Havertz
9 LW Gabriel Jesus; 71st minute sub, 14 Eddie Nietiah
12 CB Jurriën Timber; 63rd minute sub, 6 Gabriel Magalhães
19 MF Leandro Trossard; 63rd minute sub, 21 Fabio Vieira
20 MF Jorginho; 63rd minute sub, 5 Thomas Partey
24 RW Reiss Nelson; 71st minute sub, 11 Gabriel Martinelli
35 LB Oleksander Zinchenko; 63rd minute sub, 49 Myles Lewis-Skelly
53 MF Ethan Nwaneri; 46th minute sub, 56 Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand
76 CB Ayden Heaven; 46th minute sub, 15 Jakub Kiwior
Arsenal 2-1 Manchester United. Revenge for the previous Summer's loss at the Meadowlands. After giving up a goal in the 10th minute, Jesus scored in the 26th, and Martinelli won it in the 81st. Attendance: 62,486.
July 31, 2024, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia.
31 GK Karl Hein
4 CB Ben White; 84th minute sub, 76 Ayden Heaven
5 MF Thomas Partey; 78th minute sub, 20 Jorginho
6 CB Gabriel Magalhães; 84th minute sub, 51 Josh Nichols
8 MF Martin Ødegaard
9 CF Gabriel Jesus; 78th minute sub, 14 Eddie Nketiah
11 LW Gabriel Martinelli; 46th minute sub, 21 Fabio Vieira
15 CB Jakob Kiwior
24 RW Reiss Nelson; 46th minute sub, 19 Leandro Trossard
29 MF Kai Havertz; 70th minute sub, 53 Ethan Nwaneri
35 LB Oleksander Zinchenko; 70th minute sub, Myles Lewis-Skelly
Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool. Mohamed Salah decided the game, scoring in the 13th minute. Fabio Carvalho scored in the 34th. Havertz pulled one back in the 40th, but Arsenal could not find an equalizer. Attendance: 69,879.
*
So, to sum up:
Miami 1972 1989
New York 2014 2023
San Francisco 2016
Los Angeles 2016 2019 2023 2024
Denver 2019
Charlotte 2019
Washington 2019 2023
Baltimore 2022
Orlando 2022
Philadelphia 2024
1972 Miami
1989 Miami
2014 New York
2016 San Francisco, Los Angeles
2019 Los Angeles, Denver, Charlotte, Washington
2022 Baltimore, Orlando
2023 Los Angeles, Washington, New York
2024 Los Angeles, Philadelphia
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