29.07.2009 13:41
Barça visits America for seventh time
Edgar Fornós
Barça is once again on a summer tour of the US, the seventh time they have been to the country in preseason.
Barça have started a new tour of the US where they will continue to gear up for their first
competitive matches of the season in the Spanish and European Super Cups. The 2009 US tour follows
on from six previous ones held in 1937, 1969, 1984, 2003, 2006 and 2008.
Mexico first
In 1937, in the midst of the Spanish Civil War, FC Barcelona crossed the Atlantic for a tour
that began in Mexico and ended in the US. After playing nine games against Mexico DF and one in
Orizaba in June, July and August, Barça, then coached by Irishman Patrick O’Connell, went to
the US to play four more games in New York.
New York again 32 years on
The Big Apple hosted FC Barcelona again in the summer of 1969, with the club playing two
games against Juventus. The last game of the tour was against a world all-stars side.
The Transatlantic Cup
This was FC Barcelona’s shortest time in America. The side coached by Argentine César
Luis Menotti played two games in the Transatlantic Cup against the New York Cosmos and Brazilian
outfit Fluminense.
4 tours in 6 years
Between 2003 and the trip that began today, Wednesday, Barça have toured the US four times in
six years. The first was in 2003, with Frank Rijkard as the newly appointed manager, and the
Catalans played three tough rivals in Juventus, Milan and Manchester United that summer.
Barça went back to the US after winning the Champions League for the second time in the
2006/07 preseason after first stopping off in Mexico. In Monterrey Barça played Mexican side Tigres
before playing games in Los Angeles, Houston and Nova York.
Big wins in preseason before treble
Barça racked up some impressive victories in their 2008/09 preseason tour before going on to
win the treble. They beat Chivas Guadalajara 5-2 and New York Red Bull 6-2.