Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League will meet the Seattle Sounders in a friendly July 19 at CenturyLink Field.
Founded in 1882, Spurs has won a major trophy in each of the past six decades, including two league championships and eight FA Cups. Tottenham finished fifth in the 2012-13 EPL season, and qualified for the UEFA Europa League.
The clubs also have connections as former Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller made 85 appearances for Tottenham from 2001-2005, and current Sounders designated player Clint Dempsey scored 12 goals in 43 appearances there in 2012-13.
“Tottenham Hotspur has established themselves as one of the top teams in arguably the toughest league in the world,” Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer said in a club press release. “We are proud to have them be a part of this year’s friendly and will continue to strive to bring the strongest competition to CenturyLink Field.”
The Sounders have played host to seven international friendlies over their five seasons: two against Chelsea and one against Manchester United, FC Barcelona, Boca Juniors, Celtic, and Chivas de Guadalajara. Seattle did not play host a friendly last season.
The Spurs match will be part of the 18-game season-ticket package, which is now on sale. Single-game tickets for the friendly go on sale March 10.
Tottenham’s third United States tour over five seasons also includes a July 26 match at the Chicago Fire.
“Preseason preparations are always key ahead of a new campaign,” Spurs coach Tim Sherwood said in the release. “We know that the U.S. has first-class facilities, while Major League Soccer is growing each year. The MLS opposition we face will be in the middle of their seasons and played in their home stadiums, so we can expect strong tests.”
Top players on the Spurs roster include goalkeepers Hugo Lloris and Brad Friedel, midfielder Paulinho, forward Roberto Soldado and defender Kyle Walker.
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