Spanish club FC Barcelona. (Photo : Reuters)
La Liga champions FC Barcelona and MLS champions LA Galaxy will meet in a highly-anticipated 2015 International Champions Cup friendly match at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, July 21.
The last time these two heavyweights met was also at the Rose Bowl back in August 2009, when over 90,000 fans screamed and cheered with English superstar David Beckham still playing for Los Galácticos. Barça won that game, 2-1.
The tickets to the match are sold out as early as May of this year when it was made available to the public, as reported by the LA Galaxy's official website.
Barcelona and Galaxy remain to be two of the most popular football or soccer clubs today. The teams boast off mainstream stars like Neymar, Luis Suárez, and four-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi for the Spanish giants while LA has Robbie Keane and Omar Gonzalez.
Fans are again expected to be entertained as Luis Enrique's men are sure to show some of the moves that made them accomplish a treble in 2014-2015 while their hometown heroes try to match the visitors' performance.
Bruce Arena's squad is coming off a 2-1 victory over Mexican powerhouse Club América, via FC Barcelona's official website, and they will ride on the momentum of that win to pace them versus Barça.
Prediction: A full-strength Barcelona lineup overwhelms the hosts, 4-0. There is no chance that Arena's men will be able to contain the attacks of Messi, Neymar, and Suárez when together. If Enrique settles for a B lineup, then the score might be a little closer. But still the reigning La Liga, Copa del Rey, and UEFA Champions League winners would prevail.
FC Barcelona starting lineup (4-1-2-2-1 formation): ter Stegen; Piqué, Alves, Alba, Montoya; Mascherano; Rakitić, Iniesta; Messi, Neymar; Suárez
LA Galaxy starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Penedo; Rogers, DelaGarza, Gonzalez, Gargan; Ishizaki, Juninho, Garcia, Husidic; Zardes, Keane
