Chelsea F.C., Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. To Visit Utah For Inaugural MLS Next Pro Invitational
Jul 8, 2022, 9:28 AM
Jayden Wareham of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his teams first goal during the Papa John's Trophy match between Arsenal U21 and Chelsea U21 at Emirates Stadium on January 11, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Two of the world’s best soccer clubs will visit Utah through their respective under-21 teams. Chelsea F.C. and Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. under 21 teams will participate in the inaugural MLS Next Pro Invitational that will also include Real Monarchs, Colorado Rapids 2, and Toronto II.
The tournament will occur over the course of nine days between July 19 to the 27th. Matches will be played at both Rio Tinto Stadium and Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.
“International competition is a priority for our league. There are a lot of benefits, both on and off the field, that we are excited about,” said Ali Curtis, SVP of Competition & Operations, MLS NEXT Pro. “This year is the start to a competition that we hope to grow in the years ahead. We look forward to welcoming both Chelsea and Wolves to the U.S. and appreciate this partnership with Premier League 2.”
Some friends from across the pond are coming to town
— Real Monarchs (@RealMonarchs) July 8, 2022
The full match schedule is as follows:
- Tuesday, July 19: Real Monarchs vs Chelsea FC Under-21s (Rio Tinto Stadium, 7:30 p.m. MT)
- Thursday, July 21: Chelsea FC Under-21s vs. Wolves Under-21s (Zions Bank Stadium, 8:15 p.m. MT)
- Saturday, July 23: Real Monarchs vs. Wolves Under-21s (Zions Bank Stadium, 6:30 p.m. MT); Toronto FC II vs. Chelsea FC Under-21s (Zions Bank Stadium, 8:45 p.m. MT)
- Wednesday, July 27: Colorado Rapids 2 vs. Wolves Under-21s (Zions Bank Stadium, 8:00 p.m. MT)
“The Summer of Soccer in Utah continues with this unique, unprecedented event,” said Real Salt Lake President John Kimball. “First it was our Liga MX exhibition last month, then we hosted the U.S.A. Women’s National Team last week. Now our expert staff have the opportunity to show off our exquisite facilities to entities and individuals from the U.S., Canada and England for the first-ever MLS NEXT Pro Invitational, and we could not be prouder to provide this opportunity for our fans, as well as the participant Leagues and Clubs.”
Fans will be able to watch the broadcast via MLSNext.com com while tickets are available to purchase at RSL.com/tickets.
