The Philadelphia Union announced today that they will host Aston Villa at PPL Park on Wednesday, July 18 at 7:30pm, confirming an earlier announcement on the Premiership club’s website.
Tickets for the event are included in full season ticket packages at no additional cost.
“Card-carrying season ticket holders will have the game loaded on their season ticket card and those with printed tickets will have tickets for this match mailed to them by mid-June,” said the announcement. “Season ticket holders who purchased pre-paid parking for the season will be able to use the BONUS GAME pass from their parking booklet for this match.”
Tickets will go on sale today at 4pm to the general public and can be purchased here.
The match falls between the July 14 home game against Montreal and the road game to New York on July 21.
“It’s our ongoing commitment to bring world-class international competition to Philadelphia,” said Philadelphia Union CEO & Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz in the announcement. “We are very proud to host Aston Villa in what will be a challenge for our club and a treat for our fans. We’re also thrilled that this match will be a wonderful precursor to the 2012 MLS All-Star Game and its surrounding festivities. This will certainly be an amazing week for not only our fans and PPL Park but also for cities of Chester and Philadelphia.”
The All-Star Game will take place at PPL Park on Wednesday, July 25.
After its date with the Union, Villa will play Chicago Fire on July 21 at Toyota Park and Portland Timbers on July 24 at JELD-WEN Field.
Said Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish, “The competition will be good and the facilities top-class, so this will be great preparation when the time comes for the season ahead.”
The American-owned Birmingham team is currently 15th in the Premiership, eight points above the relegation zone.
Danny Mwanga spent ten-days training with the club at the end of January, beginning of February.
Anyone else think Villa have an outside chance of going down? They’ve won only 2 of their last 10; Blackburn, Bolton and Wigan are starting to play better; their final run-in includes games against Chelsea, ManU, Spurs, and Liverpool, with only one game coming against a team currently below them in the table (the rescheduled game against…Bolton); and whilst getting smacked around by Arsenal last week, the team really did not seem to be playing for the manager…thoughts?