July 28 is going to be an embarrassment of riches for soccer fans in the DMV. Not only are Chelsea and AC Milan playing at FedEx Field, not only are Liverpool and Tottenham playing just up the road at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, but D.C. United is getting into the act as well.
The Redskins have confirmed a report by Steven Goff of The Washington Post that FedEx Field will host an international soccer doubleheader featuring Chelsea, AC Milan, D.C. United, and an unnamed European club.
From Goff's initial report:
D.C. United will play a major Italian club July 28 at FedEx Field in the first match of a doubleheader that is also expected to feature Chelsea against AC Milan, multiple sources close to the negotiations said Monday.
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The identity of United's opponent wasn't made available to the Insider. However, sources ruled out Roma (which is on a U.S. tour around that time) and perennial power Inter Milan. That would leave Juventus, the most fabled Italian club with 27 league titles, as the top candidate.
Juventus, based in the northern Italian city of Turin, has not won a Serie A title since 2003; their 2005 and 2006 titles were stripped as the result of a match-fixing scandal. The club has also won the UEFA Champions League twice (1985 and 1996) and been runners-up five other times.
With eight games left in the current Serie A season, Juventus are two points behind AC Milan in the race for the Italian championship, or Scudetto.
D.C. United are no stranger to hosting European clubs. In 2011, the club hosted Dutch giants Ajax, as well as English side Everton. The Black-And-Red have also played AC Milan, Portsmouth, and Real Madrid in the recent past.
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