USA: SOCCER - David Beckham's new team the Los Angeles Galaxy to take on the Chelsea Football Club in summer "fun" tournament in California

Premier League champions Chelsea will take on David Beckham's next club, the Los Angeles Galaxy, in a pre-season tour of the United States in July, organizers said on Friday(March 9, 2007). The game on July 21 will be the showcase of a four-team tournament, the World Series of Football, and could see the former England captain playing in a Galaxy shirt for the first time after his move from Real Madrid. "You know our timing sometimes you get lucky in life," explained AEG President and CEO Tim Leiweke. "This is working out pretty well to see that the Galaxy, and adding a world class player like David, happens at the time that we bring these world class teams in and host this friendly, that's going to be a fun week in Los Angeles." Beckham will move when his Real contract expires at the end of this season after agreeing a five-year deal in January worth $250 million, financed heavily by endorsements and bonuses based on the future success of Major League Soccer (MLS). Chelsea will be making their fourth consecutive pre-season tour in the United States for the four-match series. Chelsea FC Business Affairs Director Paul Smith said , the fact that David Beckham is here brings something extra to the tournament and to the game. "With six players on the Chelsea Squad England Team, they're very familiar with David, they've played alongside him for the past 5 - 6 years. They've been colleagues and they've been friends, and when you get that environment, it's more important that you end up being on the winning team than the losing team," said Smith. The series, to be played on two double-header days on July 17 and 21 at Carson, south of downtown Los Angeles, will also feature South Korea's Suwon Bluewings, owned by Chelsea's official shirt sponsor Samsung, and Mexican club Tigres. Chelsea, who will also play at another venue in California on July 14, have agreed to return in 2009 and 2011 for the two-yearly series, which is the result of an alliance between the west London club and Galaxy's owners, the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). As part of its deal with AEG, Chelsea have agreed a club-to-club relationship with the Galaxy, covering programs and exchanges on young players, medical issues and coaching.

ITN Source | March 11, 2007

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