Ligue 1 French side Olympique Lyon pays a visit to Red Bull Arena on Tuesday, July 16, for a friendly match against the New York Red Bulls.
Of course, this isn’t the first time the heavily decorated French club prepares to kick off at RBA. Just last season, Lyon captured its eighth Trophee des Champions title after winning on penalty kicks over Montpellier. The dramatic win came just three months after the club claimed its fifth Coupe de France in a tight-knit, 1-0 win over Quevilly.
This time around the tone is a bit different, but that’s not to say any less competitive. Since the 2010 inception of Red Bull Arena, New York has welcomed a number of international clubs to its home.
Starting that season, the Red Bulls posted a 3-2 record in friendlies after picking up wins over Brazilian side Santos FC, Serie A’s Juventus and the EPL’s Manchester City, while falling on the wrong side of the result to Cruzeiro and Tottenham Hotspur.
In 2011 the Red Bulls bypassed a summer of international friendlies, electing instead to participate in, and ultimately win, the 2011 Emirates Cup off a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain and a 1-1 tie against Arsenal.
During the 2012 campaign English Premier League side Tottenham came to town, marking Tim Cahill’s first home match at Red Bull Arena, in what amounted to a 2-1 win for the Spurs. Cahill played an integral part in the match after a strong drive into the scoring area resulted in a penalty kick chance for the Red Bulls and a quick conversion that allowed the Red Bulls to take an early 1-0 lead.
It’s hard to predict just yet where the Red Bulls will find themselves at the completion of the July 16th match. Over the next few days leading up to the match, we’ll keep you primed and ready right up until the 8:00 PM kick off.
The Red Bulls will look to get the better of Lyon when the two face off on July 16. Tickets are available now at Red Bulls Ticket Central, or by calling 877.RB.SOCCER. Take advantage of the special two-pack to receive two tickets and two concessions vouchers for one great price.
And don’t forget the July 13 match against the Montreal Impact, the final regular season meeting between the two Eastern Conference sides.
