West Ham, Wolves and Crystal Palace announce USA tour
Three more Premier League clubs have revealed plans to play friendlies in the United States this summer. Crystal Palace, West Ham, and Wolves are the latest English teams set to tour America in the coming months. Several big Premier League teams, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and both Manchester sides, have previously announced similar American tours. In all, half of all current English top-flight clubs will make the trip to the States this summer.
The inaugural 2024 Stateside Cup trophy will feature a three-game tournament between Palace, West Ham, and Wolves. Each team will play each other once and the matches are set to take place in Florida and Maryland. West Ham and Wolves will start the competition on July 27th in Jacksonville, Florida. Palace will then face Wolves four days later in Annapolis, Maryland. The mini-tournament is set to conclude as West Ham takes on Palace on August 3 in Tampa, Florida.
Palace, West Ham both have ownership ties to the US
Palace has direct ties to the U.S. due to American investor John Textor’s 45% stake in the club. The Eagles recently played a pair of summer friendlies in the States just last summer. Textor’s team previously faced off against Colombian side Millonarios in Illinois before then playing Sevilla in Detroit.
While the South London side flirted with potential relegation earlier this summer, head coach Oliver Glasner has the club back on track. Palace’s form has skyrocketed recently thanks to big wins against Liverpool and Manchester United. Glasner has his team playing attractive soccer, while also not losing a match in over a month.
The Hammers also have an American connection as well. Tripp Smith, born in Indiana, currently holds an 8% stake in the east London club. The team last made the trip across the pond in 2016 but will make their first appearance in Florida later this summer.
West Ham currently finds themselves in the top half of the Premier League table under manager David Moyes. Nevertheless, team brass is likely to make a managerial change, meaning their next coach could debut in America.
Wolves have interesting history here in the States
Wolves may not have current ownership ties to the U.S., but they certainly have a lengthy history Stateside. The West Midlands side last played a match in America 43 years ago. However, the club previously helped compile one of the teams for the United Soccer Association (USA) back in the 1960s. The American Wolves collected the league’s title in 1967, the division’s sole campaign. A documentary was recently released regarding the story of the club’s triumph.
Despite financial issues, Wolves are set to complete a fairly respectable season thanks to the help of coach Gary O’Neil. The club currently sits 12th in the table, safe from potential relegation. O’Neil was brought into the team at a time when management was just hoping to remain in the English top flight.
Fans can purchase tickets to all three Stateside Cup matches on the tournament’s official website starting on Monday, May 13 at 10 a.m. ET. Each team involved is handling a pre-sale for their own specific matches.
West Ham fans can register now for the early event. Official Palace supporter group members can access the pre-sale on Friday, May 10 at 10 a.m. ET. Wolves fans can also grab seats in specific areas of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium by using the code EPLNavy on their website.
West Ham, Crystal Palace and Wolves schedule games in USA
Wolves vs. West Ham – July 27, 7 p.m. – Jacksonville, FL (EverBank Stadium)
Crystal Palace vs. Wolves – July 31, 8 p.m. – Annapolis, MD
(Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium)
West Ham vs. Crystal Palace – August 3, 7 p.m. – Tampa, FL (Raymond James Stadium)