Leeds United is about a week away from its first preseason friendly, and the schedule is packed. Players have reported back for testing and training, and the club has six warm-up matches lined up across July and August. The most interesting part? They’re heading to the United States first.
The US leg
The tour opens on Sunday, July 26, against Wrexham at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. That’s a 12:30 a.m. BST kickoff, which translates to a late Saturday night or early Sunday morning for fans back in the UK. For American fans, it’s a 7:30 p.m. ET slot on Saturday evening. Not bad.
From there, Leeds faces Sunderland on Friday, July 31, at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey. Another 12:30 a.m. BST start, so again 7:30 p.m. ET the night before for U.S. viewers. Then the big one: Liverpool on Sunday, August 2, at Soldier Field in Chicago. That one kicks off at 9 p.m. BST, which is 3 p.m. CT or 4 p.m. ET. That’s a much friendlier time for American audiences.
The Liverpool match is probably the headliner of the US tour. Two historic clubs going at it in a stadium that’s hosted everything from Bears games to massive concerts. It should draw a solid crowd.
Back across the pond
Once the US leg is done, Leeds returns to England. They host RB Leipzig at Elland Road on Saturday, August 8, at 2 p.m. local time. That’s a good test against a Bundesliga side that’s been competitive in recent years.
Then there’s the Dublin date: Manchester United at Croke Park on Wednesday, August 12, at 7:30 p.m. local time. That’s a rivalry match, even if it’s just preseason. The atmosphere at Croke Park should be something else. It’s a massive venue, and the Leeds-United history runs deep.
The final tune-up is against FC Augsburg at Elland Road on Saturday, August 15, at 3 p.m. local time. That comes right after players return to testing on Monday, August 10, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post.
So six games total, three in the US, two at home, and one in Dublin. The club hasn’t confirmed anything about squad rotation or who’ll get significant minutes in which game, but typically the early US matches are for fitness and the later ones get closer to a first-choice lineup.
Leeds fans traveling to any of these should have a good time. The Tampa date against Wrexham is already generating buzz, mostly because of the Wrexham story and the novelty of seeing two EFL clubs play in Florida. The Liverpool and Manchester United friendlies are the ones that’ll likely draw the biggest crowds and the most attention from the broader soccer world.
The Championship season starts after all this, so expect the intensity to ramp up as August goes on.
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