AC Milan to Play Olimpia in Boston Doubleheader with New England-Sporting KC

AC Milan have an opponent for an August 4 friendly at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

The 17-time Italian champions will take on the reigning champions of Honduras, Club Deportivo Olimpia, in a friendly that precedes a Major League Soccer match-up between New England Revolution and Sporting Kansas City.

Milan were originally set to play Brazilian side Cruzeiro, but they have a Brazilian league match against Santos scheduled for the following day and are unable to switch it. New England was adamant about finding an opponent for the Italian giants, and Olimpia were able to step into the role.

AC Milan have played at Gillette Stadium before. They lost to Inter Milan 2-0 in July 2009 as part of the World Football Challenge.

Milan are back in the United States for the first time since 2010, when they beat Panathinaikos in a penalty shootout at Detroit's Ford Field on August 6.

The Rossoneri will be without Alexandre Pato and Thiago Silva, who will represent Brazil at the Summer Olympics in London.

For Olimpia, the friendly will be the first of two visits planned to the United States in the upcoming months. The Honduran champions will take on 2011 MLS runner-ups Houston Dynamo in their final Group Stage match of the 2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League.

The second game of the double header will feature two teams with very different stories to tell from the current Major League Soccer season. The Revolution are 13th in the overall table with 19 points, which keeps them five points out of the MLS Cup Playoffs as one of the five representatives of the Easter Conference. New England are led by MLS stars Shalrie Joseph and Benny Feilhaber. The club also recently announced the addition of 25-year-old Honduran Jerry Bengtson, who is considered one of CONCACAF's top young players.

A new name and a new stadium brought a change of fortunes for Sporting Kansas City.

Under the direction of one of MLS original stars, Peter Vermes, SKC find themselves only one point behind DC United at the top of the Eastern Conference and only four points behind San Jose Earthquakes for the MLS Supporters' Shield (best record in the league, which automatically earns a Champions League bid). Graham Zusi and Teal Bunbury are two of the big names leading the way for the club.

Tickets for the doubleheader go on sale July 11.