Barcelona to tour US in 2009

FC Barcelona has confirmed that they will be touring the U.S. again in 2009. Barcelona is determined to have a presence in Major League Soccer by 2011, through an ownership stake in the the potential MLS expansion franchise in Miami.

Miami FCB would play at Florida International University and benefit from a shared ethos and the extensive resources of the Barcelona sporting family.

MLS Rumors found a story on MLS Espanol that said:

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“The intention of FC Barcelona’s directive is to strongly support this new adventure [of opening a team in Miami] . That is why they will send the first team to the US next summer. The directive’s idea is for Guardiola’s team to play a friendly game in Miami to promote the franchise they will be about to get. Also, they would play in other US cities to “sell” the Barcelona-Miami project”.

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There is no news yet on who the other MLS team would be that Barcelona would play. This summer, Barcelona played CD Guadalajara of Mexico at Chicago’s Soldier Field and the New York Red Bulls.

Assuming that Barcelona will want to play in different cities next year and would not want to travel across the U.S. for one game, likely MLS opponents in the summer will be D.C. United and the New England Revolution.