Sporting Kansas City announced on Friday that the club will host Stoke City FC of the Barclays Premier League at 7:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Aug. 1 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
Stoke City FC will be the second Barclays Premier League side to face Sporting Kansas City at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park following the visit of Newcastle United in July of 2011. In 2010, Sporting Kansas City defeated Manchester United by a 2-1 scoreline in front of over 52,000 fans at Arrowhead Stadium.
"We look forward to welcoming Stoke City during their preparation for the 2012-13 Premier League season," Sporting Club CEO Robb Heineman said. "Kansas City continues to be a destination for international soccer matches and this will be another opportunity for us to showcase Sporting Kansas City and LIVESTRONG Sporting Park this summer."
Sporting Kansas City Season Ticket Members and half-season plan holders will receive tickets to the match as part of their ticket packages and will also have access to an exclusive pre-sale on Ticketmaster.com beginning at 10 a.m. CT on Monday, May 14 for additional single-game tickets to the international friendly.
Ticket prices begin at $20 and will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. CT on Wednesday, May 16 on Ticketmaster.com or at the LSP Box Offices. Parking at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park is free for all Sporting Kansas City home matches.
Founded in 1863, Stoke City are the oldest club in the Premier League and are led by Manager Tony Pulis and forward Peter Crouch, an England international with 22 goals in 42 appearances.
Since gaining promotion to the Premier League in 2008, Stoke have enjoyed considerable success in England’s top division, advancing all the way to the 2011 FA Cup final against Manchester City. The club also gained entrance to the 2011-12 Europa League, where they progressed to the knockout stages of the tournament before falling in a two-legged series to Spanish powerhouse Valencia CF.
In preparation for the friendly, which has been brokered by Santio Sports and Entertainment, the EPL club is expected to hold training sessions at the Sporting Club Training Center in Swope Park as part of their pre-season. VIP packages, including the opportunity to attend a Stoke City FC training session and a coaching clinic with the team's technical staff, will be made available at a later date.
The match will be the sixth international event held at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park since its opening in June of 2011. The state-of-the-art, $200+ million venue hosted the U.S. Men’s National Team during the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup last June, as well as semifinals and finals of the 2012 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament this March.
